While we don't expect the new owner to be like some of the more notorious owners in baseball, it's useful to compare Billy Beane's basic autonomy to the interference experienced by other general managers. It's also the reason one would anticipate that freedom from interference in baseball decisions will be Billy's key demand in his upcoming discussions with the new owner.

This article from today's Washington Post gives some perspective on how outrageous things can be with a certain type of owner:

Washington Post
January 31, 2005

In November 1998, the Baltimore Orioles' top executives gathered around new general manager Frank Wren to evaluate potential free agent targets when, according to people present at the time, they were interrupted by owner Peter Angelos, who asked: "What do you guys think about Albert Belle?"

Belle, the powerful but surly free agent slugger, had not been among the targets Wren's brain trust had discussed. Wren told Angelos that Belle had pluses (his production) and minuses (his personality), but Angelos waved him off. "What if I told you we already got him?" Angelos asked, and it became clear what had occurred. Wren ultimately lasted only a year on the job.