When I was growing up, cable television was still in its infancy. You could find all sorts of strange and random things to watch - things you might not seek out, but that passed the time if you were feeling bored or lazy. For sports fans, you could always catch Australian Rules Football on ESPN or watch the Atlanta Braves lose on team owner Ted Turner’s “superstation” WTBS. Other than their ubiquity, however, neither of these programs offered much in the way of entertainment.
I’m not sure what became of Australian Rules Football, but in 1991 Ted Turner’s Atlanta Braves wised up and hired John Schuerholz away from the Kansas City Royals to be their general manager. As if by magic, the Braves went from the worst team in baseball in 1990 to a World Series trip in 1991. Although they didn’t take the crown that year, it was the first of 15 straight division titles (including a World Series title in 1995) with John Schuerholz at the helm, a streak still going as the curtain opens on the 2006 season.
In his new book, Built to Win: Inside Stories and Leadership Strategies from Baseball’s Winningest GM (written with Larry Guest), Schuerholz shares leadership strategies that can be put to use in almost any environment. More important, he talks baseball, bringing you inside an organization that has seemingly managed to pull rabbits out of hats (and Julio Francos out of the Mexican League) for a decade and a half.
As in any organization that succeeds over the long haul, there has to be a foundation to build from. When Schuerholz joined the Braves, part of that foundation was a strong farm system that hadn’t yet blossomed at the major league level. However, many a team full of superstars has failed to win much of anything. As important to Schuerholz was the mindset of the organization and the quality of the individuals, from the top through to the players, and he repeatedly comes back to this point in Built to Last. By insisting on the best effort and the best behavior, Schuerholz was not only able to build a first-class organization, but has been able to blend problem players, scrap heaped veterans and, wide-eyed rookies into the mix and have them perform like superstars.
Article comments
1 - JP
The guy is class, even though he hasn't produced more than one championship. I know, he never lives that down here in ATL.