The Futility Infielder

As the Yanks gather for their organizational meetings this week, they're doing so without Vice President Gene Michael. As much as Joe Torre, Brian Cashman, or any other Yankee exec, "Stick" is the architect of the recent Yankee run. Long before Billy Beane was reinventing the wheel, Michael was emphasizing on-base percentage as the key to building an offense. As Jack Curry writes in Thursday's New York Times:

Michael was Beane before Beane, the celebrated general manager of the A's, was anything more than a low-level scout a dozen years ago. While Michael did not succeed with a modest payroll, as Beane has done, he was a pioneer in stressing the importance of on-base percentage to improve the Yankees, an approach Beane has adopted and been lionized for in Oakland.

Before Michael became general manager of the Yankees for the second time, in 1991, they finished last in the American League in on-base percentage. Michael noticed that awful statistic and obsessed over it, preaching patience and adding players who he felt were selective at the plate. By 1993 the Yankees were second in the league in on-base percentage. By 1994 they were first. This approach was the model the Yankees followed in winning four World Series titles in five seasons, starting in 1996.

"It took other teams eight years to catch on," said Michael, whose nickname is Stick. "I think they finally caught on to what we were doing in 1998."

Actually, they were third-to-last in '91, but only 3 points out of last. Anyway, the reason Michael's being left out in the cold is that he's currently negotiating for a long-term contract extension; his current contract expires October 31. Should he decide to leave, the Stick would be a hot commodity; there isn't an organization in the game that wouldn't benefit from his wisdom. Last year George Steinbrenner denied the Red Sox permission to speak to him about their GM opening, and the Mets are rumored to be interested in him once they give Steve Phillips the Old Yeller. The Boss's maneuver is a hedge against the possibility that Michael, who's spent 33 years in the Yankee organization as a player, coach, manager, GM and scout, may decide after the season to test his mettle elsewhere. But Steinbrenner, despite his precautions, told the Times that Michael's contract would be completed soon.

Still, this decision may run deeper than Michael merely wanting to stay with the Yanks and them wanting him to return. Stick is 65, and the window for him to run a team from the GM post may close if he gets a long-term contract. One way or another, this is a free-agent situation worth keeping an eye on.