Paul DePodesta is the Vice President of player development and scouting for the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. He was formerly a Front Office assistant for the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
. He was
general managerIn Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....
of the
Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
from February 16, 2004, to October 29, 2005; After leading the Dodgers in 2004 to their first playoff win in 16 years he was fired after the 2005 club finished with its worst record in 11 years. He was the ninth general manager in the club's history since moving to Los Angeles. He is also known from his notable appearance in the book
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair GameMoneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's modernized, analytical, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite...
.
DePodesta is a native of
Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, and attended
Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he played
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and
American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and graduated in 1995 with a degree in economics. He has worked for the
Baltimore StallionsThe Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
of the
Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
and the
Baltimore BanditsThe Baltimore Bandits were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League in the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena...
of the
American Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Early career
In 1996, he got his first baseball job with the
Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, where he spent three seasons. He served as an advance scout for two years and, in his final month with the club, he was appointed special assistant to General Manager
John HartJohn Henry Hart is an American Major League Baseball executive. In addition, he is the former general manager of the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers; now he currently serves as senior adviser, baseball operations, for the Rangers...
.
In 1999, he joined the
Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
organization as an assistant to general manager
Billy BeaneWilliam Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
. DePodesta was a key figure in
Michael LewisMichael Lewis is an American non-fiction author and financial journalist. His bestselling books include The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine, Liar's Poker, The New New Thing, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, Panic and Home Game: An...
' book Moneyball. It was in this book that the analytical principles of
sabermetricsSabermetrics is the specialized analysis of baseball through objective, empirical evidence, specifically baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research...
were thrust into the mainstream.
Los Angeles Dodgers
At the age of 31, he was named general manager of the
Los Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
on February 16, 2004, making him the fifth-youngest person to be named general manager in baseball history behind
Jon DanielsJon Daniels is the current General Manager of the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball. When hired, at age 28, he was the youngest GM in Major League Baseball history. And as of 2011 was still the youngest GM.-Biography:...
(28) of the
Texas RangersThe Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
,
Theo EpsteinTheo Nathan Epstein is the President of Baseball Operations for the Chicago Cubs.On November 25, 2002, he became the youngest GM in the history of Major League Baseball when the Boston Red Sox hired him at the age of 28...
(28) of the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
,
Andrew FriedmanAndrew Friedman is the Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations for the Tampa Bay Rays franchise in Major League Baseball. In that position, he acts as the team's General Manager.-Early life:...
(28) of the
Tampa Bay RaysThe Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, and
Randy SmithRandall Edward Smith was born June 15, 1963 in Houston, Texas. He is an executive in Major League Baseball and has served as general manager of the San Diego Padres and the Detroit Tigers and Assistant General Manager for the Colorado Rockies...
(29) of the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
.
DePodesta has been somewhat controversial in that his decisions have been heavily influenced by sabermetric principles. He is often considered part of a new breed of front-office executives whose personnel decisions rely heavily on analysis of performance data, often at the perceived expense of more traditional methods of scouting and observation.
One of DePodesta's most notable moves was made at the 2004 trading deadline. He traded catcher
Paul Lo DucaPaul Anthony Lo Duca is a television personality and a former Major League Baseball catcher. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , Florida Marlins , New York Mets , and Washington Nationals...
, relief pitcher
Guillermo MotaGuillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
and outfielder
Juan EncarnaciónJuan De Dios Encarnación is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. His last major league team was the St. Louis Cardinals...
to the
Florida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in exchange for pitcher
Brad PennyBradley Wayne "Brad" Penny is a Major League starting pitcher. Penny has spent portions of his career with the Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers....
, first baseman Hee Seop Choi and pitcher Bill Murphy, in what was reportedly an attempt to pick up pieces to acquire pitcher
Randy JohnsonRandall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
from the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
. DePodesta was heavily criticized in the local and national baseball media for this trade, because Lo Duca was thought to be the "heart and soul" of the team. The Dodgers made the playoffs anyway, with Penny developing into one of the better pitchers in the National League during his stint with the Dodgers which lasted until the end of the 2008 season. Hee Seop Choi, however, was a disappointment, batting just .161 in 2004 and .253 in 2005, striking out 80 times in 320 at bats. Bill Murphy was traded that year to acquire
Steve FinleySteven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
, who hit 13 homers in 58 games, including a memorable grand slam that clinched the division title. Lo Duca played through 2005 with the Marlins and then went to the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
,
Washington NationalsThe Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
and back to the Marlins, making his final Major League appearance in September 2008.
During the 2004 off-season,
Adrián BeltréAdrián Beltré Pérez is a Major League Baseball third baseman for the Texas Rangers.The youngest player in the National League when he made his major league debut, he has also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Seattle Mariners , the Boston Red Sox , and the Texas Rangers . He bats and...
, who had hit 48 home runs in 2004, signed with Seattle as a free agent, spurning DePodesta's offer of 5 yrs for $60 Million for Seattle's offer of 5 yrs for $64 Million. DePodesta signed
J. D. DrewDavid Jonathan "J. D." Drew is an American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He is a left-handed hitter, and began his major league career in with the St. Louis Cardinals...
,
Jeff KentJeffrey Franklin Kent is a retired Major League Baseball second baseman. Kent won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2000 with the San Francisco Giants, and is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen...
, and
Derek LoweDerek Christopher Lowe is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians. He throws and bats right-handed. He is 6'6" and 230 pounds.-Early years:...
. Drew enjoyed two productive seasons as a Dodger and then used an opt-out clause in his contract to sign a new 5-year deal with the
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. Both Kent and Lowe put in four productive seasons for the Dodgers and cut ties with the franchise at the end of the 2008 season with Kent retiring and Lowe signing a contract with the
Atlanta BravesThe Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
.
Coming off the successes of 2004, the 2005 season saw the Dodgers lose a number of players to significant stints on the
disabled listIn Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
. Many of the players lost to injury were expected to produce heavily for the team including
J. D. DrewDavid Jonathan "J. D." Drew is an American professional baseball right fielder who is a free agent. He is a left-handed hitter, and began his major league career in with the St. Louis Cardinals...
, Milton Bradley,
Eric GagneÉric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
,
Jayson WerthJayson Richard Gowan Werth is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Philadelphia Phillies. He bats and throws right-handed.-Background:Werth was born in...
,
Cesar IzturisCésar David Izturis is a Major League Baseball shortstop who is currently a free agent. He is the half-brother of shortstop Maicer Izturis, who plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Julio Izturis, who plays in the minor leagues in the San Francisco Giants organization.Izturis' greatest...
and
Odalis PerezOdalis Amadol Pérez is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher. He played with the Atlanta Braves , the Los Angeles Dodgers , the Kansas City Royals , and the Washington Nationals ....
. The 2005 season resulted in the team's worst record since 1992 and second worst since moving to Los Angeles in 1958. On October 29, 2005, Dodgers owner
Frank McCourtFrank McCourt is the owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine. In , he purchased a controlling interest of the Dodgers from Fox Entertainment Group, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation...
fired DePodesta, citing his desire to see the club win and that DePodesta had not met those expectations. Reports surfaced that the real reason McCourt had fired DePodesta was his inability to find satisfactory managerial candidates to replace Jim Tracy. He was later replaced by
Ned CollettiNed Louis Colletti, Jr. is the General Manager for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He previously served as Assistant General Manager for the San Francisco Giants....
, who hired
Grady LittleWilliam Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007...
as manager. Some have speculated that McCourt fired DePodesta in response to media criticism from Los Angeles Times sports columnists T.J. Simers and
Bill PlaschkeWilliam Paul "Bill" Plaschke is an American sports journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times since 1987. As a child he attended St. Albert the Great Elementary School in Louisville. He then went on to attend Ballard High School. He spent his freshman year at Baylor University in Waco,...
, who were vehemently "anti-Moneyball" and referred to DePodesta pejoratively as "
GoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
Boy."
San Diego Padres and New York Mets
On June 30, 2006, DePodesta was hired as the Special Assistant for Baseball Operations for the
San Diego PadresThe San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
and was promoted to Executive Vice President on November 10, 2008.
On November 8, 2010, DePodesta was hired as the vice president of player development and scouting for the
New York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
by general manager
Sandy AldersonRichard Lynn "Sandy" Alderson is the general manager of the New York Mets. He previously served as an executive with the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres and the commissioner's office of Major League Baseball....
, with whom DePodesta worked when Alderson was CEO of the Padres.
Moneyball
When the movie
MoneyballMoneyball is a 2011 biographical sports drama film directed by Bennett Miller and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on Michael Lewis' 2003 book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to...
was being adapted from the book, DePodesta did not approve of the way that his character was being portrayed. The role was previously going to be given DePodesta's name and to be played by
Demetri MartinDemetri Martin is an American comedian, actor, artist, musician, writer and humorist. Martin is best known for his work as a stand-up comedian, contributor on The Daily Show and for his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin.- Early life :Demetri Martin was born to a Greek...
, but DePodesta did not want his name or likeness to be used in the movie; instead the character of "Peter Brand" was created as a composite of Beane's deputies in Oakland, as the character is not an accurate representation of any specific real-life people. However, Moneyballs director
Bennett MillerBennett Miller is an American film director.Miller is the director of the feature Capote , a film for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Director. He also directed the documentary film The Cruise...
has credited DePodesta for being generous and helpful in the making of the film. Brand was played by
Jonah HillJonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
.
Personal life
Paul DePodesta is married and has three sons and a daughter.
DePodesta has served as a keynote speaker at numerous business conventions and has been recognized by several publications including
Baseball ProspectusBaseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
and Fortune Magazine, which named him as one of the Top 10 innovators under the age of 40.
He appeared uncredited on several episodes of
Homicide: Life on the StreetHomicide: Life on the Street is an American police procedural television series chronicling the work of a fictional version of the Baltimore Homicide Unit. It ran for seven seasons on NBC from 1993 to 1999, and was succeeded by a TV movie, which also acted as the de-facto series finale...
.
External links