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Good for Kevin. His work kept me subscribing to BP for several years than I would have otherwise. Hopefully, this works out wonderfully for both parties ...
4.asinwreck posted on August 31, 2012 at 11:04 PM #hit 0 | hit 0
I am going to miss that podcast. Here's hoping that Otto leads several dog rescue promotions at the juicebox.
5.God posted on September 01, 2012 at 12:01 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
Great for Kevin, but man, what a bummer. Up and In was the best podcast in the history of podcasts. Hopefully they find a way to somehow keep it going with Jason Parks.
6.Austin posted on September 01, 2012 at 12:54 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
Wow. I did a double-take when I saw this on BP's front page. Kevin's BP work and podcast definitely had a significant influence on how I understand the game, so I'm going to miss having him around.
I think the most surreal part is that he's not just going there to be some lower-level drone - he's going to be the Pro Scouting Coordinator. Now, I don't actually know exactly what that means, but what's interesting is that the title makes it sound like it has a large management component. And that seems strange, given that I don't think Kevin has any kind of management experience. Can anyone shed some light on what exactly his role will be?
7.God posted on September 01, 2012 at 01:05 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
Well, pro scouts are the ones who go around scouting minor league teams to decide which players in other teams' farm systems they want to target in trades. So it sounds like Kevin will be in charge of those guys.
well, i guess you gotta start SOMEwhere, and my terrible team is for some reason, considered a "major league" team
i'd love to work as a scout but unfortunately, life don't always turn out the way you'd like it to
9.Austin posted on September 01, 2012 at 02:01 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
The press release simply says: "Goldstein will oversee the Astros pro scouting efforts, which will include comprehensive scouting of both minor league and Major League players across the 30 Major League clubs as well as independent leagues and foreign professional leagues."
I guess the way I can make sense of it is that he'll act as a sort of "opinion aggregator" - which is pretty much what he does now - and report to the front office in that capacity.
10.TerpNats posted on September 01, 2012 at 08:12 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
Forget that Cubs-Miami 2015 World Series prophesied in "Back To The Future II" (which wasn't going to happen unless the Marlins had switched leagues and names). That fall, we will witness a Washington NL-Houston AL World Series, which in the late 1980s would have seemed just as absurd.
11.asinwreck posted on September 01, 2012 at 08:17 AM #hit 0 | hit 0
And that seems strange, given that I don't think Kevin has any kind of management experience.
One of the really interesting things about the recent Up and In interview with Luhnow is that Kevin and his new boss worked for rival consulting firms back when they were in the corporate world. Worth a listen.
I guess the way I can make sense of it is that he'll act as a sort of "opinion aggregator" - which is pretty much what he does now - and report to the front office in that capacity.
Those freakishly prolific daily reports on every minor leaguer under the sun he was doing for BP are now going to Luhnow. A loss for us, but good information when the Astros try to trade for more young talent.
He'll still have sources -- the scouts who work for the Astros. I also wouldnt be terribly surprised if some of his old sources who previously scouted for other teams wind up employed by the Astros sooner or later.
14.MM1f posted on September 01, 2012 at 02:01 PM #hit 0 | hit 0
And that seems strange, given that I don't think Kevin has any kind of management experience.
One of the really interesting things about the recent Up and In interview with Luhnow is that Kevin and his new boss worked for rival consulting firms back when they were in the corporate world. Worth a listen.
Hasn't Kevin talked about not going to college? I've never heard of a management consulting firm hiring high school grads. Anyone know what field(s) Kevin consulted in?
***
Of course, all the source from whom he gleaned this good information will be far more reticent. I wonder how his schtick works without sources.
This was my first thought yesterday when I saw the news. I wouldn't be happy about it if I was BPro, but I assume Kevin will be bringing all of the info. he's aggregated with him to Houston. That probably has some value, but from here on out, Kevin's info. should only be as good as Houston's pro scouts, unless scouts from the other 29 teams are idiots. (Of course, they're idiots for talking to people like Kevin, Keith Law, et al., in the first place, but that's a different story.)
16.Austin posted on September 01, 2012 at 06:04 PM #hit 0 | hit 0
I wouldn't be happy about it if I was BPro, but I assume Kevin will be bringing all of the info. he's aggregated with him to Houston. That probably has some value, but from here on out, Kevin's info. should only be as good as Houston's pro scouts, unless scouts from the other 29 teams are idiots.
I really don't think the Astros are hiring him just so that they can have a proprietary newsletter.
I really don't think the Astros are hiring him just so that they can have a proprietary newsletter.
Who said anything about a newsletter? I was referring to the database that Kevin assuredly has maintained. Thanks to the widespread cooperation of scouts, he's been like a shadow Bureau for the past few years.
Otherwise, I doubt the Astros are hiring him because of his prior MLB, scouting, or management experience, because he apparently doesn't have any.
It was a bummer listening to that last show. Can anyone recommend a good baseball podcast to listen to? Up and In was the only one I listened to. I looked around on iTunes and "The Baseball Show with Rany and Joe" looked like a possibility.
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Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.
1. Mark S. is bored posted on August 31, 2012 at 08:44 PM # hit 0 | hit 0I think the most surreal part is that he's not just going there to be some lower-level drone - he's going to be the Pro Scouting Coordinator. Now, I don't actually know exactly what that means, but what's interesting is that the title makes it sound like it has a large management component. And that seems strange, given that I don't think Kevin has any kind of management experience. Can anyone shed some light on what exactly his role will be?
i'd love to work as a scout but unfortunately, life don't always turn out the way you'd like it to
I guess the way I can make sense of it is that he'll act as a sort of "opinion aggregator" - which is pretty much what he does now - and report to the front office in that capacity.
One of the really interesting things about the recent Up and In interview with Luhnow is that Kevin and his new boss worked for rival consulting firms back when they were in the corporate world. Worth a listen.
Those freakishly prolific daily reports on every minor leaguer under the sun he was doing for BP are now going to Luhnow. A loss for us, but good information when the Astros try to trade for more young talent.
EDIT: What post 11 said.
Hasn't Kevin talked about not going to college? I've never heard of a management consulting firm hiring high school grads. Anyone know what field(s) Kevin consulted in?
***
This was my first thought yesterday when I saw the news. I wouldn't be happy about it if I was BPro, but I assume Kevin will be bringing all of the info. he's aggregated with him to Houston. That probably has some value, but from here on out, Kevin's info. should only be as good as Houston's pro scouts, unless scouts from the other 29 teams are idiots. (Of course, they're idiots for talking to people like Kevin, Keith Law, et al., in the first place, but that's a different story.)
I really don't think the Astros are hiring him just so that they can have a proprietary newsletter.
Who said anything about a newsletter? I was referring to the database that Kevin assuredly has maintained. Thanks to the widespread cooperation of scouts, he's been like a shadow Bureau for the past few years.
Otherwise, I doubt the Astros are hiring him because of his prior MLB, scouting, or management experience, because he apparently doesn't have any.
-- MWE
Should we be congratulating you?
Nope. Won't be me.
-- MWE
I can't imagine that it would be either; BP doesn't have that kind of budget. It would be more likely to be someone like Mike Newman.
-- MWE
-- MWE
No one does. Until they do!
Great for Kevin. Should be really fascinating to see how Houston operates.
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