Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Baseball's Youngest GM Makes His Mark

30-year-old Jon Daniels brings a new approach to baseball managership

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 13, 2008 7:56 AM CDT

(Newser) – Jon Daniels is 30. He’s a little geeky. The last time he played baseball was in Little League, and he wasn't very good. Jon Daniels also is in his third season as manager of the Texas Rangers, part of a new breed of sports executives sprung not from the rough and tumble fields but from academia and white-collar work. Fast Company profiles the league's youngest manager and his efforts—yes, there's hope, Rangers fans—to turn the mediocre team around.

"I like to think of myself as a collaborative decision-maker, not a power-hungry boss," said Daniels, who broke into the business via a low-paying internship after seeing how happy a friend was in a similar baseball job. "I want everyone's opinion." Daniels has worked to instill a happy-to-work-here vibe in the front office—moms even got Mother's Day cards this year—and led a transformation of the team's scouting and farm systems. Now the Rangers—better, but still a .500 team—have to start winning more.

Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels looks on during a pregame ceremony.
Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels looks on during a pregame ceremony.   (AP Photo)
Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels.
Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels.   (AP Photo)
Newly signed Texas Rangers pitcher Kazuo Fukumori, of Japan, poses with Daniels.
Newly signed Texas Rangers pitcher Kazuo Fukumori, of Japan, poses with Daniels.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

More Newser Stories

Sammy Blasts Homer in Chicago

Botched Sosa Check Swing Upends Red Sox

Rangers Tame Tigers 3-2 in ALCS Opener

Rangers Rein In Giants, 4-2

For Female Umps, No Field of Dreams


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne