Giants management worse than the Knicks?

HELLO BRIAN, YOU STINK!! NO REALLY, I CAN PROVE IT!!

According to Dr. Patrick Rishe, they are:

http://blogs.forbes.com/sportsmoney/2010/05/the-worst-managed-pro-sports-franchises-of-the-last-5-years/

The methodology is pretty simple and most Giants fans could have told you intuitively that the Gigantes would be in the team picture, but comparable to the Knicks? Brian Sabaean, nearly as inept as Isiah Thomas and Matt Millen? At least we don't have to worry about some of the PR/PC debacles that Thomas put the Knicks through.

THE METHODOLOGY:

I presumed that managerial inefficiency was akin to spending the most money for the least amount of victories and postseason appearances. Thus, the metric used to assess managerial inefficiency was to identify teams with the highest average payroll cost per win AND with no more than 1 post-season appearance in the last 5 years.

To make a cross-league efficiency comparison over the last 5 years, a simple ratio was constructed for each team in pro sports. The ratio was the team's 'payroll cost per win' over the median 'cost per win' for that league. So, for example, a ratio of 150 suggests that the team in question is 50% less efficient than the median standard of efficiency for the league.

Conversely, if we define 'cost effective' organizations as having the lowest 'player costs per win' and having at least a 40% playoff appearence rate over the last 5 years, then the most efficient franchise would be the Indianapolis Colts. Within their own league, they were nearly 5 times more frugal than the Lions and Rams, spending $7.8 million on player costs per win. And using the ratio approach discussed above, the Colts were 39% more efficient than the median NFL franchise (a ratio score of 61). The next closest pro sports team was the Minnesota Twins, who were 33% more efficient than the median MLB franchise.

THE RESULTS:

Using this metric coupled with the post season filter, the 3 most inefficient franchises of each league from the last 5 years are:

MLB

1) NY Mets, 2) Seattle Mariners, 3) San Francisco Giants...The average cost per Mets victory was $1.3 million, with a 20% postseason rate. The Mariners and Giants averaged a cost of $1.2 million per win with no postseason trips between them.

Using this comparative ratio metric (second paragraph above under METHODOLOGY) , the worst managed pro sports franchise of the last 5 years was the Detroit Lions. With an efficiency ratio of 262, this implies that the Lions organization has been 162% less efficient than the median NFL franchise. The St Louis Rams were a close second with a ratio of 260.

Rounding out the top 10 list of worst managed pro sports franchises over the last 5 years (with their inefficiency rating in parenthesis): 3) NY Knicks (222), 4) Oakland Raiders (191), 5) Kansas City Chiefs (159), 6) Minnesota T-Wolves (156), 7) LA Clippers (152), Cleveland Browns (146), 9) Washington Wizards (132), 10) Sacramento Kings (130).

Rounding out the top 10 list of the most managerial savvy franchises in sports over the last 5 years are teams from each major sports league: 3) San Diego Chargers, 4) New England Patriots, 5) Colorado Rockies, 6) Dallas Cowboys, 7) New York Giants, San Diego Padres, 9) Detroit Red Wings, 10) L.A. Lakers.

Giants upper management will find themselves at a crossroads moment with Sabean if the Giants do not make the playoffs this season. Sabean has once again saddled Bochy and Giants fans with another Sabeanesque roster. It is way too reliant on aging veterans, a bit slow (which impacts the defense) and lacks punch. These qualities have been highlighted because the big eraser in the middle of the lineup --- the B-POPE, BLB --- is missing.

Sabean has had some positive to point to, mainly the signings of Aubrey Huff as a free agent and adding Pat Burrell. The farm system is now an organizational plus, highlighted by the play of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey.

Sabean’s minuses continue to anchor the roster: Aaron Rowand, Edgar Renteria, Mark DeRosa. The farm systems failing is in not producing a quality OF bat in ages.

Will the plusses outweigh the minuses? A playoff appearance will act as a great disinfectant.