If I were . . .

Gm of any team in any sport, these would be my beginning principles.

1.  Coach and Systematic Approach

Hand pick a coach with whom you share the same overall systematic approach to the game.  So that both you and the coach have the ability to step back and follow the same certain principles set down before intense personnel decisions have to be made.  Someone smart and confident, and has enough patience to allow a systematic approach of the game to work.  When hiring this coach and agreeing to the system, you are saying “no player will be above the team, no player will be above the system.”

This is the most important decision a team can make, and the beginning principles would need to be both overall and narrow.  For instance in the overall issues you would decide:  Do we run a west coast or run driven offense;  do we value big or speedy lineman;  do we rely on power or contact hitters; do we play inside out or movement offense.  Then you move to more narrow issues like what kind of character do you ask your scouts to zero in on, what kind of drills and offseason workouts to enhance precision, are left handed players miles and away better than right handed players at certain positions, etc.

This can go on forever and should.  There should be a well thought out system in place that gives you an advantage over all other teams who wing it.

2.  Playoff Mentality

This one is sort of weird, because you would think that it is really obvious.  But a lot of teams go through the season with simply a hope to get into the playoffs and then MAYBE move forward.  It is not in the organization’s way of thinking that making it to the playoffs is the beginning of the real season – not the end of it.  You have put your heart into the offseason, practices and regular season games to get to this starting point.  The playoffs is where it all begins.

That means there is no sense of accomplishment.  No loss of focus, because the goal of the season still remains empty.  But something does happen at the end of the regular season.  The real season starts and your team ought to be able to smell it and be hungry for it.  This can be influenced by environment, but also you have to make sure you draft, sign and trade for hungry players.

There is also a second aspect to the playoff mentality.  The One Game At A Time mentalaty  A mentally strong team knows what game they are playing and what they want from the game.  They know games aren’t won on paper, in the media or in Vegas (except for in the NBA).  They don’t come out and play last week’s game or next week’s game.  They, as a team, exist to demolish this weeks opponent.  They get up for the game they are playing in.

Obviously the Dallas Cowboys are the worst offender of this rule.

 3.  Freshness

Having a long term system that is known and followed by the team can have the unwanted side effect of stagnating creativity.  With this I might give the illustration of Devon Harris.  He was in a Maverick’s uniform for a while.  But the people chosen to lead the organization had a specific role they tried to push him in.  Not that that is bad, but when you see talent and know that it is there yet not coming out in all the ways you thought it could, you should then readjust your own glasses and try different things with him.

This quality in an organization is all about not getting caught standing flat footed.  Just because you have certain long term principles you follow does not mean there is no room for creativity and experimentation.  John Danks goes to the White Sox and picks up a cutter which really helps him in his second year.  Someone had to be convinced a cutter would really help him, convince him and then have him add this to his arsenal.

Freshness is about eyeing the players, the team and yourself and then moving beyond the trenches you have dug for yourself that are not working or not working as well as possible.  You should always keep a team on their toes, it has a way of making the opposing team the one always chasing you. 

4.  Irrelevant – Relevant Media

Never allow the media to effect, or should I say infect, your decisions.  If something is not working right you should have a firm grasp of why it is not working.   The media is not there to think, it is there to feed an unhealthy appetite of newspaper columns, blogs, talk radio and television.  The media is DUMB.  It does not think more than one step ahead – if that.  Consider it irrelevant when it comes to anything involving personnel decisions.

I think the Texas Rangers may actually make a number of their decisions based on how they think the media will react.  It’s as if whenever they make a decision the media is in the room looking at them.  Which is why oftentimes they look like a chicken with its head cut off.  The media is there for interacting with your fan base, that part of the media is relevant.  The media that thinks it can and should think for you is not.

5.  Crisp Short Window Transactions

These are situations that shoot up for a short time every now and again while not always looking the same.  Sometimes you’ll have a Milton Bradely on the free agent market not getting any interest, sometimes Eric Gagne, sometimes there will be a team willing to trade you Travis Hafner for Einar Diaz, sometimes Manny Rameriz will be on the market being short shrifted with a two year offer, sometimes a team will be willing to trade you Kevin Garnett for a bunch of cheetos and Al Jefferson.

When these spontaneous short windowed situations occur, you must have the vision and capacity to capitalize.  Teams can rise and fall with how these situations turn out.

6.  Winning at The Edges

Pretty simple, just find those small areas were you can gain an honest advantage against your opponent.  Whether in certain drills, certain odd usage of the rule book.  Whether it be in the locker room, on the field or in the front office, search high and low for that HONEST edge and take it.