Email From The Red Sox to Billy Beane

To: Billy Beane, General Manager, Oakland Athletics

From: John Henry, Owner, Boston Red Sox

Subject: Contract Offer to Become the Highest Paid GM in Sports

November 12, 2002

Billy,

I hope this email finds you well, it was certainly a heartbreaking loss for the Athletics in the playoffs this year. I know how much of a toll that can take on a man. Nonetheless, what you did with that team, it was nothing short of remarkable. You changed the way baseball is played forever. By using Bill James’ ideas of baseball analytics to evaluate talent, you brought baseball out of the dark ages. And you did all that with what is overwhelmingly one of the lowest payrolls in all of baseball. I simply can’t say enough about the incredible job you did.

That being said, you simply couldn’t get past the final hurdle in the playoffs, and as you know, winning a World Series is the ultimate, the only, true measure of success. The Boston Red Sox haven’t won a World Series since 1918. We want you to end that title drought.

This past season, the Red Sox had the second highest payroll in baseball behind only the New York Yankees. If you were able to best the Yankees with one of the poorest teams in the League, you’d consistently blow them out of the water with the Red Sox. We finished 93-69, one of the best records in baseball, all without the use of any kind of analytics. The rest of the league should shudder to think what you could do with the Sox.

That brings us to the business end of things. As I’ve mentioned already, we have a considerably larger amount of funding than the A’s, and unlike the ownership in Oakland, we are completely dedicated to the pursuit of winning a title. In short, I will spare no expense to bring a championship to this ball club. It is clear as day that you are the best General Manager in baseball, so I’m willing to make you a contract offer that will make you the highest paid GM in the history of sports.

My offer is this, $12 million over five years. Think about it and get back to me.

All due respect to the Athletics, but the Red Sox are where you were meant to be. I think you will come to realize that in the next few days if you haven’t already. We look forward to having you on board.

Yours,

John Henry