[CTSoxFan]

Pirates Expected To Choose GM By Monday

By John Tressler

The Pittsburgh Pirates have narrowed down the general manager search to three general managers. Former Orioles and Expos general manager Jim Beattie, Indians assistant general manager Chris Antonetti, and Athletics assistant general manager Dave Forst are all scheduled for interviews with the Pirates this weekend and a press conference announcing the team's choice is likely on Monday or Tuesday. The Pirates were looking at Dayton Moore, the Atlanta Braves director of player personnel, former Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein, and Nationals interim general manager Jim Bowden. Epstein is rumored to be returning to the Red Sox soon and it is known that he has been running things behind the scenes for the Red Sox since the beginning of this month. Bowden has decided to remain with the Nationals, hoping that when the new ownership takes over he will stay as general manager. Dayton Moore is expected to eventually take over for John Schuerholz and did not feel that this was the time to leave the organization that has helped make him one of the most prized general manager prospects in baseball.

Beattie, 52, is the only of the three candidates with previous general manager experience. Beattie served as the Baltimore Orioles Co-GM from 2003 to 2005, along with current Orioles GM, Mike Flanagan. Before being name Co-GM of the Orioles, Beattie was the general manager of the Montreal Expos from 1996 to 2001, previously working in the Seattle Mariners front office as farm director and director of player development. Beattie, who played college baseball at Dartmouth, pitched in the majors from 1978 to 1986 with the New York Yankees and the Mariners. Beattie finished with a career record of 52-87. Following his retirement from baseball, Beattie enrolled at the University of Washington School of Business, and graduated in 1989 with a MBA. Beattie's biggest success with the Mariners was helping the development of last year's MVP Alex Rodriguez. Beattie was considered for the Boston Red Sox GM job earlier this year, but the job eventually went to Ben Cherington and Jed Hoyer.

Antonetti, a well-educated, well-prepped assistant GM, has been the right hand of Mark Shapiro for a couple years, overseeing a rebuilding program that's beginning to bear fruit. His championing of the Diamond View data system will be a big plus, while his knowledge of baseball will make him a great candidate. He doesn't seem comfortable with the media yet, something that's a minor negative but certainly not deadly. Antonetti, 30, has spent seven years with the Indians, the last four in his current position, one in which he oversaw the team's information systems, was involved in player procurement, and was the point man in contract negotiations. A former student manager for the Georgetown University basketball team, Antonetti has a master's degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts.

The final candidate is the most likely to be hired by the Pirates. Forst, 29, is a Harvard graduate, like Paul DePodesta and worked under DePodesta in Oakland. Forst replaced DePodesta when he went to the Dodgers in 2004, and has been praised by Billy Beane. Forst is in seventh season with the A's, having served as an assistant to general manager Beane and coordinator of professional scouting for the past two seasons. Forst graduated from Harvard in 1998 and was a four-year baseball letterwinner, earning third-team All-America honors in 1998.


"David is one of the bright young minds in the game today," said Beane, whose disciples include DePodesta and Blue Jays general manager J.P. Riccardi "I expect David to have a big future in baseball, and he deserves to be hired as a general manager very soon."

Forst, with his experience working with DePodesta is most likely the Pirates top choice. Billy Beane is expected to give the okay for Forst to take the job and while Antonetti has a bright future and Beattie has the experience, Forst makes the most sense for the Pirates.