I've been thinking a lot about Gord Ash's tenure with the Blue Jays. (It must be the indigestion. Note to self: don't eat the chili for lunch any more.)
As a GM, El Gordo had the following strengths:
- He worked hard.
- He was a really nice guy.
- He was extremely honest.
And he had the following weaknesses:
- He tended to be a bit too credulous. ("Of course there's nothing wrong with Mike Sirotka's arm - Ken Williams told me so.")
- He was obsessed with "cost certainty".
- He was too loyal.
When you think about it, aren't these exactly the strengths and weaknesses of Canadians in general? As a group, we're hard-working, pleasant, a bit gullible, and obsessed with security (at least, when compared to Americans). Perhaps we here in Canada just aren't cut out to be general managers in today's baseball environment. What do you think?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20030324110849999