Business Game Time

How leveraged buy-outs work, why some many people hate private equity investors and why every opportunity needs a risk.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: bank • bankrupt • baseball • borrowing • bud selig • business model • cash • control • debt • dodgers • financial engineering • franchsie • frank mccourt • greece • homeowners • investment fund • l.a. dodgers • lbo • leverage • leveraged buy-out • leveraged deal • loan • los angeles • major league baseball • management buy-out • mlb • news corp. • opportunity • portugal • private equity investment • private equity investor • return • risk • squeeze • venture capital

Why Charlie Sheen showed in “Major League” that Industry Experience is a fallacy, how good job postings should look like and how companies can avoid narrowing their recruiting scope.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: aim • baseball • charlie sheen • cinderella • competitiveness • creativity • flexibility • industry experience • job posting • limitation • major league • mlb • movie • result orientation • sports comedy • strengths

With the San Francisco Giants, a team of “castoffs or misfits”, as their manager Bruce Bochy described them, won the World Series. Here’s why building a team of “castoffs or misfits” can help in your company, too.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: acceptnace • baseball • beard • brian wilson • bruce bochy • buster posey • characters • cody ross • differences • dirty dozen • diversity • environment • experiment • florida marlins • freak group • fresno grizzlies • madison bumgartner • major league baseball • manager • matt cain • mlb • pat burrell • peter drucker • productivity • rodeo • san diego padres • san francisco giants • structures • the freak • tim lincecum • world series

Many say that a controlled bankruptcy process offers opportunities. The Texas Rangers show that it’s true: Here’s how leadership based on trust, focus and expertise made them successful in rough times.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: a-rod • alcs • alex rodriguez • american league • arlington • auction • bankruptcy • chapter 11 bankruptcy • chapter eleven • chuck greenberg • dallas mavericks • expertise • focus • hard-working • leadership • leadership by example • legend • liverpool fc • mark cuban • mlb • new york yankees • nolan ryan • opportunities • pitcher • postseason • president • san francisco giants • successful • texas rangers • tom hicks • trust • world series

Bobby Cox, the most rejected MLB manager of all time, just retired. His leadership lesson: Show unequivocal support to your team, protect them and create a work environment that enables the team to deliver their best.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: atlanta braves • baseball • bobby cox • decisions • divisional series • emotions • jeff francoeur • leadership • manager • mlb • national league • nlds • playoffs • protection • referee • regular season • responsibility • san francisco giants • support • umpire • work environment • world series

When you go to a MLB or NFL game, it is obvious that the franchises do all they can to earn more money. So do we in our jobs, but apparently we do all we can to hide this fact in our customer relationships. Here’s why we should change that approach.

Filed under: (american) football, baseball by Johannes
1 Comment » Tagged with: baseball • Bronx • commitment • cowboys stadium • customer relationship • customers • dallas cowboys • deal • earn money • entertainment • honesty • major league baseball • mlb • new yankee stadium • new york city • new york yankees • nfl • playoffs • pricing • simplify • straight forward • team marketing report • tickets

The Pittsburgh Pirates now have 17 losing season in a row, yet they are a profitable business. They show us why over-obedience may not help, but selling less may.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: allow • associates press • complex markets • creativity • disallow • earning • economies of scale • experience curve • franchise • integrated markets • linear models • losing • major league baseball • mlb • output volume • payroll • pittsburgh pirates • player roster • profit • revenue • revenue sharing • revenue structures • rules • transparency of information • unit cost • winning

The Cleveland Indians offer “Lunch and 3 Innings”: Watch a game for $15 and get a $10 voucher on top. Is this a good strategy? What the Indians miss: Rebates may be important part of your pricing strategy, but how can you expect your customers to show belief in your product if you don’t?

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: activating new customers • albert belle • attendance • baseball • belief in the product • charles nagy • chicago white sox • cleveland • cleveland indians • community • convenience • creativity • critical mass • demand • facebook • giffen goods • identification • jacobs field • jim thome • kenny lofton • lunch and 3 innings • lunch and three innings • manny ramirez • marketing • merchandising • metcalfe's law • mlb • offer • omar vizquel • orel hershiser • playoffs • price • price reduction • price sensitivity • pricing • progressive field • purchasing decision • rebate • rebuilding • roberto alomar • sandy alomar jr. • self-esteem • social event • tribe • value perceived • voucher • world series

With George Steinbrenner, baseball lost a controversial, yet outstanding personality. And a very successful one, too: In the 37 years of his ownership, his investment in the New York Yankees yielded an average yearly rate of return of over 15%. Here are five lessons in entrepreneurship that can be learned from George Steinbrenner.

Filed under: baseball by Johannes
No Comments » Tagged with: adidas • all-star • american league pennant • andré kostolany • baseball • controversial • dave winfield • demanding • earn money • entrepreneur • entrepreneurship • george michael steinbrenner III • george steinbrenner • golden glove • improve things • innovation • innovativeness • investment • joe torre • long term • mlb • mr. may • mr. october • mr. september • new yankee stadium • new york • new york yankees • nike • owner • partnership • pay off • postseason • productive • productivity • s&p • sense • sponsoring • sponsorship • sports franchise • sports tv rights • stadium bonds • ticketing • trying new things • upgrade • vision • warren buffet • win • winning • world series • yankees • yearly rate of retur

Mascots and logos of the 2012 London Olympics are bad as they do not support the brand. This article examines how a good mascot works by checking the example of the Phillie Phanatic. By the way it also looks at what a brand and brand personality are all about.

Filed under: baseball, misc by Johannes
2 Comments » Tagged with: baseball • beijing • beijing 2008 • bracelets • brand • brand identity prism • brand personality • david a. aaker • david buck • david montgomery • david ogilvy • fans • father of advertising • jean-noel kapferer • liberty bell • logo • logos • london • london 2012 • london taxi • major league baseball • mandeville • marketing • mascot • mascots • mlb • olympic games • olympic rings • olympic stadium • paralympic games • philadelphia phillies • phillie phanatic • physique • picture of the recipient • picture of the sender • reflection • relationship • rocky balboa • soul • spirit • support • symbol • teletubbies • the new strategic brand management • visual symbols • wenlock