Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to catch a few minutes of the pre-season baseball game on the radio.
To me, these spring training games are not very interesting because the results don’t matter, and the best players only play sparingly at this point in the season.
Who is playing?
It’s the inexperienced players who are trying to break into the major leagues.
Have you ever wondered why professional teams spend time, focus, and resources on these inexperienced players each year?
Why not just hire experienced players and ignore new players?
Here are a few reasons:
Margins. It’s less expensive to hire inexperienced players. If you can find someone almost as good as a veteran, the trade-off may be worth it.
Culture. New players are more willing to be team players and can be shaped to fit the culture of the team. Experienced players often come with some baggage.
Competition. New players are giving it their all to secure a position on the team to establish their careers. The “win or go home” stakes bring out the best in those competing.
Less Risk. The highest performers are experienced players, but they are usually just a few years from retirement and more prone to injury. Placing all your bets on them is risky.
Outliers. There are new high performers “born” each season. Stumbling upon the next superstar has tremendous benefits for a team. It’s what makes the sport worth playing and watching.
There are no major league teams who just hire experienced players.
Every team engages in the competition for new players, as well.
There something to be learned here.
