PHOENIX – Ahead of what’s shaping up as a make-or-break campaign for Alex Anthopoulos, the Toronto Blue Jays general manager won’t let self-preservation impact his decision-making.
Executives entering the final year of their contracts can be tempted to sacrifice the future in seeking a better present, but Anthopoulos instead pointed to a quote from Warren Buffett, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO who is one of the world’s most successful investors, as a principle that guides him.
“Warren Buffett says there are three things he wants when he hires someone – integrity, intelligence and energy,” said Anthopoulos. “He says if you don’t have the first one, you’ve got a clever, fast-moving thief. I remember asking someone during the season what’s the definition of integrity, because everyone’s definition is different but one answer I got that I thought was great was, from a work context, doing what’s right for the organization.
“If you live your life that way, it’s really easy to make decisions. You’ve still got to feel like you’re making the right decision, but if you start trying to think about yourself, it’s not the way I’d go about it. You don’t have integrity if you do that.”
Anthopoulos rejected short-term fixes last year when he refused to part with prized young pitchers Marcus Stroman, Drew Hutchison and Aaron Sanchez in trades for established starters like Jeff Samardzija, and the club’s long-term health looks better now with the trio emerging into cornerstones.
Many of the same temptations will exist this winter as the pressure to win is ratcheted up on Anthopoulos, and he’ll continue to lean on the definition of integrity he settled on this past summer.
“I thought is it morals, is it values, is it ethics?” he said. “That was the conversation, I can have all kinds of definitions, how do you define it? Someone I really respect and admire said, ‘You know what, why can’t it just be doing what’s best for the organization?’ I said, ‘You’re right.’”
Anthopoulos is a big fan of Buffett’s and carefully studies the business magnate’s philosophies for more than just tips for his portfolio.
“You talk about people you’d love to sit down and meet, have a beer, coffee, dinner whatever with, he’d be right at the top of the list for me,” said Anthopoulos. “And it wouldn’t be to ask him about stocks, just about the way his mind works, his outlook, all that stuff.”
JACOBY ON JAYS’ RADAR: It sounds like Brook Jacoby is on track to become the next hitting coach for the Blue Jays, taking over from Kevin Seitzer, who left for more money and a longer term with the Atlanta Braves.
The two sides are talking, although a deal isn’t done yet.
Jacoby, described as a solid instructor and a tireless worker, is similar in approach to Seitzer, who preached using the middle of the field rather than just pulling the ball all the time.
A two-time all-star as a player, the 54-year-old played 11 seasons with Cleveland, Atlanta and Oakland, and spent seven years as hitting coach for the Cincinnati Reds.
Most recently he’s served as an assistant hitting co-ordinator for the Texas Rangers.
