View source for General manager (baseball)

{{short description|Occupation on a baseball team}}
[[File:Brian Cashman by Keith Allison 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.75|[[Brian Cashman]] has served as general manager of the [[New York Yankees]] since 1998.]]

In [[Major League Baseball]], the '''general manager''' ('''GM''') of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players.

==Roles and responsibilities==
The [[general manager (sports)|general manager]] is normally the person who hires and fires the coaching staff, including the [[Manager (baseball)|field manager]] who acts as the head coach.  In baseball, the term ''manager'' used without qualification almost always refers to the field manager, not the general manager.

Before the 1960s, and in some rare cases since then, a person with the general manager title in sports has also borne responsibility for the non-player operations of the ballclub, such as ballpark administration and [[sportscasting|broadcasting]].  [[Ed Barrow]], [[George Weiss (baseball)|George Weiss]] and [[Gabe Paul]] were three baseball GMs noted for their administrative skills in both player and non-player duties.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

==History and evolution==
[[File:Billy Evans 1914.jpg|thumb|right|In 1927, former umpire [[Billy Evans]] became the first person to hold a general manager title with a major-league team, the [[Cleveland Indians]].]]

In the first decades of baseball's post-1901 modern era, responsibilities for player acquisition fell upon the club owner and/or president and the [[manager (baseball)|field manager]].<ref name="IPOP">{{cite book|last1=Armour|first1=Mark|last2=Leavitt|first2=Daniel|title=In Pursuit of Pennants|year=2015|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|isbn=978-0-8032-3497-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D82nBgAAQBAJ}}</ref> In some cases, particularly in the early years of the [[American League]], the owner was a former [[baseball player|player]] or manager himself: [[Charles Comiskey]] of the [[Chicago White Sox]], [[Connie Mack]] of the [[Philadelphia Athletics]], and [[Clark Griffith]] of the [[Washington Senators (1901–1960)|Washington Senators]] are three prominent examples. Other owners tended to be magnates from the business world, although some, like [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]' president [[Charles Ebbets]], worked their way from front-office jobs into ownership positions. Most deferred player personnel evaluations to their on-field managers. One notable exception, cited by Mark L. Armour and Daniel R. Leavitt in their book ''In Pursuit of Pennants'', was [[German Americans|German immigrant]] [[Barney Dreyfuss]], owner of the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]] from 1900 to 1932. Dreyfuss had no playing background, but was one of the most astute judges of talent of his time.<ref name="IPOP"/> Under Dreyfuss, Pittsburgh won six [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[pennant (sports)|pennants]] and two [[World Series]] titles ([[1909 World Series|1909]] and [[1925 World Series|1925]]). The [[New York Giants (MLB)|New York Giants]]' [[John McGraw]], who also held a minority ownership stake in the team, is an example of a powerful manager who, during his three decades at the Giants' helm, exerted control over off-field aspects of the team's operation.<ref name="IPOP"/> McGraw managed the Giants from {{by|1902}} to {{by|1932}}, piloting them to ten National League pennants and three World Series titles ([[1905 World Series|1905]], [[1921 World Series|1921]], and [[1922 World Series|1922]]) along the way. 

[[File:Jack McKeon Padres.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.66|[[Jack McKeon]] served as both general manager and field manager of the [[San Diego Padres]].]]
According to [[Baseball Almanac]], the first man to hold the title of general manager was [[Billy Evans]] when he was appointed by the [[Cleveland Indians]] in 1927.<ref>[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/teams/general_managers.shtml Baseball Almanac.com]</ref> However, the duties of the modern general manager already had been assumed by two executives — Barrow of the [[New York Yankees]] and [[Branch Rickey]] of the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] — whose formal title at the time was ''business manager.'' Both were former field managers of big-league teams, although Barrow had no professional playing background.<ref>[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]] official web site, [https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/barrow-ed ''Edward Grant Barrow'']</ref><ref>[https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/c9fdbace Leavitt, Daniel R., ''Ed Barrow.''] [[Society for American Baseball Research]] Biography Project</ref>

They assumed those positions (Barrow in 1920 and Rickey five years later) when clubs could legally control only 15 [[minor league baseball|minor league]] players on option, and most young players were purchased or drafted from independently owned minor league teams. Rickey, creator of the modern and extensive [[farm system]] during the 1920s and 1930s, played a critical role in inventing the need for a general manager as well: with most teams coming to own or affiliate with multiple minor league teams from [[Class D (baseball)|Class D]] to the top tier, and with dozens (and in some cases hundreds) of players under contract, they needed a front-office infrastructure to oversee the major league club, [[scout (sports)|scouting and player procurement]], minor league operations and player development, and business affairs. The general manager, in lieu of the "owner-operator", provided that oversight.

But both the owner-operator and the field-manager-as-GM models survived into the 1980s. Owners [[Charlie Finley]] of the [[Oakland Athletics]] and [[Calvin Griffith]] of the [[Minnesota Twins]] functioned as their own chiefs of baseball operations. During the 1970s and 1980s, [[Alvin Dark]] of the Indians, [[Billy Martin]] of the Athletics (after Finley sold them in August {{by|1980}}), and [[Whitey Herzog]] of the Cardinals combined manager and general manager duties, while [[Paul Owens (baseball)|Paul Owens]] of the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and [[Jack McKeon]] of the [[San Diego Padres]] were general managers who appointed themselves field managers and held both posts.

==Superior executive levels==
{{anchor|presbo}}<!--this anchor is used by [[President of baseball operations]]}}-->
[[File:Red Sox President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski (23655867925) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright=.66|[[Dave Dombrowski]] has served as president of baseball operations for the [[Boston Red Sox]] and [[Philadelphia Phillies]].]]

The early decades of the 21st century have seen Major League Baseball teams create a new layer of authority between ownership and the general manager, typically called the '''president of baseball operations''' ('''POBO'''). These executives may work in concert with others in the organization styled as presidents but having non-baseball-centric responsibilities, such as President/CEO or President/COO. The trend began in {{by|2007}}, when, in June, [[Andy MacPhail]] was hired into a POBO role by the [[Baltimore Orioles]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/news-and-messenger-macphail-hires-by-ori/159072842/ |title=MacPhail hires by Orioles: Andy MacPhail was named Baltimore's president of baseball operations |first=Ben |last=Greene |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[News & Messenger]] |location=[[Woodbridge, Virginia]] |page=B2 |date=June 21, 2007 |accessdate=November 14, 2024 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Then, in September, general manager [[Larry Beinfest]] was promoted to president of baseball operations by the [[Florida Marlins]].<ref name="PBO1"/> In Beinfest's case, he was assisted by a newly appointed GM, [[Michael Hill (baseball)|Michael Hill]].<ref>Lingo, Will, editor (2008), ''[[Baseball America]] Annual Directory''. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, pages 25, 41. {{ISBN|978-1-932391-20-6}}</ref>

Writing for ''[[Sports Business Daily]]'' in March 2015, legal academic and sports lawyer Glenn M. Wong observed: "No longer is it always true that the GM is the final decision-maker with respect to baseball decisions."<ref name="PBO1">{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/03/16/Opinion/From-the-Field-of-Team-Management.aspx |last=Wong |first=Glenn |date=16 March 2015 |title=How Leadership Shift Has Changed MLB Front Offices |website=[[Sports Business Daily]]}}</ref> One of the reasons for the creation of this new position was the soaring costs and revenues associated with modern MLB operations: "Ownership is often heavily involved in major investments and decisions ... Installing another layer creates a sort of checks-and-balances system and a checkpoint for the decision-making process."<ref name="PBO1"/>

In June 2015, another article by Wong revisited the topic and compared the evolving job descriptions and career trajectories of GMs and POBOs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/06/15/Opinion/Glenn-Wong.aspx |last=Wong |first=Glenn |date=15 June 2015 |title=Profiling MLB Club Leadership: Presidents v. General Managers |website=[[Sports Business Daily]]}}</ref> In 2016, ''Sports Business Daily'' writer Eric Fisher cited the growing importance of data analytics in playing personnel evaluations and long-term planning (in addition to in game strategy), and heavier investments in player development, domestically and internationally, as contributing to the POBO movement and other structural changes in baseball front offices.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/03/21/In-Depth/Main.aspx |last=Fisher |first=Eric |date=21 March 2016 |title=Who Calls the Shots? Baseball's Burgeoning Front Offices |website=[[Sports Business Daily]]}}</ref>

The ''[[Baseball America]] Annual Directory'' of 2019 listed 12 POBOs among the 30 MLB teams, as well as one "chief baseball officer" and four "executive vice presidents of baseball operations", operating above the GM level or also holding the GM title.<ref>Lowe, Kegan, and Norris, Josh, editors (2019), ''[[Baseball America]] Annual Directory.'' Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. {{ISBN|978-1-932391-83-1}}</ref> In April 2024, a ranking by ''[[The Athletic]]'' of the top 10 front offices in MLB included seven teams with a president of baseball operations, and three without.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5424700/2024/04/24/mlb-front-office-rankings/ |title=What are the Top 10 front offices in MLB? Here’s how 40 executives voted |website=[[The Athletic]] |url-access=limited |date=April 24, 2024 |accessdate=November 14, 2024 |via=nytimes.com}}</ref>

In some instances, a team may operate with a POBO or chief baseball officer and leave the GM role vacant. Two examples involve the [[Boston Red Sox]]: from 2017 through 2019, [[Dave Dombrowski]] served as POBO and the team had no GM; and in 2024, [[Craig Breslow]] served as chief baseball officer and the team again had no GM.

==See also==
*{{section link|General manager|Sports teams}}
*[[Major League Baseball Executive of the Year Award]]
*[[Sporting News Executive of the Year Award|''Sporting News'' Executive of the Year Award]]
*[[Baseball America awards|''Baseball America'' Major League Executive of the Year Award]]

== References ==
<references />

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==External links==
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;American League
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050324073807/http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=bal Baltimore Orioles Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041126042235/http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=bos Boston Red Sox Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127211615/http://chicago.whitesox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=cws Chicago White Sox Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050214092543/http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=cle Cleveland Indians Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041129182416/http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=det Detroit Tigers Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308135523/http://houston.astros.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=hou Houston Astros Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050317031129/http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=kc Kansas City Royals Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051031214252/http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=ana Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127233809/http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=min Minnesota Twins Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127010026/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=nyy New York Yankees Front Office]
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050306165936/http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=oak Oakland Athletics Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050428085838/http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=sea Seattle Mariners Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050204094320/http://tampabay.devilrays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=tb Tampa Bay Rays Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127234414/http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=tex Texas Rangers Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041128131658/http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=tor Toronto Blue Jays Front Office]

;National League
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050310201522/http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=ari Arizona Diamondbacks Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050305153035/http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=atl Atlanta Braves Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050305152047/http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=chc Chicago Cubs Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051213003359/http://cincinnati.reds.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=cin Cincinnati Reds Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050305152253/http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=col Colorado Rockies Front Office]
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*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041204100732/http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=la Los Angeles Dodgers Front Office]
*[http://miami.marlins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=mia Miami Marlins Front Office]{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050306172907/http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=mil Milwaukee Brewers Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127050335/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=nym New York Mets Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050120092049/http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=phi Philadelphia Phillies Front Office]
*[http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=pit Pittsburgh Pirates Front Office]{{dead link|date=October 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041127043451/http://sandiego.padres.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=sd San Diego Padres Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050127095421/http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=sf San Francisco Giants Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050306152603/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=stl St. Louis Cardinals Front Office]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050306014550/http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/team/front_office.jsp?c_id=was Washington Nationals Front Office]
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