No one should be upset that Derek Falvey is only 33. Theo Epstein and Jon Daniels became general managers at 28, and even if the Twins give Falvey the fancier title of president of baseball operations, he essentially will act as a GM.
Yet, some in the industry are bothered by the Twins' pending hiring of Falvey, which — while not yet official — is the worst-kept secret in baseball.
Falvey fits the pattern of several recent hires for top decision-making positions — he is young, a graduate of an elite private institution, well-versed in analytics, relatively inexperienced, white.
The issue of hiring practices in baseball is complex — too complex for simple labels and easy conclusions. Owners obviously should hire whomever they determine to be the best candidates. Baseball is working harder than in the past to develop a pipeline of minority candidates, people in the game say.
But, as I wrote last October, teams need to seek not just racial and ethnic diversity for their top positions, but intellectual diversity, too.
Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo, who comes from a traditional scouting background, says that while hiring practices are cyclical, the current trend is clear.
"Hopefully ownership recognizes that good, qualified, educated baseball people who have experience and grew in the game are qualified candidates to lead organizations," Rizzo said.
"People get to GM jobs and president's jobs in different ways. But I do see that guys who grew up in the game, started at the lower levels, worked their ways through the front office ... there are less and less of those type people. Maybe more troublesome for me, I don't even hear guys getting interviews for these jobs.
"(The Nationals') Dan Jennings, he could be a general manager somewhere. Guys like (the Blue Jays') Tony LaCava, (Red Sox's) Allard Baird, newer guys like (the Athletics') Billy Owens (an African-American), how is he not even interviewed or on the track to being a general manager? I don't even hear their names anymore.
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