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Martino provides a complete look into the economic, management and pure baseball workings of successful teams. Instead of looking for that one missing piece of what elevates winners over the others, this writing extols the chemistry between the head and the heart…a fresh perspective on the foundations of a winning organization.” Dr. Lynn Lashbrook, President and Founder - Sports Management Worldwide http://smww.com "Paul’s observations have a profound impact on sports and business enthusiasts alike! He encourages leaders to combine an information baseline using statistical analysis with equally important subjective traits (character, desire, heart…) to build high performance teams! A very entertaining and informative read!" Marty Donato, Fortune 500 business leader and Toms River HSS Baseball HOF member "This is a sports playbook that can be used at all levels of team management ...Practical, analytical and relevant!" Doug Miller: Owner - Dallas Stars Midget AAA hockey team, and also Partner - Texas Tornado Junior Hockey Team Official Book on the Business of Baseball General Management Foreword Not many books are born out of passion. This book reflects Paul Martino’s passion for the game of baseball. Paul has been studying the game of baseball from an early age including gathering one of the most complete New York Mets card collections ever assembled, and his USA Today recognized “Raiders of the Lost Parks” summer games tour to every MLB park. This passion ultimately led to his employment with ESPN Sports Ticker as the game day statistician first for the Texas Rangers, then the New York Yankees and New York Mets. In this capacity Paul had the opportunity to interact with the players, coaches, management, media and fans providing a unique experience from which to view baseball operations and management. Paul’s educational pursuits are reflected in his book as well. The management theory and skills Paul acquired while an MBA student at Southern Methodist University’s Cox School of Business, in leadership roles across the corporate enterprise at American Airlines, representing numerous vertical industries at Computer Sciences Corporation, and currently as a Director at a Global 500 company come together to form the basis for an effective and practical application to baseball general management. Though it may not have direct correlation to the particulars in Paul’s book, his life experiences while living, studying, working, and traveling in 45 countries have undoubtedly helped shape his views on particular management and cross cultural issues expounded on in his book. Paul opens with an interesting generalization in Section 1 involving the use of derivative theory to player contracts. This leads to a detailed analysis of the factors affecting the derivative value of the player contracts including management’s view towards player productivity and value as well as the ultimate consumer, the fans, and their influence on value. Paul then transitions to a broader look at management addressing constraints impacting decision making, core values and conflict discipline which make management’s job both challenging and rewarding when handled appropriately. As Paul mentions in Section 2, the working management model he develops can be applied to any industry. In Section 3 Paul offers strategic philosophies for building and maintaining a winning major league baseball team. These team management philosophies, expanded through his MLB General Management studies with Sports Management World Wide, can be applied to other pro sports teams, football, basketball and ice hockey, as well as minor league sports teams and other revenue generating sports organizations. Paul then proceeds to dissect the Philadelphia Phillies scouting and general management in Section 4 using the economic, management and strategic factors analyzed in the previous sections. He concludes with a comprehensive case study of the Phillies comparing the results the team achieved against the backdrop of the working management model Paul constructed in Sections 2 and 3. The years of reflection and experience in baseball and management stand-out in this first book written by Paul Martino. It becomes quite apparent it is a book constructed from his unabated interest and personal experiences with the subject. I would recommend this book to the sports management practitioner, student, hobbyist or fan. J. Douglas Ramsey, Ph.D.[1] Vice President and Chief Financial Officer EXCO Resources, Inc. http://www.excoresources.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Dr. Ramsey is a former Adjunct Professor of Finance in the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University as well as a former Lecturer of Finance in the College of Business Administration at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. |
| Business of Baseball General Management |