The Sporting News' Explanation To Why They Ranked Ruben Amaro Jr. The Worst GM In Baseball Is Near Perfect

SN – Amaro took over for Pat Gillick right after the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, and since then, it has been a direct downhill run. Philadelphia lost the World Series in 2009, lost the NLCS in 2010, lost in the first round in 2011, missed the playoffs in 2012, and fell under .500 in 2013. The next stop could well be last place, but even if the Phillies manage to avoid the cellar, Amaro’s attempts to build a team as if it is still 2008 have been baffling. After a year in which the Phillies were too old and broke down physically, Amaro actually made them older in the offseason. You almost have to double check that Tony Gwynn and John Mayberry are not actually their fathers.

That’s it. There’s nothing more to say. The man took over a World Series championship team and each year thereafter has finished worse than the season before. Sure, the Phillies had better regular season records each year from 2009 through 2011, but it’s the end result that matters. It’s win or go home and the Fightens have been sent packing earlier and earlier each season. A near perfect explanation to Amaro’s incompetence. Personally I would’ve trashed the over bloated contracts he’s given out (top 3 highest paid athletes IN THE WORLD are on this team), his always questionable moves (why did we let go of Wilson Valdez for NO reason again?) and his overall smugness (seriously, fuck off for repeatedly saying this team is a competitor). But you can’t win em all. Or in the Phillies case lately – any.

Billy Beane was ranked 1st. Because that’s what happens when you assemble a team with the lowest payroll and still are competitive year in and year out. You get recognized for your efforts. Not so much when you’ve got the 3rd highest bank in the league and are going to finish dead last.