All Things Rick Hahn

[Marty34]

It just is a happy coincidence that it turns up with the people you don't like? Come on man, at least be honest.

 

You're wrong about everything in that statement. You tied your own record.

[Kyyle23]

That just seems to be the "collective/consensus" opinion on Hahn from every article ever written about him.

 

I've never seen anyone explain WHY, just heard him referred to in that camp simply because he doesn't fit in the "old school" camp at all.

 

As far as KW and Stanford, he's always promoted his "football tough" approach and the comparisons with the Raiders...I think his "football first" background tends to supercede the university he attended. Who knows, maybe he attended more classes than Tiger Woods, Mike Mussina, Joe Borchard and Jerry Yang.

 

 

 

Jim Hendry never was a numbers guy. He was a scout, which certainly has its advantages. But at the end of the day, that scout made quite a few questionable moves -- beyond the Alfonso Soriano contract -- that perhaps could've been prevented with better statistical analysis.

 

And that's where Hahn comes in. He's not a complete numbers guy -- which is good -- but he has a much better balance between scouting and statistics in his analysis and decision-making than Hendry.

 

But, if the Cubs decide to target Hahn, the next question is this -- would he actually leave the White Sox?

 

Here's an example from the first random Hahn article I googled (from beerleague.com). What is the writer's opinion based on? Interviews with others around Hahn? Hearsay? Conjecture?

 

I've yet to see any solid evidence or support of this common assumption that seems to be flying around about him. Maybe it's simply because with the new group of young GM's, everyone assumes he can't be a traditional, "baseball background with a lesser education" type of GM.

 

It is based on a bloggers opinion. You are basically regurgitating this guys opinion on it, and passing it off as fact

[Kyyle23]

Hahn: too expensive, too old, and not good. What cutesy nickname can we give him?

 

Bollywood Hahn

[caulfield12]

"Hahn Dynasty" would work if he was in China.

 

The problem is 90% of the articles written about Hahn state this same information. Not just bloggers or "internet writers" but well-paid, national sports journalists.

 

If I watch Obama on tv and describe him as "cool/aloof/detached/cerebral," then am I incorrect if I offer that as my opinion based on an accumulation of observation, as well as reading about him?

 

I'm guessing somewhere out there is an interview (maybe Mark Liptak or whatever his name) with Hahn where it was actually put down on paper...in terms of his philosophy.

Edited August 25, 2011 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

You're wrong about everything in that statement. You tied your own record.

 

I'm wrong about it being a happy coincidence? So you are doing it on purpose.

[Kyyle23]

"Hahn Dynasty" would work if he was in China.

 

The problem is 90% of the articles written about Hahn state this same information. Not just bloggers or "internet writers" but well-paid, national sports journalists.

 

If I watch Obama on tv and describe him as "cool/aloof/detached/cerebral," then am I incorrect if I offer that as my opinion based on an accumulation of observation, as well as reading about him?

 

I'm guessing somewhere out there is an interview (maybe Mark Liptak or whatever his name) with Hahn where it was actually put down on paper...in terms of his philosophy.

 

The problem is that you are making an entire character assessment of one person who is not in the public spotlight and really has nothing in the media that pegs him as much of anything. All you keep saying is "assumption" and "i'm guessing" and then you follow it up with an obscure "would i be correct if I saw X person and thought blah blah about him?". Dropping names doesnt help your argument here.

 

Please, by all means, post these articles that confirm your 90 percent description, and try not to grab them from thebleacherreports.com and beerleaguer.com.

[harfman77]

It really doesnt matter who the GM is or who the manager is until the organization moves on from its self inflicting wounds. The Sox have nearly abandoned signing international free agents. The Sox have spent less money in the draft than any other team in baseball over the last three years hence the worst farm system in baseball. You can make an argument that every major league player that the farm system has produced in the last 5 years came into the farm system as a near major league ready prospect.

 

The Sox refuse to deal with the best players because of their agent hence fringy specialist free agents. Hopefully once Bud retires Reinsdorf will open up to paying amateur players so that we can build this team from the ground up.

[caulfield12]

The World Series champion Chicago White Sox use a different popular method to assess their expected victories. Rick Hahn, their assistant general manager, tracks the number of runs his lineup should score and his pitching staff should allow. Several studies have shown that any 10-run swing in that differential equates to about one victory.

 

“When we got Jim Thome from the Phillies, we figured he was worth about 20 runs more than the combination of Carl Everett and Frank Thomas,” Hahn said, referring to the 2005 club’s designated hitters. Hahn estimated that giving up center fielder Aaron Rowand in the trade cost about five runs. “That gave us a total improvement of about 15 runs. We feel we improved by about one and a half wins in the exchange, which is pretty good.”

NY Times

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/11/sports/b...ll/11score.html

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/sports/b...amp;oref=slogin

 

 

“Hahn, 34, the assistant general manager in Chicago, joined the White Sox without any training on how to identify flaws in a pitcher’s motion or a hitter’s batting stance. General Manager Kenny Williams had Hahn shadow the club’s director of scouting, Duane Shaffer, to learn about judging talent.

 

"I had more familiarity with the objective and statistical side of the evaluation," Hahn says. "The void I had was on the scouting side. I got a crash course on that side of the business."

from Danielle Sessa, link broken

 

 

 

Towers has worked for Lucchino. Hunsicker is one of the game’s best general managers. So is Milwaukee’s Melvin, who worked for Lucchino in Baltimore. If the Red Sox decide they want a pure talent man — and with the Yankees adding the revenue from their new ballpark, talent evaluation is the way the Red Sox have to beat the Yankees in the future — the name of LaCava (Toronto’s director of player development) will be at the forefront. And if they want an organizational baseball mind with a huge reputation in the business, they will interview White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=2210636

Peter Gammons

 

 

 

Hahn's primary responsibilities include assisting Senior Vice President/General Manager Ken Williams with all player acquisitions, evaluations and contract negotiations, as well as with overseeing all elements of the club's baseball operations, including the scouting and player development departments. Williams credits Hahn with negotiating multiyear contracts with several current White Sox players, including 2006 All-Stars Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras, Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and A.J. Pierzynski.

 

from mlb.com

 

 

■The Cheat on September 30th, 2008 12:39 pm

Hahn is very careful about what he says in the press, so it’s understandable that you’re unable to come up with much on his, let’s call it a, saber profile. He’s the oft-ignored, but highly respected, saber-influence inside the White Sox front office.

 

I’d imagine that his willingness to interview and accept a job outside the organization will have a lot to do with the rumored extension of on Kenny Williams, whose own current contract is something of a mystery. If Hahn is out-and-out promised the GM job when the current Sox FO disappears — slated for 2012 when Reinsdorf steps down to relinquish control to his son — he might be a tough get.

 

I thought this was much more interesting based on the last line Cheat wrote.

Edited August 25, 2011 by caulfield12

[Kyyle23]

Thanks caulfield, those articles written one month from each other in the new york times and a shoutout by gammons have confirmed everything you have assumed. The question now is, what does Mao Zedong think?

 

Everything thats being written about him is confirming that what he does is hand in hand with Kenny Williams, so why didnt Williams and his Stanford education get the same "hybrid saber guy" label applied to him?

[caulfield12]

So Cheat was wrong about Hahn 3-4 years ago, too?

[Kyyle23]

So Cheat was wrong about Hahn 3-4 years ago, too?

 

I forget, when did Cheat become the media? The guy used to post here, and he had some good thoughts, but he is the same as beerleaguer.com/bleacherreports.

 

Which brings us right back to my original point about what you posted.

 

 

We can argue this all day, but we won't. I wish Hahn the very best and I really hope he does well wherever he goes(And of course if he stays), but I am not about to make a call on the way he operates based on the extremely small pool of articles that he is mentioned in.

[mcgrad70]

So Cheat was wrong about Hahn 3-4 years ago, too?

 

 

and I hope he's wrong about Reinsdorf's son taking over too.

dealing with dear ol' dad for almost 30 years is enough

just sell the team and ride into the sunset

Edited August 26, 2011 by mcgrad70

[Milkman delivers]

and I hope he's wrong about Reinsdorf's son taking over too.

dealing with dear ol' dad for almost 30 years is enough

just sell the team and ride into the sunset

 

For the love of God, give it up.

[witesoxfan]

and I hope he's wrong about Reinsdorf's son taking over too.

dealing with dear ol' dad for almost 30 years is enough

just sell the team and ride into the sunset

 

Naturally, Chicago is a great representation of what happens when a father passes a team off to his son because after Bill Wirtz passed on, the Blackhawks continued to be a terrible team.

[greg775]

Naturally, Chicago is a great representation of what happens when a father passes a team off to his son because after Bill Wirtz passed on, the Blackhawks continued to be a terrible team.

 

Thank God we took care of business in the 05 World Series and didn't lose those close games to Houston.

I am seriously thinking it's gonna be a long, long time before we are sniffing the WS again.

 

It would take some creative managing of the current roster and adding free agents cause our minor league system is the dregs. And yes I realize Peavy, Dunn and Rios pretty much killed any chance of adding decent (on paper) free agents.

[T R U]

Speaking of zombies, I'm playing Altered Beast for Sega Genesis. I can't believe this f***er still works.

 

Riiiissseeeee from your grave!!!!!

[southsider2k5]

Kevin_Goldstein Kevin Goldstein

He's the favorite, but still not over 50%. RT @ChrisSmith1027: @Kevin_Goldstein - Percentage that Rick Hahn becomes the next cubs gm?

 

[southsider2k5]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10...-hahn-white-sox

 

As soon as general manager Jim Hendry was thought to be in trouble with the Chicago Cubs last spring, White Sox assistant GM Rick Hahn’s name surfaced as a possible replacement.

 

But with the Cubs apparently aiming for the stars to final a replacement more than two months after Hendry was finally fired, Hahn’s name has appeared again following the recent firings of Los Angeles Angels GM Tony Reagins and longtime Angels assistants Ken Forsch and Gary Sutherland.

 

There’s been a steady flow of blood trickling from Angel Stadium since the end of the 2009 season, from the terminating of several valuable support staff people to scouting director Eddie Bane (now one of Dave Dombrowski’s top pro evaluators in Detroit) to last week’s purging of the highest ranking baseball people outside of manager Mike Scioscia, who is signed through the 2018 season.

 

The recent firings suggest that working for the Angels isn’t all fun and games in Disneyland. But for the next GM, this represents a time to establish his own cabinet and carving his own niche.

 

For Hahn, who did not sign Alex Rios or Jake Peavy to lucrative deals, the Angels could be an ideal fit if the Cubs seek someone else. For all the scrutiny that Sox GM Ken Williams has fallen under, he has delegated more authority to Hahn over the past four seasons to enhance his chance of becoming a GM.

 

With a strong background in negotiations, Hahn could be the right person to help the Angels remedy a situation where they already have earmarked $99 million to nine players for 2012.

 

Hahn also has been praised by agents for negotiating in a tough but fair and professional manner.

 

Former manager Ozzie Guillen, his coaches and Sox administrators have held Hahn in high regard.

 

Williams has sent Hahn on scouting missions for at least the past four years, quelling any suggestions that he’s just an administrator.

 

Hahn has interviewed for several GM openings in past years, and he understands the structure of other organizations outside of the Sox.

 

Hahn worked for an agency in Orange County before joining the Sox, so he’s familiar with the landscape.

 

If hired, Hahn would be in charge of selecting his own cabinet for the first time. But his qualifications make him deserving of a shot, and he can’t do worse than what the previous administration has caused in the past year.

[chetkincaid]

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-10...-hahn-white-sox

 

I hope Hahn gets the Angels job.

[Balta1701]

I hope Hahn gets the Angels job.

If the Angels job is basically the guy who takes the blame while Scioscia and Moreno make all the decisions, I hope he doesn't.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/whitesox-ta...mp;feedID=10338

 

According to Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown, White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn will interview with the Los Angeles Angels about their vacant GM position.

 

Hahn has previously interviewed for GM positions with the Cardinals (2007) and Mets (2010), while he declined an interview with the Pirates in 2007 and the White Sox denied him permission to interview with the Mariners in 2008.

 

Hahn ranked No. 1 on Sports Illustrated's list of potential GM candidates, for which he told SI's Dan Wade:

 

"[being included] certainly is a compliment, and I do appreciate being included on these lists. But, frankly, it's not the same as the organization being cited for having one of top on-field prospects. In fact, if there was a way to trade me for Mike Trout, I'm guessing Kenny would drive me to the airport to make sure that deal goes through -- and I would understand."

 

The White Sox won't acquire Trout for Hahn's services, so maybe Hahn will have a chance to run a team built around the all-world outfield prospect.

 

Before the Cubs' drawn-out courtship of Theo Epstein, it was hypothesized Hahn would be a leading candidate for the North Siders' GM opening.

[Rowand44]

http://www.csnchicago.com/blog/whitesox-ta...mp;feedID=10338

Hahn for Mike Trout, make it happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[southsider2k5]

Hahn for Mike Trout, make it happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm sorry, you wanted Trout... Hows about a nice 45 year old Salmon?

[Soxfest]

If the Angels job is basically the guy who takes the blame while Scioscia and Moreno make all the decisions, I hope he doesn't.

I am sure he would take the job, too get away from KW staying around forever.

[Big Daddy Kool]

The Angels interviewed the Rays' Andrew Friedman....

 

 

 

Hahn for Mike Trout, make it happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!