Management by Baseball: The Official Rules for Winning Management in Any Field

By Jeff Angus

Book Overview

What do Hall of Fame baseball managers like Connie Mack and John McGraw have in common with today's business leaders? Why are baseball managers like Joe Torre and Dusty Baker better role models for business, government, and non-profit management than respected corporate giants like Jack Welch and Bill Gates? And just what does Peter Drucker have to do with Oriole ex-manager Earl Weaver? Management consultant, baseball writer, and columnist for InformationWeek, Computerworld, and InfoWorld, Jeff Angus shows how anyone can become a better manager by taking lessons from the leaders and nuances of the one game that is the truest test of managerial prowess. As proven by Angus' highly popular blog, Management by Baseball is a fun, story-filled guide that gives managers and anyone in business practical, actionable, understandable tools they can use to improve performance: How do you start an organization from scratch? Take a page from baseball's 19th century origins. How do you adapt to changing markets and social conditions? Learn from the man who invented Babe Ruth. What are the simplest ways to turn around a weak department? Pick up Dick Williams' proven tactics. How do you redesign corporate strategy in response to your competitors? Learn Joe Torre's secret advantage. How do you develop emotional intelligence as a leader? Find out how Ichiro Suzuki made his transition from Japan to the Major Leagues a historic success

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061119075
• ISBN13: 9780061119071
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.93 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Winning Management in Any Field

"Management by Baseball" shows how the game and its business side have professional lessons for all of us. It's broken down into four parts, "Getting to First Base - Mastering Management Mechanics", "Stealing Second Base - the Players Are the Product", "Advancing to Third Base - Managing Yourself", and "Crossing Home Plate - Managing Change". Baseball fans will enjoy the discussion of innovators such as John McGraw, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth, Branch Rickey, Earl Weaver, and Joe Torre, although the last is now dated. Fans will also relish new perspectives on scouting and signing players, juggling lineups, pivotal seasons, batter plate adjustments, and of course the ever changing rules. Everyone will benefit from the business analogies to the gradually evolving, iconic sport. Key concepts are listed throughout as "Rules" making the book scannable. The author also maintains a website and blog under the name of the book to expand and update. In the words of Tom Peters "...an insightful management primer".

Great Insight

This is a thoughtful and funny book that anyone in business can learn from. It is always good to see things from different and new points of view. Jeff Angus proves that baseball provides us useful insights into our everyday management challenges. All of us who have spent sunny afternoons at the park can relate to this approach. Mr. Angus represents these ideas with pace and humor that is rere today in any nonfiction let alone a business book.

Any new manager and baseball fan will relish

MANAGEMENT BY BASEBALL: THE OFFICIAL RULES FOR WINNING MANAGEMENT IN ANY FIELD could also have been featured in our sports section, but it's reviewed here for its applications of baseball principles to management theory. Baseball managers can be better role models for leaders in business than current business models because they have learned how to implement innovations, overcome resistance to new ideas, adapt to changes, and lead team efforts: any new manager and baseball fan will relish these 'how to' guidelines. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Action-oriented wisdom for the rest of us

I normally hate how-to books and management titles. But this one is a different animal. Mr. Angus's advice is smart, practical, and connected to the game of baseball (which makes it more fun as well as more understandable). If you enjoy baseball, and want to learn a few new moves to help you manage better, I urge you to read this book.