"An Organization in need of change" - I wanted Mike Elias before Mike Elias was Mike Elias

[Tony-OH]

On September 27, 2002 I published my first "manifesto" about the issues within the Orioles organization. it can be found here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20021012004905/http://www.orioleshangout.com/tony/tt020927.htm

I reread it today just to remind myself of the issues back then when I got to my Ten suggestions for improvement at the end. That's when I realized, Damn, I wanted Mike Elias before Mike Elias knew he was Mike Elias!  Too bad Elias was a 20-year old Freshman pitching for Yale University at the time. 

Here were my suggestions for Angelos to take after the 2002 season. News flash, he did not take my suggestions, but he did basically fire Thrift after the 2003 season. Who knows, Maybe John Angelos read it and thought, "One day when I'm in control, I'm going to get that guy that the internet dude thinks we should have gotten!"

1. HIRE AN INNOVATIVE GM

First things first: Syd Thrift must be let go and he must be replaced with an energetic, creative, visionary who's not afraid to try some new concepts and not afraid to step out of the norm. This organization needs a leader, a guy who can create a one-team attitude. He must be able to have full authority to run the franchise. Angelos should give him his budget, and let him shape the club as he sees fit. He must have full authority to hire and fire anyone in the system, or at least have the authority to delegate that responsibility to the Farm Director, who should be allowed to hand-pick the staff. Although Tony DeMacio has done an outstanding job, it should be up to the new GM to decide whether or not he stays on, since he has to be sure that all of his team members are on the same page and under the same philosophy. The same goes for Mike Hargrove and his staff. Finally, Angelos will be wise not to get caught in the trap of thinking that the GM needs to be a seasoned baseball man who has held every job in a professional baseball organization. The success of the Yankees' Brian Cashman and Oakland's Billy Beane is a better example and shows what can happen by giving young, smart guys a chance.

2. SAME TEAM, SAME PHILOSOPHY THROUGHOUT ORGANIZATION

Without a doubt, the new GM must have a sound and coherent baseball philosophy and be prepared to institute that philosophy throughout the system. The major league and minor league pitching and hitting coaches should be working under the same philosophy, so that from the time a player arrives in the organization until the time he steps into Camden Yards, he's been taught the same thing year after year. This is why it's so important that the new GM be allowed to handpick his Farm Director and Scouting Director as well as hiring his assistants. Everyone must be on the same sheet of music, with no exceptions, and with no behind-the-scenes power struggles.

3. BECOME TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED

The organization must think outside the box by using new technologies like collaboration software and servers, which allow multiple users to share ideas, documents, voice, and video across the Internet in a secure environment. Imagine a meeting each day with the farm director at Camden Yards, the GM on a laptop in a hotel in New York, minor league managers and scouts with laptops in their hotel rooms discussing last night's games and action. No more calling up for voice reports for the game, but an actual interactive conversation with the professionals who saw the plays happen live.

Take that information and have it entered into an online scouting service which can be accessed by anyone in the system from scout, to manager, to coach, to front office. One such system is IBM's PROS ("Prospect Reporting and Organizational Solution"), a Web-based software application that allows scouts to quickly collect, store and access information on prospects and players. The Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies, Colorado Rockies, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets already use this system.

Also, the minor league system of analyzing players' performances could be much better if more information were charted and tracked. Instead of having minor league pitchers chart the velocity and type of pitch on a piece of paper, have each use a pocket pc with pitch/bat charting software like Chartmine/E-chart from Competitive Edge Decision systems or Pro Scout from Inside Edge, Inc. This data can be uploaded into databases which can then be viewed by people within the organization as well as being shared with the players during workout sessions and pre-game preparation.

4. MAKE EVERYONE FEEL THEY ARE PART OF SOMETHING SPECIAL

Everyone wants to be part of something special. Young military men put themselves through excruciating tests of physical and mental duress to become part of the Army's Special Forces or Rangers, and Navy personnel go even further to become SEALs. Why? Because if they make it, they truly became part of a special team, a special group of individuals that have accomplished a great deal just to get where they are. That type of mentality should be instilled in every minor league player that comes into the system.

On day one the new recruits should be shown a film of Brooks Robinson throwing out Lee May in the 1970s World Series or Cal Ripken catching the last out of the 1983 Series in Philadelphia. They should be shown Jim Palmer on the mound and Frank Robinson at the plate. These future Orioles should hear past and present Orioles talk about the things Cal Ripken Sr. stood for, about what a special honor it is to put on the uniform of the Baltimore Orioles. 

Class, hard work, hustle and dedication should be expected from each player in the system. The consequences of breaking a spelled-out code of conduct should include being benched, demoted or released, depending on the offense. In return, the coaching staff will be dedicated, hard-working men who believe in the philosophy of the organization and who want to work with the young men they are given.

5. TREAT PLAYERS AS INDIVIDUALS

Each player that comes into the organization is different. They come from diverse backgrounds and education levels, with unique characteristics that differentiate each one from another regardless of skill level. When a player is signed, the minor league staff and scouts should assess him and an individual developmental plan (IDP) should be outlined to show a player his strengths and weaknesses.  This IDP should follow the player from each level so that when the player is promoted, the new coaching staff knows what the player is working on and what he does well, along with other notes from the previous coaching staff and organizational scouts who have seen him.

Just as importantly, at the end of the year, the player should be counseled on his season and his IDP should be discussed. The organization should develop an offseason program tailored to the player with such things as drills, fitness, and weight training included.

[Yardball85]

Fascinating read.  Thank you for sharing.

[banks703]

@Tony-OH Methinks there is something abnormal about your brain. That you're able to remember this 21+ years later is impressive. I can barely remember what I ate for dinner last night and Mike Elias is more than two years older than me! I was a senior in Hikes School when you wrote this. Good on you for remembering it. 

[Frobby]

That is amazing.  The O’s have done every single thing you recommended.  It only took them 16 years to start doing it!

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, banks703 said:

@Tony-OH Methinks there is something abnormal about your brain. That you're able to remember this 21+ years later is impressive. I can barely remember what I ate for dinner last night and Mike Elias is more than two years older than me! I was a senior in Hikes School when you wrote this. Good on you for remembering it. 

I am not surprised Tony remembered this.   It got a lot of attention at the time.  As I recall, some in the Orioles brass weren’t too pleased.  

[banks703]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I am not surprised Tony remembered this.   It got a lot of attention at the time.  As I recall, some in the Orioles brass weren’t too pleased.  

That's fair but damn, that's more than 1/5th of a century in the past. Impressive to me. 

[Roll Tide]

Good article Tony!

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, banks703 said:

That's fair but damn, that's more than 1/5th of a century in the past. Impressive to me. 

I'm old enough that twenty years ago doesn't seem all that long.

[Sports Guy]

I remember this 

[ShoelesJoe]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

I am not surprised Tony remembered this.   It got a lot of attention at the time.  As I recall, some in the Orioles brass weren’t too pleased.  

&%$# them. 

[Moose Milligan]

This is a good read and fantastic suggestions especially considering this was before Moneyball.

Whatever happened to IBM PROS?

[Osornot]

20+ years ago...

Compare that to our GM at the time... who used a chisel to carve notes out of a rock.

Fantastic...  but does remind me of what this franchise had been.  Half the battle is won.  A change of ownership and philosophy would do wonders (duh).  Heck, a change of ownership would be good for the fans - we would never have to suffer under the "Angelos" weight.

[emmett16]

My initial reaction while re-reading what you wrote is that it's absolute LUNACY that all those items you outlined weren't important to the owner.  Those are the basic building blocks for any successful business.  

[Aristotelian]

Pretty cool. Moneyball was published in 2003. Better late than never but did if have to take that long? I think Peter being incapacitated has a lot to do with it.

[Frobby]

36 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Pretty cool. Moneyball was published in 2003. Better late than never but did if have to take that long? I think Peter being incapacitated has a lot to do with it.

I also think winning 47 games helped to shock the ownership group out of complacency.