Q1
Journal Entry 1
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
In the past, I've mostly enjoyed non-fiction books about certain athletes or sports teams that I either grew up watching or didn't get a chance to see and wanted to know more about. I also enjoy fictional stories, mainly about sports, but also stories that are intense and suspenseful. I chose the book Moneyball primarily because of my love for baseball, but also for the uniqueness of it. It doesn't just talk about what happens on the field, but it talks about what happens in the front office and in the off-season. In this case, it's about the 2002 Oakland Athletics. This book does fit my past reading preference because it's about baseball but it's also about the success of a very low market team and how they conquered the odds by using sabermetrics to form a team.
Journal Entry 2
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
3) 57/280
One debatable issue involves the main character, Billy Beane and his status as a major league baseball player. He came out of high school regarded as one the most physically gifted prospects and had good enough numbers to back it up. However in 10 years between the minors and majors, he struggled mightily and many believed he didn't have the mentality to properly handle failure and that's why he never translated well from high school baseball to professional baseball. The specific issue is what to do with him, as he had already been on 4 different teams. That issue is in the 1989 time frame, but the present issue involves the current day (2002) Billy Beane, who is the general manager of the Oakland Athletics. The issue involves who Beane wants to select in the draft, but nearly all the scouts find him delusional and think his decision is just based on his recollection of his own playing career. The more prominent issue is the present day issue because it is connected to the past issue. Beane doesn't want to draft high school players because he believes that they aren't ready, and the scouts think he is just saying that because he was drafted out of high school and he didn't work out in the big leagues. Also, Beane hates when the scouts say that "so and so" is a really good athlete because he believes that athletic ability isn't as important as stats, which scouts don't take very seriously.
Journal Entry 3
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
3) 118/280
If someone were to ask Michael Lewis why he wrote Moneyball, he might say something like "I think it's a great story for fans of any sport, but mainly baseball, that care about how a team is formed and what happens off the field." To go deeper into it, I think Lewis was amazed what Billy Beane did with the Oakland A's. As a general manager, Beane's job is to negotiate contracts and put the best possible team he can get onto the field and then from their the manager and players take care of the rest. But what was different about Beane's situation is that he had very little money to spend on players because Oakland was a very small market, unlike Los Angeles, New York, Boston, etc., and most players chase money when deciding what team they want to play for, So, essentially, Beane couldn't lure any big name superstars to Oakland, let alone other high talent players. So Beane started using more unique statistics to find players who may be undervalued and under appreciated, and therefore could be underpaid, in a sense. I think Lewis believes that many fans just see how teams like the Yankees win many championships, and automatically connect it to the money they pay their players, which is partially the reason. What many fans don't understand, however, is that you don't need a lot of money to win, and that just because a team has a lot of money to spend, doesn't mean they'll win. I think what Lewis also admires about the story is that the A's were doubted by nearly everyone, solely because their players weren't big home run hitters, or fast pitchers, yet they still would win on a more consistent basis then some big market teams. I think that Lewis did a phenomenal job at transmitting his message because people today come to appreciate what Beane has done and even other teams are starting to copy Beane's tactics, which says quite a lot.
Journal Entry 4
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
3) 138/280
At this point in the book, the main conflict is how Billy Beane is going to vill the void that was left when outfielder Johnny Damon, closer Jason Isringhausen, and first baseman Jason Giambi all departed in free agency. Because the Oakland Athletics didn't have much money to spend, they couldn't resign those guys, especially since many other teams considered them to be stars, and thus, payed these players a lot of money. So, Beane, along with his assistant Paul DePodesta, had to determine how these players could be replaced without spending much money. One stat they used was On-Base Percentage, which determines how often a player reaches base safely. With that stat, they figured that Damon was below average in that department, therefore he was replaceable offensively, but not defensively. They also figured that Isringhausen could be replaced because, in essence, he only pitched one inning in some games. However the issue that looms is how to replace Giambi, who was considered an elite player offensively, which in reality, can't be made up for. The importance of all this is that it shows the obstacles Beane had to overcome as a general manager and how it seems unfair because he can't just buy great players. He is forced to find diamonds in the rough.
Journal Entry 5
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
3) 162/280
I'm Billy Beane and I'm the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics. Being regarded as a top prospect in high school, I know what the whole scouting experience is like. Considering that I fell way short of expectations, I know what to and what not to look for in players, which is why I became a scout after 10 awful years as a player. Scouts saw that I was in great physical shape, and that I had plenty of talent and that I hit .500 in my junior year of high school. Despite all that, they failed to see that I couldn't deal with adversity and had trouble making adjustments as a player, which is why my batting average dropped in my senior year to just .300. Being the general manager of a low market team can be frustrating, but coming in to every season with low expectations and end up having one of the best teams gives me a very fulfilling feeling. Having little money to spend on players, I'm forced to find guys that can be useful in ways that other teams don't recognize. So I believe that I see things other general managers don't, and I like the fact that we are constantly doubted as a team because we don't have the star power, when in reality, you just need hitters who manage to get on base at a higher than average percentage, and pitchers, who even though may not have filthy stuff, consistently throw strikes. Ultimately, I believe that players shouldn't go to teams that just pay them the highest contract, they should go to the team they want to play for. Also, I think that goes for anybody looking for a job or has multiple job offers, which is why I'm still the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, despite having other high paying suitors.
Journal Entry 6
1) Moneyball
2) Michael Lewis
3) 199/280
The book I selected and it's topics and contents displays that I, along with others who choose to read it, like baseball. However, that's only part of it. Those who read it are most likely interested in Billy Beane's tactics for forming a team with little resources. The story is also about what happened in the 2002 season for the Oakland A's, which involved a lot of winning, which interests people. What's also of interest is how Beane went from what seemed to be the next major league star, to the general manager of the poorest team in baseball. Overall, it's a great story for statistical minded baseball fans who like to know about what goes on in the front office.
Q2
Journal Entry 1
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 20/202
When I pick non-fiction books to read, like most people, I'll pick something I have a deep interest in. Also, I try to pick books about things I have prior knowledge of. In most cases, I'll choose to read books about sports, like I did with Moneyball and now like I am doing with Earn the Right to Win. Both books are about books, but I know that they're completely different. For starters, Moneyball is about baseball while Earn the Right to Win is about football, but the difference go beyond that. Moneyball is about what a former baseball player turned general manager did with a poor team to make them good, while Earn the Right to Win is about a football coach talking about what it takes to win and how hard work and preparation is key. The two books seem to be very different, but both have topics that interest me as a fan and an athlete.
Journal Entry 2
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 45/202
I would say that Tom Coughlin's purpose to write this book is for athletes, coaches, and fans to realize what it takes to earn the right to win. He praises that preparation is key and that if you do everything right in practice, etc. leading up game day, then do your best to execute, then you've done your best and if you lose you can't dwell on the loss and change what you've been doing. He says that as a coach if you stick to your philosophy and get everyone to buy into it, then almost everything should fall into place. He's not saying that that's the exact formula to win the Superbowl because sometimes the other team is just better, and sometimes things don't go your way, but the only way you're going to win is to prepare properly. I think he did a good job in transmitting his message because he's one of the highest respected coaches in the NFL and has 2 Superbowls to show for his success.
Journal Entry 3
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 71/202
One process or perspective that Tom Coughlin emphasizes is the importance of scheduling. He talks about how as a coach, everything is done based on a schedule, so, thus, everything is organized. He talks about how when you want to achieve a certain goal, you need a plan, a process, so you know what you're going to do and when. He uses football as an example because during the week he creates a strict schedule so everyone knows what's happening when and everyone is on the same page. Without a schedule, it's hard to be organized, and it's easy to just be all over the place. If everyone made a schedule for themselves to follow, I think everyone would be more efficient. But it's not just making a schedule, it's having the self-discipline to follow the schedule, because it's easy to just make a schedule and not follow it.
Journal Entry 4
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 101/202
In the book, there aren't really character's that are constantly in the story. The book consists of Tom Coughlin talking about various aspects of how to earn the right to win, and he uses many examples from his experiences coaching. So, he is the only constant character in the book. Tom Coughlin's perspective though about everything he talks about, like organization, attention to every little detail, strict scheduling, etc. is that it's all extremely vital to being prepared and having success. The perspective of a player who may not know Tom Coughlin or his reputation as a coach may be confused or may not understand why Tom Coughlin does what he does. The reason behind that is that Tom Coughlin is very specific and precise and needs everything to be a certain way. and that's because he thinks that if everything is a certain way, like the distance from the the first row of seats in the video room to the video board or having the best food as possible to things like being earlier than early to meetings and practices. A player may not understand why things that seem irrelevant are so important, they don't see Tom Coughlin's logic. Also Tom Coughlin gets really angry when people mess up the little things, and a player may think 'Why is he so mad, it's not that big of a deal." But Tom Coughlin believes that the little things are important because in order to make big things happen, the little things need to fall into place.
Journal Entry 5
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 127/202
Columbia High School doesn't really relate to this book strongly. Tom Coughlin has a lot of policies for his players and coaches to follow. Similarly, CHS has a lot of policies for students and faculty to follow. So in that regard they relate. Coughlin emphasizes that if everyone buys into the system and not violate team conduct, they can win, and everything will fall into place the best it can. At CHS, the rules and policies are strongly encouraged to be followed in order to do well in class and avoid problems.
Journal Entry 6
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 156/202
At one point in the book, there's a particular instance where Tom Coughlin faces a tough decision. He has to decide how to handle the situation of one of his players breaking a team rule. However, this player was an integral part of the team, being their running back. Coughlin stresses many things in this book, one being that if you break a tram rule, violate conduct, etc., you'll suffer the consequences. Although, another thing he stresses is that you must be willing to do what it takes to win, fairly. The upcoming game was a must-win for the Giants, and Coughlin faced a tough decision on whether or not to sit the player for the game, like he usually would. Some people thought he should sit him, others thought he should let him play. Coughlin could have easily let him play and be criticized for going against his own policies but also be praised for knowing that that player is important for the game. Or he could sit the player and draw criticism that he (Coughlin) wasn't doing what was best for the team but also be respected that he stuck to his usual policies. With his hand tied, Coughlin did both, as he sat the player for the first half and let him play the second game. So the player did suffer some consequence but also got to help his team in what was a winning effort.
Journal Entry 7
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 175/202
Pop-culture entertainment.
1) What's the most difficult part of starting a football organization from scratch?
2) What's the best part about building an organization from scratch?
3) How do you relate to your players?
4) What's the craziest experience you had inside an NFL locker room?
5) Which Superbowl win did you enjoy more, and why?
6) Is it hard getting to know new guys that come in every year given you already have to know a bunch of other people on the team?
7) When you got let go by Jacksonville, and didn't get any offers soon after, did you decide you were going to automatically take the first offer you got?
8) What was it like when you tied Bill Parcells for most playoff wins and Superbowl wins as Giants head coach?
9) How much work do you do when you're not on the field or in the office?
10) How much longer do you plan to coach for?
Journal Entry 8
1) Earn the Right to Win
2) Tom Coughlin w/David Fisher
3) 202/202
I am happy with this selection. Being a Giants fan and watching the Giants win 2 Superbowls was incredible and it made me more interested in what Coughlin does/did as the coach to get them to where they were. It was also cool to read about his experience with the Jaguars and the process of building a brand new franchise. He also talked about the hard times where he faced adversity and how he persevered through it. Also the stories he had were nice as well, hearing about things you don't usually hear about. He was also confident about his craft work ethic, policies, etc. and strongly emphasized how sticking with what you believe in is important, and how you have to get everyone on the same page. Both the books I chose to read thus far were about sports, which will likely be a recurring theme with my selections. I can see myself discussing this book with anyone who likes football, or a coach, or probably a sports fan in general.
No comments:
Post a Comment