Evans: Pulling back the curtain on the Winter Meetings
From SABR member Dan Evans at Baseball Prospectus on December 3, 2012:
Thousands of people within baseball have gathered here in Nashville for the annual Winter Meetings. It is the largest collection of baseball personnel in one spot every year, and the attendees are as diverse a group as you’ll find, with 20 or more staff from every major-league organization present, along with key staff members from minor-league affiliates, hundreds of media, hundreds of baseball-related service providers, MLB rights-holders, and other personnel affiliated with the game from all over the world, along with a large group of individuals seeking employment in the sport.
The massive Opryland complex has hosted the meetings a few times before, and it can be a somewhat unmanageable destination for those whose personal GPS is not as accurate as most. The hotel actually provides an intricate map to those who inquire, and it comes in handy numerous times before the week is over. By the end of the week, everyone will know where the Delta, Magnolia, and Cascade buildings are located.
The public’s main focus is on the 30 MLB organizations, and rightfully so, since the Winter Meetings are the last time most decision-makers gather in one place until the All-Star Game or the following World Series. I have attended each of the Winter Meetings for the last 30 years, and I find it to be a five-day whirlwind that is always exciting, unpredictable, and totally exhausting.
Each of the clubs has a suite, and a fun fact is that they are assigned by MLB in terms of general manager seniority. Most of the key staff members have nearby rooms in a kind of satellite-style setup. There is no such thing as a “typical” day, but that is part of the Winter Meetings intrigue. You are on the clock every minute of the day.
Read the full article here: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19051
Originally published: December 3, 2012. Last Updated: December 3, 2012.