News from the St. Louis Cardinals Class A affiliate in the Quad Cities includes a key job opening and release of their 2011 schedule.
C’mon, admit it. You’ve been the world’s best armchair general manager all these years and now want to take it to the next level, right?
If so, I have the perfect opportunity. Main Street Baseball, owners of the St. Louis Cardinals’ Midwest League affiliate, the Quad Cities River Bandits, is advertising an opening for an Assistant GM.
So what if it would require a move to Davenport, Iowa? It could be just right for you!
The job description follows. (Overlook the part where they say the “candidtate” must be a skilled communicator.)
Administration/General Management: General Management/Profit & Loss
Assistant General Manager – Main Street Baseball – (Quad Cities River Bandits) (Davenport, IA)A proven and established ownership group is seeking an experienced Assistant General Manager. This highly sales-oriented position will assist in complete oversight of a minor league baseball team and will be charged with leading the club’s sponsorship, ticket and group sales efforts, stadium operation, budgeting, advertising, marketing and promotions, expense management and overall direction of the club. This position requires a thorough knowledge of strategic selling techniques and corporate benefit strategies so that he/she can create sales strategies for the sales force. He/she is responsible for establishing and maintaining community relations with the decision makers of area businesses, schools, associations and churches. The ideal candidtate (sic) must also be a skilled communicator, as this position requires constant interaction with (and coaching of) all other departments. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years experience in managing a team and facility, have a proven track record of sales success, be able to successfully manage a budget and team expenses and have a strong motivation to earn advancement in Minor League Baseball.
Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:
1. What challenge have you overcome that you are most proud of?
2. What is your biggest sales success story?
2011 schedule released
In other River Bandits news, the club has announced its 2011 schedule. The season opener will be on Thursday, April 7 at home. Modern Woodmen Park will also be the site of the 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game. The Home Run Derby will be held on Monday, June 20 with the game the following night.
Note: Memphis and Springfield schedules for next season have already been released.
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Any ideas what a job like that pays?
No, I don’t, but I imagine it isn’t princely.
Princely? Maybe 20 grand. Seriously. If that. AND they want 3-5 years of baseball management experience already…?
I’ve interviewed with a minor league team before (following my dream, yada yada yada) for their VP of Finance/CFO type position. It would have been an awesome job – with an office window overlooking the field – but the hours were nuts and the pay….?
When the GM told me what they were looking to pay I almost soiled myself. I knew going in that it would be less than I was already making (I was okay with that in light of the situation) but not THAT much less. Their budget-allocation for the position was half of what I was already making. I couldn’t – and wouldn’t – maybe double my hours while slashing my pay in half. My wife would have killed me…and I just couldn’t have justified being away from my family (my daughter was just months old at the time) for that little money.
As an aside…If I were the owner of a multi-million dollar investment like a minor league team there is no way on Earth I would trust my finances to a CFO paid peanuts. I have seen businesses crushed by people stealing internally – and every single time it was by a person of influence who was drastically underpaid/underappreciated/etc.
Oh…and the GM also told me that I already made “a fair amount” more than him. That sealed the deal. So not only would I be making half of what I already did, but my BOSS wouldn’t even be making what I formerly did.
I was expecting the pay to be on the lower side but I was not expecting what I actually experienced.
It would have been a cool job, too. They ended up hiring an older unemployed accountant and I heard she didn’t make it through her first season. This past season, the position went unfilled. They just tacked on CFO duties to the VP of ticket sales’s responsibilities. He was one of my interviewers – and he, admittedly, knew NOTHING about finance/accounting. How he managed the finance side of the business (in addition to his ticket sales duties) is beyond me.
Really interesting perspective. Just as the players are making considerable sacrifices in hopes of being one of the very few to reach the majors, it seems an unpleasant part of the dreams of many of the team employees, too.
Yep. And the front office is expected to be there until games are over, etc. So, on Summer game nights, you are there from 9 am until maybe 10 pm – and then I, as CFO/controller, would have had to round up all the money and perform counts, etc. before going home.
Maybe if I were just out of college, single, and not already making twice that….etc….but this was for a CFO position! Who in their right mind, who is qualified, would take that job?
I was SO excited about this job opportunity too. I just couldn’t believe the hours and low pay. I was truly shocked. I quickly found out why they wouldn’t talk money before my first couple interviews. The private tours, showcases of offices with a view, meetings with giddy employees, etc. are all to hook you before they hit you on the head with the money mallet.
It is like a cult – and I say that seriously and with a straight face.
Unique stuff, easton. Thanks for sharing!