No team has made headlines like the Toronto Blue Jays this season and they were at it again Monday.
The team officially announced Cleveland Indians president Mark Shapiro will take over for the retiring Paul Beeston at the end of the 2015 season.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about the next Blue Jays president.
Name: Mark Shapiro
Age: 48
Team he’s coming from: Cleveland Indians
Years in MLB: 24
He started from the bottom now he’s here…
Shapiro has spent half his life with the Indians, literally, so it’s with a heavy heart he leaves the organization. He has been a part of the Indians organization since the early 1990s and his rise through the organization was nothing short of impressive. He first took an entry-level job as a baseball operations assistant where, among other duties, he would help chauffeur prospective free agents to and from the airport. From there he became the team’s director of player development. In 1998 he was named VP of baseball operations and assistant general manager. Three years later he was promoted to full-time GM. He was named team president in 2010 and Chris Antonetti took over as GM.
Shapiro was named Executive of the Year by the Sporting News in 2005 and 2007 following 93- and 96-win seasons, respectively. During his time with the Indians, the team earned seven AL Central Division titles and two trips to the World Series in 1995 and 1997.
He comes from a sports family…
A 2007 article in the Baltimore Sun described the Shapiros as “the first family of sports management.”
Mark’s father, Ron Shapiro, is a respected sports agent (he represented Cal Ripken and many high-profile players over the years), attorney and New York Times best-selling author among many titles.
“For me, baseball has always been relational – and nothing is more relational than family,” Mark told the JTA in 2014. “My love for baseball has always been tied to my father.”
Mark’s sister, Julie, is married to former New York Jets and Cleveland Browns head coach Eric Mangini. His stepbrother, William Beatson, worked as manager of business development for the NFL from 2011-2014 and currently works at Excel Sports Management. Beatson has also worked on the corporate side of the New York Yankees and Baltimore Ravens organizations.
Some consider him future MLB commissioner material…
When Bud Selig announced in late 2013 his plans to retire, Shapiro’s name was brought up as a possible replacement. It’s unclear how close Shapiro came to running the show — Rob Manfred was eventually elected to replace Selig — but the fact Shapiro’s name was in the mix speaks to his leadership qualities and how those in baseball view him. In 2009, he was named to MLB’s 14-person “Special Committee for On-Field Matters” where he and his peers looked at baseball trends and ways to improve the game. Beeston was also among the 14 men selected to this committee.
Being MLB commissioner wasn’t something Shapiro spent much time thinking about though.
“It’s an honor to have your name mentioned, but that’s about all the time I spend thinking about it,” Shapiro told cleveland.com last year. “My whole career, I’ve focused on doing the best I can at the job I have.”
He was in Moneyball and he wasn’t afraid to trade…
Well, he wasn’t in the movie, but he was portrayed by actor Reed Diamond in the 2011 Academy Award-nominated film. The movie, about Billy Beane’s Oakland Athletics and their attempt to build a winning team on a budget by using advanced stats, isn’t the most accurate reflection of what actually happened but Shapiro is a character nonetheless.
That season, Shapiro helped facilitate two trades with Beane. First he traded Ricardo Rincon for Marshall McDougall and then he sent Roy Smith to the A’s for cash.
In addition to those minor dealings with Beane, Shapiro proved he didn’t shy away from making bold moves during his time as GM of the Indians. His most notable trade was sending Bartolo Colon and Tim Drew to the Montreal Expos in 2002 for Cliff Lee, Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens. Over the years he was also able to acquire a young Travis Hafner, Shin-Soo Choo, Asdrubal Cabrera, Kenny Lofton, Carlos Santana and traded away big names like Roberto Alomar, John Rocker and Coco Crisp.
Not all of his trades were gems though. In a three-day span in 2009 he traded Lee to the Phillies and Victor Martinez to the Red Sox for a minimal return.
He’s not afraid to spend money…
As GM of the Indians, Shapiro signed a number of star players to lucrative yet not-totally-over-the-top contracts. He inked Hafner to a four-year, $57-million extension just as he entered the prime of his career and managed to lock up Sizemore, Martinez and Jhonny Peralta to long-term, affordable deals. Here’s a full look at his notable signings.
As Shi Davidi points out, Shapiro was a major asset in reshaping of the Indians’ strategy, brand and approach to customer service and led a series of renovations at Progressive Field. We’ve seen the Blue Jays make some smart, bold moves on and off the field this season so in that sense Shapiro should fit in well with his new club.
He has earned the praise of his predecessor…
If a Beeston seal of approval is important to Blue Jays fans, they can rest easy.
“I have known Mark for many years. He is an exemplary executive and his passion for baseball and winning is remarkable,” Beeston said in a statement Monday. “I am happy to pass him the baton — but not just yet; [Alex Anthopoulos], the team and I have a little more work to do and we’re focused on putting more Ws in the win column.”