Epstein’s words about trends in baseball, including the rise of analytics, carry significant weightGetty Images
THEO EPSTEIN could "involve himself with either an expansion group or with an ownership group looking to purchase" an MLB team, according to Sean McAdam of BOSTON SPORTS JOURNAL. That "would present Epstein with an opportunity for two things that are said to appeal to him: an ownership stake, and complete control in running an organization" as team president & CEO. Epstein, who stepped down from the Cubs on Tuesday, during his final press conference "expressed concern for how the game has been trending." He said of baseball, "There are some threats to it because of the way the game is evolving, and I take some responsibility for that because the executives like me who have spent a lot of time using analytics to try to optimize individual and team performance have unwittingly had a negative impact on the aesthetic value of the game, and the entertainment value." Epstein’s "words here carry significant weight." McAdam: "Good for Epstein for speaking this and bonus points for acknowledging his culpability." Meanwhile, Epstein becoming MLB commissioner is "not happening." But if MLB Commissioner ROB MANFRED is "smart, he’ll approach Epstein about heading up a committee to study these issues." Putting Epstein "in charge and valuing his input would result in an unflinching look at the game and how it could improve." In turn, that "would result in increased popularity, help expand the game’s appeal to younger fans, and, indirectly, lead to increasing revenue" (BOSTON SPORTS JOURNAL, 11/22).
GETTING POLITICAL: In Chicago, Rick Morrissey asks, "How do you follow that act if you’re him?" By getting into "something bigger, something meatier," like a "political career." In his nine years as Cubs president, there were "few situations he didn’t anticipate, few questions from the media he didn’t ask himself first." He "didn’t just think about the bigger picture, he conceived it, then painted it." Morrissey: "He's the most-prepared, most-imaginative executive I have ever seen." Everything about Epstein’s life and career "has been substantial" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 11/21).
