From Deseret News archives:
Playing Moneyball: Crosby another A-plus in affordable baseball strategy
The formula is simple: You replace the highly paid employee with a cheaper replacement and continue humming right along with little drop in efficiency.
But the execution can be complex. We're not talking about making widgets, after all. In baseball, asking the kid to follow in the footsteps of the veteran is a gamble. When the veteran is a former Most Valuable Player, the kid is just two seasons removed from Long Beach State and the position might be the most important defensive spot on the diamond . . . well, no one said the "Moneyball" philosophy didn't take guts.
Yet it seems to be working. Crosby ($300,500) doesn't have the same impact on the A's lineup as did Miguel Tejada (who left for a six-year, $72 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles). But Crosby could be the American League Rookie of the Year, the A's entered the week in first place and their $59.4 million payroll is, ahem, affordable.
This business of constantly reassembling a roster does have its occasional glitches. Crosby takes Tejada's place? Fine. First baseman Scott Hatteberg takes Jason Giambi's place? Fine. Closer Arthur Rhodes takes Keith Foulke's place? Uh, not so fine, which is why general manager Billy Beane likely will be looking for a closer in his annual midseason shopping spree.
But retooling is what Beane does. It has resulted in back-to-back division titles, three straight postseason appearances and an attitude in the A's clubhouse that whatever happens in the AL West, they'll be right in the middle of it in September.
The recipe: savvy (if sometimes unorthodox) drafting, solid player development and a smidgen of luck.
"When our guys evaluate somebody, our minor league people, they're normally right on," A's manager Ken Macha said. "They were certainly right on with (Crosby)."
Picked 25th overall in the 2002 draft after three stellar seasons at Long Beach, Crosby, now 24, was fast-tracked through the A's organization — from signing to a big league call-up in just 14 months — almost certainly with Tejada's impending free agency in mind.
Crosby entered this past spring with a fairly secure grip on the shortstop job but got off to a rocky start when the season began, and he probably reached his nadir May 8. That day, against Minnesota, he went 0 for 4, stranded six runners and dropped a popup to let in the winning run in an extra-inning loss. At the end of the day, his average was .183 and his spirits were even lower, requiring pep talks from teammates, coaches and the general manager.
