Thread: Moneyball II
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Old 03-19-2014, 01:05 AM   #108
Hendu Style
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Chapter 38
Reality Bites

The harsh reality of baseball in the 21st century sinks in the moment the 2021 season comes to an end. A team that was picked to win over 100 games this season has just finished 82-80, two games out of the AL Wildcard. For the first time since 2011, the Athletics will not be playing in the postseason.

There are many culprits. Bad luck. Injuries. Stephen Strasburg, coming off a dominant Cy Young season, was relegated to just four starts after rupturing a finger tendon in his first start of the year, and then had bone chips removed from his elbow after just three more late season starts. Bryce Harper managed to make it onto the field for just 82 games before being shelved with a torn back muscle. Chauncey Jordan, arguably the team's MVP the year prior, played in only 127 games while battling a sports hernia.

Maybe with a healthy Strasburg, Harper, and Jordan, the A's would've won the West. But the billionaire playboy owner isn't going to accept any excuses, valid as they may be. Just hours after a season-ending 2-1 victory against the Houston Astros, A's General Manager David Forst is summoned into David Ellison's office.

"Tell me why I shouldn't fire you," the 38 year-old Ellison says with a smug look on his face. "Why shouldn't I can your ass right now and bring in someone who knows what the f--- they're doing?"

Forsty is dead silent. Part of him wants to slink in his chair and into the floor. The other wants to jump across Ellison's mahogany executive desk and punch him in the throat. He does neither.

"Because I can fix it, and get us back to the World Series," Forsty says defiantly. "We have a World Series caliber roster. We're just one player away."

And what kind of player is that? The offseason is sure to bring in a bumper crop of marquee free agents. Cleveland shortstop Corey Seager. Angels ace Masahiro Tanaka. But how on Earth would the A's sign a player like that without going grossly over their $100 million payroll?

For this, Forsty doesn't have an answer. He needs more time to put a plan in place. Ellison doesn't have time to wait. He wants a championship now.

"Give me $40 million more to spend, and we'll be right there," Forst promises. "We can get one, two players even, and be the World Series team I believe we can be."

Solving problems by throwing money at the situation. That's never been a very A's way of doing things. Even Ellison sees the fatal flaw in Forsty's plea. Without a billion dollar TV deal, the A's can't turn a profit with a payroll north of $100 million a year.

"In the movie business," Ellison begins, referring to his successful stint as a producer, "we didn't make great films just by hiring the most expensive actor or priciest director. It was all about finding the right script for the right talent, and putting it all together."

Forsty rolls his eyes. This is baseball, you entitled little prick, not Hollywood.

"I don't think you're the guy that's going to bring it all together."

Forsty takes a moment to let the statement sink in, but is forced to ask the unavoidable question.

"Does this mean I'm fired?"

Ellison simply nods, and then pretends to peruse some suddenly important documents on his desk. He waves Forsty away. Just like that, one of baseball's most successful executives, the one-time prodigy who built a championship team in 2017, is out the door. David Forst has been fired.
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Last edited by Hendu Style; 03-19-2014 at 02:21 AM.
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