Full Description
The 1936 Yankees, the 1963 Dodgers, the 1975 Reds, the 2010 Giants-why do some baseball teams win while others don't?
General managers and fans alike have pondered this most important of baseball questions. The Moneyball strategy is not the first example of how new ideas and innovative management have transformed the way teams are assembled. In Pursuit of Pennants examines and analyzes a number of compelling, winning baseball teams over the past hundred-plus years, focusing on their decision making and how they assembled their championship teams.
Whether through scouting, integration, instruction, expansion, free agency, or modernizing their management structure, each winning team and each era had its own version of Moneyball, where front office decisions often made the difference. Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Levitt show how these teams succeeded and how they relied on talent both on the field and in the front office. While there is no recipe for guaranteed success in a competitive, ever-changing environment, these teams demonstrate how creatively thinking about one's circumstances can often lead to a competitive advantage.
Contents
List of Illustrations
List of Tables
List of Charts
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1. Professional Management
1. Owner-Operator
2. Field Manager
3. General Manager
4. Executive
5. Farm System
6. Organization
Part 2. General Manager Ascendant
7. Dodger Way
8. Dynasty
9. Integration
10. Commitment
11. Excellence Rewarded
12. Amateur Draft
13. The Machine
Part 3. New Order
14. Long Road Back
15. Expansion
16. Free Agency
17. The Zoo
18. Many Rivers
Part 4. Businessmen
19. Winning Now
20. Analytics
21. Post-Moneyball
22. Modern Game
Appendix
Notes
Index
