Education needed for GM job

[IlliniLou]

After being a long time Cubs fan, I'm gettin fed up with the terrible signings that have taken place. Some of it has to do with the manager, but most is to do with the players that are at his disposal. My dream job is to be the Cubs general manager, cuz I honestly think I could do better and make better decisions. What kind of education do general managers in baseball have? What career paths do they take?

[Jack of Arcades]

most of them were scouts. I think only one is a former player (Billy Beane). theo epstein graduated from harvard with a degree in economics.

[Triumph36]

I believe Kenny Williams and Bill Stoneman were also players - I think GMs used to be former players more than they are now.

[IlliniLou]

[ QUOTE ]
most of them were scouts. I think only one is a former player (Billy Beane). theo epstein graduated from harvard with a degree in economics.

[/ QUOTE ]
is there any way to be a scout without being a player sometime or have a connection somehow in baseball throughout your life? I mean i played baseball when i was younger but injured my arm in high school and could never play. Im getting a accounting degree and i would really like a job somewhere in a sports office somewhere, just wondering how to go about it

[TheRover]

you could try interning with a minor league team or indy team. I sent my resume to one once (which was basically "Hi, I graduated high school once"), didn't hear back from them, obv.

banging Someone Important's daughter could help. let me know if you find anyone.

[IlliniLou]

[ QUOTE ]
you could try interning with a minor league team or indy team. I sent my resume to one once (which was basically "Hi, I graduated high school once"), didn't hear back from them, obv.

banging Someone Important's daughter could help. let me know if you find anyone.

[/ QUOTE ]
Ive thought about that, thought about getting an office job with some team while i get my masters at night or something. If everything fails I guess i can get a regular accounting job at some boring firm but I'd really like to do something where I will have an actual interest in

[junglewarfare]

[ QUOTE ]
most of them were scouts. I think only one is a former player (Billy Beane). theo epstein graduated from harvard with a degree in economics.

[/ QUOTE ]

Depodesta graduated from harvard, theo from yale, but thats pretty much the same thing tho. epstein also went to law school at san diego.

heres depodestas wikipedia entry

"He is a native of Alexandria, Virginia and attended Harvard University, where he played baseball and football and graduated cum laude in 1995 with a degree in economics....

n 1996, he got his first baseball job with the Cleveland Indians, where he spent three seasons. He served as an advance scout for two years and his final month with the club he was appointed special assistant to General Manager John Hart.

In 1999, he joined the Oakland Athletics organization as an assistant to general manager Billy Beane."

after working for beane he was hired by the dodgers in 04.


I would guess that having an econ/business background, being a former athlete yourself, having great interpersonal skills and connections, and getting lucky by being in the right place at the right time to get a break by being near a GM opening are all big factors. I would guess that it is very hard to break into the baseball world if you aren't a former player, you would have to be a big academic standout like depodesta and theo obviously are. They have to be tons of former players and scouts who have worked for 10-20 years who know everyone in the baseball world better than non baseball players who want to be GMs. It is probably easier today to get an analytic job now that sabermetrics are big, but I think it is probably very tough to move up from that position to one where you actually get to make decisions.

[Hoya]

Ed Wade started as a PR intern for the Phillies.

[Russ M.]

GEORGE: Nobody's hiring now. The market's terrible.
JERRY: So what are you gonna do?
GEORGE: I like sports. I could do something in sports.
JERRY: Uh-huh. Uh-huh. In what capacity?
GEORGE: You know, like the general manager of a baseball team or something.
JERRY: Yeah. Well, that - that could be tough to get.
GEORGE: Well, it doesn't even have to be the general manager. Maybe I could be like, an announcer. Like a color man. You know how I always make those interesting comments during the game.
JERRY: Yeah. Yeah. You make good comments.
GEORGE: What about that?
JERRY: Well, they tend to give those jobs to ex-ballplayers and people that are, you know, in broadcasting.
GEORGE: Well, that's really not fair.

[Jack of Arcades]

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I believe Kenny Williams and Bill Stoneman were also players - I think GMs used to be former players more than they are now.

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Yeah, they both were and you're right, that's how it used to be. There might be others, too, but now adays GMs are so young... well, Kenny Williams is young too.