Post by unnameddbacksfan on Jun 9, 2008 0:23:06 GMT -5
www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2008/06/05/20080605dbxmain0606.html
D-Backs leading youth movement
Arizona leads trend of promoting young talent at early stages
by Dan Bickley - Jun. 5, 2008 11:02 PM
The Arizona Republic
The Diamondbacks are more than a young team. They are trendsetters.
They are the most visible example of a growing movement inside Major League Baseball, where free-agent spending is out and in-house promotion is in.
The reasons are obvious, starting with money.
"I think there's been a recognition that maybe clubs have relied too much on older, veteran players who may not be any more productive than a younger guy," Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said. "And it's not just the medium- and small-market clubs. All across baseball, you see more and more young players with great promise getting a chance to prove themselves."
The Diamondbacks are Exhibit A. Four of their first-round draft picks from 2003-06 are on the current roster (Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Max Scherzer). The other one is currently starring in Chicago with the White Sox (Carlos Quentin). If only the Arizona Cardinals could draft like this.
Then, on their road to a National League West championship last season, Diamondbacks executives did something preposterous: They called up two players from Double-A - Upton and Mark Reynolds - and threw them into the lineup, into the heat of a pennant race.
The two had moments of brilliance and periods of extreme drought. Their struggles continue in 2008. But in fully committing to youth, the Diamondbacks have accelerated the growth curve of two key players while filling two key slots with very manageable salaries.
"I don't know if it's pushing up timetables, but there is an economic reason," Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "Young players, in the first three years of their contract, are affordable. You control them longer. And in some ways, the reward is greater if the young player can get to the major leagues and be a quality player. Then you maintain that value a little longer.
"Look, talent still matters. It's going to drive every decision. But there has been a heightened commitment to sign and develop players."
This movement is in stark contrast to the checkbook championship strategy employed by George Steinbrenner following the Yankees' World Series loss to the Diamondbacks in 2001. As Steinbrenner spent wildly on free agents, he forced other big-market clubs to ramp up their spending as well.
Not that long ago, the Yankees and Red Sox were the only clubs with team payrolls exceeding $100 million. Entering the 2008 season, there were 11 teams over the $100 million threshold, and another two at $98 million.
Yet along the way, there have been many bad contracts and too many mediocre players making absurd money. Buyer's remorse has been rampant, leading to the trend in place today.
"Some teams have had success with it, and now, you're seeing other teams follow, and for a couple reasons," Diamondbacks Manager Bob Melvin said during a recent homestand. "One, financially. And two, there is more confidence in rookies. Some of the younger general managers have a lot to do with that. They are more apt to push guys."
Though there certainly has been a wave of younger, non-conventional general managers entering the sport over the past decade, Byrnes disputes the connection. He thinks a lot of the attention on youth is a direct result of the 2005 draft, a treasure chest that yielded Upton, the Brewers' Ryan Braun, the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki and Reds' sensation Jay Bruce, among others. And he learned the value of leaning on and sticking with young players a long time ago.
"I remember picking (former manager) Jack McKeon's brain about Tony Gwynn (who was signed in June 1981 and in the Padres' lineup by July 1982)," Byrnes said. "And he said, if the guy is that good, you get him through (the minor leagues).
"And as I've said many times, my first lesson in the game was watching Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome break in (with the Indians), and the struggles associated with that. At one point, there was great pressure to sign Chris Sabo and send Thome down. But the commitment to the players paid off in a big way."
To get to that end, the Diamondbacks do whatever they can to customize and tailor player development. They'll match certain types of minor-league managers with a group of key prospects. A good example is Chip Hale and the 2006 Sidewinders team that won a Triple-A championship. It happened with the promotion of Rick Schu as current hitting coach, a man who had minor-league experience with most of the Diamondbacks' young players.
Success with young players doesn't happen by accident. But when it works, it rocks the baseball establishment. This season, the contending Florida Marlins pay their players less ($21 million) than the total salary of Alex Rodriguez ($28 million). The Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A's are contending with payrolls under $50 million. And the Diamondbacks and the Rockies played for a pennant last season without spending a fortune.
For the sake of baseball fans in Arizona, it would be nice if this trend continues through November.
D-Backs leading youth movement
Arizona leads trend of promoting young talent at early stages
by Dan Bickley - Jun. 5, 2008 11:02 PM
The Arizona Republic
The Diamondbacks are more than a young team. They are trendsetters.
They are the most visible example of a growing movement inside Major League Baseball, where free-agent spending is out and in-house promotion is in.
The reasons are obvious, starting with money.
"I think there's been a recognition that maybe clubs have relied too much on older, veteran players who may not be any more productive than a younger guy," Diamondbacks Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said. "And it's not just the medium- and small-market clubs. All across baseball, you see more and more young players with great promise getting a chance to prove themselves."
The Diamondbacks are Exhibit A. Four of their first-round draft picks from 2003-06 are on the current roster (Conor Jackson, Stephen Drew, Justin Upton, Max Scherzer). The other one is currently starring in Chicago with the White Sox (Carlos Quentin). If only the Arizona Cardinals could draft like this.
Then, on their road to a National League West championship last season, Diamondbacks executives did something preposterous: They called up two players from Double-A - Upton and Mark Reynolds - and threw them into the lineup, into the heat of a pennant race.
The two had moments of brilliance and periods of extreme drought. Their struggles continue in 2008. But in fully committing to youth, the Diamondbacks have accelerated the growth curve of two key players while filling two key slots with very manageable salaries.
"I don't know if it's pushing up timetables, but there is an economic reason," Diamondbacks General Manager Josh Byrnes said. "Young players, in the first three years of their contract, are affordable. You control them longer. And in some ways, the reward is greater if the young player can get to the major leagues and be a quality player. Then you maintain that value a little longer.
"Look, talent still matters. It's going to drive every decision. But there has been a heightened commitment to sign and develop players."
This movement is in stark contrast to the checkbook championship strategy employed by George Steinbrenner following the Yankees' World Series loss to the Diamondbacks in 2001. As Steinbrenner spent wildly on free agents, he forced other big-market clubs to ramp up their spending as well.
Not that long ago, the Yankees and Red Sox were the only clubs with team payrolls exceeding $100 million. Entering the 2008 season, there were 11 teams over the $100 million threshold, and another two at $98 million.
Yet along the way, there have been many bad contracts and too many mediocre players making absurd money. Buyer's remorse has been rampant, leading to the trend in place today.
"Some teams have had success with it, and now, you're seeing other teams follow, and for a couple reasons," Diamondbacks Manager Bob Melvin said during a recent homestand. "One, financially. And two, there is more confidence in rookies. Some of the younger general managers have a lot to do with that. They are more apt to push guys."
Though there certainly has been a wave of younger, non-conventional general managers entering the sport over the past decade, Byrnes disputes the connection. He thinks a lot of the attention on youth is a direct result of the 2005 draft, a treasure chest that yielded Upton, the Brewers' Ryan Braun, the Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki and Reds' sensation Jay Bruce, among others. And he learned the value of leaning on and sticking with young players a long time ago.
"I remember picking (former manager) Jack McKeon's brain about Tony Gwynn (who was signed in June 1981 and in the Padres' lineup by July 1982)," Byrnes said. "And he said, if the guy is that good, you get him through (the minor leagues).
"And as I've said many times, my first lesson in the game was watching Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome break in (with the Indians), and the struggles associated with that. At one point, there was great pressure to sign Chris Sabo and send Thome down. But the commitment to the players paid off in a big way."
To get to that end, the Diamondbacks do whatever they can to customize and tailor player development. They'll match certain types of minor-league managers with a group of key prospects. A good example is Chip Hale and the 2006 Sidewinders team that won a Triple-A championship. It happened with the promotion of Rick Schu as current hitting coach, a man who had minor-league experience with most of the Diamondbacks' young players.
Success with young players doesn't happen by accident. But when it works, it rocks the baseball establishment. This season, the contending Florida Marlins pay their players less ($21 million) than the total salary of Alex Rodriguez ($28 million). The Tampa Bay Rays and Oakland A's are contending with payrolls under $50 million. And the Diamondbacks and the Rockies played for a pennant last season without spending a fortune.
For the sake of baseball fans in Arizona, it would be nice if this trend continues through November.