Modesto Nuts

The Modesto Nuts Professional Baseball team is in a smaller than average minor-league market with an outdated facility.  The franchise had to maximize resources and work with a front office staff typically smaller than most baseball teams. As such, I often hired entry-level executives and promoted from within.

I was fortunate to have several mentors who helped me progress in my career, and it was my duty to help those who were building their sports career. Investing time, energy and resources in young executives is always a good business decision.

My philosophy on training executives was simple: if you are a full-time member of the front office staff, you are going to be exposed to all the necessary information needed to make good decisions. Financial statements, marketing meetings, budget projections included all members of the team. Even if a young executive did not fully grasp the concepts at first, they were introduced to the key metrics used in the decision-making process. It was important for the entire staff to know the process for making decisions within the company. This was a valuable learning tool that is not available to most young executives.

The process was successful for the team: we rarely had to go outside to hire for senior level positions. We had a strong system in place where a replacement was always waiting in the wings. The process was successful for the staff as well. Most staff members had a clear path within the company and the skills necessary to use their experience outside the company when the opportunity presented itself.

During my time with the Modesto Nuts, I hired seven individuals for their first job in professional baseball who eventually became a General Manager. There were dozens more who rose to Assistant General Manager or Director-level titles. The success of our development program ensured we always had talented and trained staff available when a need arose. The growth of our own candidates as well as the success of our alumni was also a great recruiting tool!