TPM:
Great hearing from you and thanks for responding to my thread. I guess what interests me is the word "analytic" the author of the article has placed first in the sentence that also has the word "development". I agree that, at least from the writer's viewpoint, the cardinals have made a major shift in development philosophy [or more likely actually made it in 2004 or so] and are now in 2008 ready to run with it. They intend to put more money and effort into developing their minor league farm system and less effort into what incremental advantage can we get by trading our MLB player for their MLB player.
I was more interested in the question behind this philosophy that is not forefront of the article but might be read between the lines. What kind of players are they looking to "develp" through their revamped minor league system? Do you think "analytic" is a code word for moneyball? Of course, the word "moneyball" means many things to many people. To some, it means the Oakland As approach of draftng players with less than 5 tools with high OPS stats because they are cheap and bonuses are small. To others it means Bill James is working as an assistant to the owner of the Red Sox and their new [post John Henry] committment to patient hitters and expensive starting pitchers has gotten them two World Series rings in 4 years.
To me in its simpliest form moneyball from the MLB perspective means looking for position players in high school or college and drafting them while at least considering their statistics rather than the approach of most MLB franchise scouting [tail wags the dog] departments where the only discussion is whether the prospect has been observed to have ALL 5 "tools" that the organazation deems necessary before even considering them as a potential draftee. It means drafting pitchers with great walk to strikeout ratios and low ERA's even if they never hit 95 mph on the gun with a single pitch during an entire gmae. It means trying to field an entire starting team of hitters that are able, even with 2 strikes, to work the count against the opposition's starting pitcher so that he is gone and the bullpen is in with 2 outs in the fifth inning instead of being able to finish the sixth inning with the bullpen not getting up till the seventh inning [which is what every "smart" organization sets up a bullpen to do].
Take the Cardinals of the Walt Jockety era for example. As a GM his reputation was that he was able to trade one or more of his players [often an excellent minor league prospect] to his fellow GM for a guy that could immediately contribute to the MLB team. In fact he was considered by many to be the very best at this game. Now admittedly, I do not follow the Cardinals very closely but I believe Pulhos(sp?) was developed through their farm system, at least to some degree. Edmonds came over as an expensive free agent from the Angels I think and Scott Roland came over as an expensive free agent from the Phillies. Edgar Renteria was an expensive free agent from the Marlins I think that didn't work out and he got traded. Every free agent of the caliber of these three players means the Cardinals lost their first round draft pick to the Angels, Phillies and Marlins respectively the next year after the pickup [unless the player was offerred arbitration]. Plus the Angels, Phillies and Marlins got a supplimental first round pick *at the end of the first round but before the second round). The point is, by picking up the best free agents that year a MLB team not only has to significantly increase or divert its payroll in order to woo the free agent but it also has to sacrifice its top draft picks the following year. It is Bud Selig and the gang's way of saying WE DO NOT LIKE FREE AGENCY BECAUSE IT BIDS UP SALARIES-STOP IT OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES.
Back to topic. The AL has at least three what I would describe as organizations committed to some form of "moneyball". The are, in order of committment, Red Sox, Athletics and Blue Jays. Sandy Alderson is a GM somewhere still I think and if he has been granted the authority by his organization they are probably doing some form of it because he is a moneyball guy. If he is in the NL than that would be a NL moneyball team. But if not, I believe that the new and revised Cardinals might be the first team in the NL that seems to be heading for the moneyball brass ring. Only time will tell.
Anyone else out there care to add to or take issue with any of this?
TW344