For Part 1 of this interview, click here. For Part 2, click here.
How have scouting and the analysis of players changed in recent years with the advances in sabermetrics?
In the front office, we’ve been using advanced analytics as long as I’ve been here. Dan made it a priority to increase our capabilities once he was hired. We’ve created an analytics department and have greatly improved our ability to manage and analyze data. Sarah Gelles does a great job running that department and giving Dan the information he needs to make informed decisions.
On the field, we’re lucky to have Buck, who is one of the best managers in the game. He comes off as an old school manager, but he does a great job meshing both old school and new school approaches. Buck likes to say that our team won’t be out-prepared by anybody in the league. We have a great advance scouting team led by Ben Werthan that combines scouting and data to best prepare our players and coaches for an upcoming opponent. As you know, Buck is very progressive with defensive alignments. We led the Major Leagues in shifts last year, and even when we’re not shifting, Bobby Dickerson and Wayne Kirby are constantly moving players, sometimes even between pitches of an at bat. We had a historically good defense last year, and I think that’s a credit not just to our players, who are outstanding defenders, but to our coaching staff and advance scouting staff that put them in the best positions to succeed.
Bloggers and younger writers have been preaching sabermetrics as long as I’ve worked for the Orioles, but now you see some members of the mainstream media catching up as well, which helps to inform the casual fan. In Baltimore we’re lucky to have a very informed fan base, and blogs like yours are a big reason why.
Did the willingness to exceed the payroll of recent seasons come from realizing this team may have a window closing soon with players like J.J. Hardy, Nick Markakis, Chris Davis, and Matt Wieters nearing free agency?
We don’t like to think of it as a window. We’re trying to build something a little more sustainable. Our farm system has really improved the last several years, which is a credit to our scouting staff. Gausman, Bundy, Schoop, Rodriguez, and Harvey all received a lot of attention from prospect writers this offseason. Machado and Jones are under team control for a long time going forward.
We’re very fortunate to have an owner who is very supportive and wants to build a winning team. He has trust in Dan to manage our resources and make sound investments, and he’s shown repeatedly that he’ll expand the payroll if it’s a good deal that makes the club better. I think this year’s payroll and the type of first-rate players that we brought in this offseason demonstrates his commitment. So we don’t think we have a window, but we recognize that we had a good team that needed a few more pieces.
Some of the people who read this interview may be interested in a position similar to yours, or to the internship you broke into with. What do you and the rest of the organization look for in an intern?
With the amount of data available to clubs now, our biggest need is for people who can manage large pools of data and bring something to the table that we might not already have. Proficiency in database management or programming ability is really appealing. Personality fit matters as well, because we spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our families. It’s a competitive pool for internships or entry-level jobs, so anything you can do to stand out from the rest of the resumes will improve your chances.
A huge thank you to Mr. Rice for taking the time to talk with ESR.
