USD Magazine, Spring 2004

by Gary Libman T hose damn Yankees did it again chis year. Over the past winter, ream owner George Steinbrenner opened the payroll floodgates and acquired some of the best players in baseball, including super– star shortstop Alex Rodriguez and heavy– hitting outfielder Gary Sheffield. With these titans added co a lineup already laden with talent, and a player pay– roll char approaches a staggering $200 mil– lion, the New York Yankees were deemed by many pundits, before che season even starred, co have a guaranteed cri p co the World Series. Some even suggested the rest of the American League reams pack their bags and call it quits until next year. Bur from opposite ends of the country, the general managers of rwo of che Yankees American League rivals, in Boston and Seaccle, are declaring quire emphatically char they aren't about co shut off the stadium lights and go quietly into char good night. "The (Yankees') trade for Alex Rodriguez will ensure our division will be very competi– tive," says Theo Epstein '00 Q.D.) of the Boston Red Sox, who chis past winter cried co land Rodriguez for his own ream in a trade deal char eventually fell through. "Bur we like the ream char we built. I have no regrets." Thar confidence is echoed from 3,000 miles away by Epstein's counterpart, Seaccle Mariners General Manager Bill Bavasi '80. "We chink we have a good ream, and we've spent our money well," Bavasi says. "If we do everything we're supposed co, we can gee co the World Series."

And, as the song goes, chat's what it's all about. While their goal is the same, Epstein and Bavasi's pursuit of baseball's brass ring, the one emblazoned with a World Series championship logo, is likely co differ. Each worked for the San Diego Padres while attending USD, bur chat's where their simi– larities end. They come from strikingly dif– ferent backgrounds and followed different paths co their cop-dog jobs. As chis baseball season unfolds, fans will watch anxiously co see if either general manager - Epstein, the young man with a head for research and sca– risrics, or Bavasi, the traditionally schooled veteran who rose through the ranks - has A major league general manager has one of the most influential positions in baseball. T here are 30 of chem, each holding a job char every fan dreams about - and each making decisions chat every fan feels enti ded co sec– ond guess. They are charged with putting the best possible squad on the field, and their responsibilities include scouring, drafting, signing and developing players in the United Scares and abroad, as well as negotiating player contracts and trades, and ulcimacely selecting the ream's manager and coaches. To reach chis upper echelon, an executive is expected co carry a long resume of impres– sive credentials. So sports fans were some– what shocked in November 2002, when the Red Sox hired Theo Epstein. At 28, he was che youngest general manager in major the magic couch . THE WHIZ KID

Theo Epstein (right) made it back to

his home city ofBoston and his

beloved Fenway Park (above) last

season, while Bil! Bavasi takes on a

new cha!fenge at Safeco Field this

year with the Seattle Mariners.

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SPRI NG 2004