One of baseball's brightest minds shares his philosophy on athletics, relationships, and life.
By Dave Sargent
MaxPreps.com
Profiled Guest: Billy Beane, General Manager Oakland A's Baseball Club, Part Owner Oakland A's, Former Major League Player, 1984-1989
When done well, high school and college athletics (and perhaps beyond) provides generalized training in the development of skills and personal attitudes that will benefit the athlete in all of his or her lifetime endeavors. Yet, how many people can say that they transitioned into a job for which their experience in athletics was absolutely perfect preparation? How many people can truly say they secured a career in an area of intense interest and passion? How many can say their work is like their hobby?
Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane, recognized as one of the most successful General Managers in all of baseball, is one of those unique individuals who is fortunate enough to be working in a position that he truly loves and that allows him to remain integrally involved in the game he played professionally, baseball.
The road to the front office of the A's was paved with countless games and practices for Beane. His athletic career at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, although eventually focused on baseball, included football, basketball and the development of a strong interest in badminton. He remains a believer in a well-rounded athletic career for high school student-athletes.
"The biggest change I've seen (in high school athletics) is the early specialization on one sport," Beane said. "Kids are missing out, particularly in learning crossover skills. Participation in one sport inevitably helps in another."
Beane, asked to offer advice to youth and high school athletes, urged them to explore a wide variety of sports and to always be playing and competing.
Coaches are the Key
Among the many coaches Beane played for in his youth, two coaches had the most memorable and influential impact on him as a player. He carries the lessons learned from those coaches with him to the present day, using them in his current position.
His father, who became a teacher after retiring from the Navy, loved baseball and was his personal coach throughout his youth. Beane feels fortunate that he had that tutelage.
"He taught me to be disciplined when working and to have a `can do' attitude" Beane said.
Although self-taught, his father knew baseball intimately and insisted that the game be played with respect and reverence. In the Beane household, however, academic performance outweighed athletic prowess in importance. The earning of a "C" grade was considered unacceptable and Beane still remembers his father refusing to let him play for two weeks of a season until he brought up a particular grade to a "B". Because he was obviously athletically talented, success in the classroom and on the field could lead to a college education, an opportunity that was not to be ignored or mismanaged through poor study habits.
Equally influential in Beane's high school years was his high school basketball and baseball coach, Sam Blaylock. Blaylock, the uncle of current major leaguer Hank Blaylock of the Texas Rangers, remains a friend of Beane's today. Blaylock made competing both "fun and intense" at the same time, according to Beane. His most important coaching attribute was his ability to connect to young people, not his thorough knowledge of the sports he was coaching.
"(Blaylock) made people want to be around him. You were drawn to him as a person," Beane recalled.
He did so through understanding the age group he was working with and communicating in a manner that allowed his players to truly "hear" his message. His message was often given in a sort of soft, relaxed style that was hard for Billy to describe, yet his players always knew that he meant what he said and that he was serious about competing until the final out of each game. Coaching approach, whether through force of personality, outstanding communication skills, perceptiveness and understanding, or superior knowledge of the game being taught (or all four attributes), continues to be the number one theme identified by the athletes and coaches interviewed for the "Lessons from Athletics" series of columns. Coaches and parents take heed!
Athletics as Life
Beane is crystal clear about the lessons that he learned playing baseball at all levels and he reveres those lessons today.
"Athletics is a meritocracy. You have to earn everything you receive through your own performance," Beane said.
Laziness and cutting corners is self deception and never works when the final method of evaluation of success or failure is personal performance. If you aspire to be recognized as a top player, the only sure route to that level of recognition is honest preparation. Today, Beane uses all resources at his disposal to exhaustively evaluate a professional prospect. Leaving no stone unturned, he comes to know a potential draftee as intimately as time and performance-based statistical measures allow. That dedication to thorough preparation is a carryover value from his training in his youth and it continues to serve him well as he repeatedly assembles a team that is in playoff contention despite budgetary limitations not experienced by all of his peers.
From sports, Beane also notes he learned "losses are only temporary setbacks. All experiences have opportunities built into them." One could infer that some competitors look much more carefully to find those sometimes-obscure opportunities and that others allow themselves to remain defeated. A positive, optimistic approach is required to take full advantage of an opportunity to fulfill one's dreams and aspirations.
The friendships made in athletics often last a lifetime and sometimes they come from unlikely directions. Asked about a favorite memory from his early athletic career, Beane recalls a rivalry that developed into a friendship that endures today. He competed against Sean Salisbury, current ESPN football analyst and former NFL quarterback, throughout junior high and high school. They later played together on all-star teams and in summer leagues. Watching Salisbury achieve his long time goal of becoming an announcer and commentator through single-minded determination and preparation was a perfect example of the lessons from athletics positively affecting a future career.
Finally, Beane's experiences provided him a strong sense of team.
"Individual honors are hollow," Beane said.
That statement is particularly relevant if the individual winning the accolades has not been integral in contributing to team success. He remembers his varsity basketball coach stressing the value team honors and helping him and his teammates to define success in terms of team, not in terms of self. Athletics teach sacrifice for the good of a team cause and in the world of work, being a fully contributing team member is essential to the success of a business or organization.
Billy's Messages
Involvement in sports offers opportunities for skill development and personal growth that can help to mold a person forever. Where else can a person be provided the values listed below that are summarized from my conversation with Billy Beane?
Evaluation is based upon actual performance.
Continuing to move forward in positive directions after "temporary setbacks". Associating with people sharing the same interest.
Becoming open and observant to new experiences, including the making of lifelong friends.
Sacrificing to contribute to the achievement of the common goals of a group. Experiencing the opportunity to both lead and perform under pressure.
In life, we learn many lessons through trial and error. We cannot learn from experience if we fail to take the risk of trying new things. Join a team or explore an individual sport today!
Dave Sargent: dave@maxpreps.com
