HOW DO YOU FAN? - IT'S ALL IN THE PLAN
by Faust Ruggiero

The Phillies hired Matt Klentak to be their new general manager over the weekend.  At first glance, Klentak may
have been hired due to his familiarity with new team president Andy McPhail.  Klentak has the reputation of being 
a statistics man and that will help the organization.  On the other hand, in his introductory press conference, Klentak 
stressed the need for balance in the organization's structure at all levels.  That's good news.

Klentak will hear the usual array of questions, with most of them having little or nothing to do with the overall plan 
of the organization.  We will hear about what to do with Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz.  There will be questions about 
free agents, the addition of new pitchers, and all kinds of different scenarios which, have little or nothing to do with 
the bigger picture. Some of those are important, but need to take a back-seat at this stage. Matt Klentak's most 
important initial function will be to design and implement an overall operational plan that permeates the entire Phillies 
organization from the lowest levels and into the big club.  If there's anything which this organization has desperately 
needed, it's been such a plan.  Klentak says he's going to be focused on a balanced attack, and that's always good.  
Scouting, player development, sabermetrics, free agency and trades, and a variety of other components, all need to
work together to produce the greater whole.  That way of thinking has been sorely missed in Philadelphia.

It'll be interesting to see how well Matt Klentak can implement that type of structure here in Philadelphia.  This is 
an organization who hasn't really understood what having a plan is about, let alone coming together to work with 
one.  It does not understand statistical analyses properly, and implementing that design in the minds of people 
who are not well acquainted with it, will take some doing.  In addition, sticking to a plan has never been a Phillies' 
strong point.  Plans have come and gone, but no one really knows what the Phillies way is all about.  If there's 
anything which this organization does not need is to stumble onto success, once again, without understanding 
how it got there.  The questions about players, and about winning, all take a backseat to the development and 
implementation of a plan which can grow and become the way the Phillies do business.  That balanced attack 
that everyone is going to finally understand should not only put the Phillies in a position to be successful two or 
three years down the road, it should be designed to keep them there.  Everything has to start from the inside; 
from the infrastructure.  Build the stability into the house first.  Worry about the trimmings later.

As we said previously, John Middleton will be a key player in the Phillies transition.  This is been a lax organization.  
Demands for excellence were ambiguous.  Middleton doesn't need to involve himself in the business of running the 
club as much as he needs to ensure that every employee knows exactly what the plan is, and that their performance 
is upgraded to the point of their own peak level of personal excellence.  The Phillies organization is intelligent, and 
they are committed.  They, however, need a well defined direction, and they all need to be held to a standard of 
excellence that produces results on all levels, routinely.  John Middleton doesn't need to be a feared taskmaster.  
He only needs to define his standard, and ensure that everyone in his organization lives up to it.  There can be no 
exceptions.  Family businesses are nice, but at this level, the buddy plan doesn't work.  So, John Middleton will be 
the key that turns the entire organization.  Make no mistake about that.

As for the fans, expect attendance to be down.  It always is when a team is not winning.  Wins and attendance are 
synonymous with each other.  On the other hand, this is the perfect time to implement a new plan with the fans.  
Instead of relying on marketing and giveaways, this is the time to educate fans.  The Phillies are entering a new era 
with a new philosophy, and the promise of a new business plan.  The fans don't have to be privy to the day by day 
organizational business, but it does make sense to take the most knowledgeable fans of the world and continue 
their education with regard to the sport, the organization, and the new business plan.  Over the past twenty years, 
the Phillies have grown tremendously with regard to their commitment to the fans.  The numbers are going to be 
down.  That's a given.  We suggest however, using this time to bring the fans closer to the organization.  That can 
be done by helping them to become more intelligent with regard to baseball in general, and how this organization 
is going to operate.  The formula is simple: an educated fan becomes an intelligent fan.  An intelligent fan becomes 
a committed fan.  When times get tough, intelligent fans understand why, but their level of commitment doesn't 
waver quite as much.  We've been doing this for over two decades with Phillies fans.  It's really not that difficult.  
A unified front between fan and organization can rise from the ashes, but the time to move on this is now.

So, welcome to the change of the guard.  We have a new president, and a new general manager.  Both vow to 
Institute of balanced program that will become the way this organization does business.  We also have an owner 
who is visible, involved, and interested.  If he sets the stage with the demand for excellence, things can change in 
Philadelphia.  In addition, if the organization enhances the concept of a educating the fans and taking them closer 
to that infrastructure, who knows how far we can go?