Cubs Hire Craig Breslow As Director Of Strategic Initiatives For Baseball Operations

Dewey'sCannon

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Per the Cubs’ release, Breslow “will help to evaluate and implement data-based processes throughout all facets of Baseball Operations” and will also “support the organization’s pitching infrastructure in Player Development and the major leagues.”

Sounds like he will be the Cubs version of Brian Bannister.

Good luck to him. Only sorry that he is not working for the Sox.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/01/craig-breslow-cubs-front-office-retires.html
 

Wake49

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He sure pitched great for us in 2013. He and Koji were an awesome 1-2 punch out of the BP.
 
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iayork

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He parlayed a fairly underwhelming amount of natural talent into $15.5 million over 12 seasons in the majors. He's a pretty good example of maximizing what you have. If he can pass that on, the Cubs should be pretty happy.
 

BornToRun

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He sure pitched great for us in 2013. He and Koji were an awesome 1-2 punch out of the BP.
2013 Craig Breslow is one of the more under appreciated contributors to a Red Sox championship team in my opinion. He stumbled in the World Series but was lights out during the regular season and against Tampa and Detroit. Wasn’t it 4 in a row he K’d against Tampa in the clincher?
 

InstaFace

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Good to see Craig put that Yale molecular biophysics degree to good work.
Yale old-boys-club nonsense from Theo Epstein!

That aside, "director of strategic initiatives" sounds a lot like "just come work here and take our money, we'll figure out something for you to do". Which is probably not that different from the relationship Pedro has with the Sox.
 

sittingstill

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That aside, "director of strategic initiatives" sounds a lot like "just come work here and take our money, we'll figure out something for you to do". Which is probably not that different from the relationship Pedro has with the Sox.
Actually, I think the article quote from the Cubs release is reasonably specific:
Per the Cubs’ release, Breslow “will help to evaluate and implement data-based processes throughout all facets of Baseball Operations” and will also “support the organization’s pitching infrastructure in Player Development and the major leagues.”
So in the first part, bridge that gap between understanding modern stats and convincing the players to buy in (as both a brainiac and a veteran former player), and in the second, the Bannister-esque responsibilities suggested above. Breslow spent the last couple of years trying to make it back by adjusting his arm angle and tracking the results; didn't work as well as he might have hoped for himself but I'm sure the experience will serve him well.
 

InsideTheParker

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Actually, I think the article quote from the Cubs release is reasonably specific:

So in the first part, bridge that gap between understanding modern stats and convincing the players to buy in (as both a brainiac and a veteran former player), and in the second, the Bannister-esque responsibilities suggested above. Breslow spent the last couple of years trying to make it back by adjusting his arm angle and tracking the results; didn't work as well as he might have hoped for himself but I'm sure the experience will serve him well.
I missed the beginning of the program, but tonight on mlbn (MLB Now?) they were talking about exactly that role for retired players who understand stats and are good at communicating that value to players. Whether or not the Breslow hire began the discussion, I don't know.
 

Reverend

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Yale old-boys-club nonsense from Theo Epstein!

That aside, "director of strategic initiatives" sounds a lot like "just come work here and take our money, we'll figure out something for you to do". Which is probably not that different from the relationship Pedro has with the Sox.
This is probably how professional baseball was invented in the first place.