For several years, baseball had shown that it was evolving. Darwinism had come to hardball. It was starting to respect men who respected the baseball stats.
People like Ricciardi, Epstein and DePodesta were occupying front office jobs.
Now, in a matter of a couple of ill-advised moves, guys who are in the business of selling jeans will likely be returning to baseball. Unless DePodesta somehow winds up in Boston. But I doubt that will happen.
I have a proposal for Billy Beane. Bring Epstein and DePodesta to Oakland. We can call it the Moneyball Mob. The Stats Sect. The Fact Fraternity. It would drive people like Joe Morgan and Bill Plaschke bananas.
Why not create a huge "think-tank" of baseball's finest minds in one location? Sort of our own little Manhattan Project. We can call it the Oakland Project.
Is it me, or is the collective IQ of baseball management suddenly dropping? Billy, seize this opportunity and make like Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons and snap up all these great minds. You could become the Collector and DePodesta and Epstein could become your very own Lucy Lawless.
By the way, this post is in intended to be a joke because I'm sure people like Epstein and DePodesta can't remain unemployed for long. Can they? Can they? Or can baseball really regress that much?