Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Baseball boss tries his hand at soccer
Last summer, Billy Beane, the Oakland A's General Manager took the rest of his top brass to Germany for a week during the World Cup.
The fever really took hold.
"I've become a rabid, passionate fan," Beane said.
His tutors in the game include his counterpart at Spurs – director of football Damien Comolli.
Moved as much by Beane's enthusiasm as business calculations, A's co-owner Lewis Wolff decided to provide his employee with a new toy. Last month, he and partner John Fisher agreed to resuscitate the defunct Major League Soccer franchise, the San Jose Earthquakes.
"The downside is relatively comfortable and the upside is unknown," Wolff said in Toronto recently, where he was attending the baseball owners' meetings.
San Jose will rejoin MLS next season. For now, Beane has an informal involvement with the team that includes an office in the Earthquakes' temporary headquarters.
"It's something I want to help grow," Beane said, at pains to point out he's not leaving the A's. But, "at some point, I anticipate that involvement growing."
The fever really took hold.
"I've become a rabid, passionate fan," Beane said.
His tutors in the game include his counterpart at Spurs – director of football Damien Comolli.
Moved as much by Beane's enthusiasm as business calculations, A's co-owner Lewis Wolff decided to provide his employee with a new toy. Last month, he and partner John Fisher agreed to resuscitate the defunct Major League Soccer franchise, the San Jose Earthquakes.
"The downside is relatively comfortable and the upside is unknown," Wolff said in Toronto recently, where he was attending the baseball owners' meetings.
San Jose will rejoin MLS next season. For now, Beane has an informal involvement with the team that includes an office in the Earthquakes' temporary headquarters.
"It's something I want to help grow," Beane said, at pains to point out he's not leaving the A's. But, "at some point, I anticipate that involvement growing."
