How I Almost Got an MLB Gibby for Orioles’ GM Dan Duquette
Hard to believe that baseball season is upon us already. (Not that I’m complaining, of course!) That being the case, I thought it’d be a good time to take you behind the scenes of a fun and exciting project I was involved with just after the end of the 2012 season.
First, let’s get one thing straight. I am a die-hard Mets fan. However, sometimes – in the interest of justice and fair play – I decide to do things that go against my very being. So, when I saw that my friend Dan Duquette – EVP and GM of the Baltimore Orioles – was getting totally snubbed during awards season, I knew I had to do something to help.
The back-story
Dan had been out of baseball for 10 years when, in November 2011, he landed the job of EVP of Baseball Operations (a.k.a. “GM”) of the then hapless Baltimore Orioles. It was rumored that it was a job no one else wanted since the team hadn’t had a winning season in 14 years and the owner seemed unwilling to spend the big bucks needed to keep up with AL East rivals like the Yanks and Red Sox. Expectations were low, but Dan’s enthusiasm was through the roof. This was his chance at redemption and an opportunity to join forces with one of the best managers in the game, Buck Showalter.
Dan went to work immediately by focusing on the team’s pitching, which was sorely in need of an overhaul. He also made some key mid- and late-season pick-ups of position players who made a big impact. The end result was a near-miracle season for the O’s. After going 69-93 in 2011, their 14th consecutive sub-.500 season, they went 93-69, making it to the post-season where they beat the 2011 AL Champion Texas Rangers before losing in the division series. It was a storybook year, and Dan’s fingerprints were all over it.
The problem
In early November, the Sporting News named Oakland Athletics VP and General Manager Billy Beane the 2012 Major League Baseball Executive of the Year. Six other executives received votes. Dan, unfortunately, didn’t earn a single one. I thought to myself, “Are you KIDDING me?!” But I saw hope on the horizon, a chance for redemption for my deserving friend.
The opportunity
Later that month, voting would begin for the 2012 GIBBY – a nickname for the “Greatness In Baseball Yearly” Awards presented annually by Major League Baseball. And unlike the Sporting News award, which was voted on by a small number of baseball execs, the GIBBY award for Executive of the Year would be decided by a broader group, including media and fans.
That’s where I came in. I suggested to Dan that he let me try to tackle this thing head-on with a strong, direct and highly targeted social media campaign. He loved it, and I put the wheels in motion.
Our strategy
To boost the success rate of this effort, I enlisted the help of a few Media Logicians – experts in marketing for a social world. Together, our little team strategized a hard-hitting and far-reaching campaign, the centerpiece of which was a fun and provocative tumblr entitled “10 Reasons Why Dan Duquette Should Win the 2012 Gibby for Executive of the Year.”
Our “Get Duquette a GIBBY!” mantra became my rallying cry. I took to Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and the general blogosphere to sing Dan’s praises and encourage as many people to vote – and spread the word about Dan – as possible. Through it all I employed best practices unique to each social platform. I reached out directly to baseball fanatics and reporters alike. And I took an active role in several online baseball communities.
Results
After the first day we were already seeing great results: lots of shares, likes and re-tweets – the latter by people with very large followings, to boot… including one great tweet from Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi (who has over 92,000 followers).
Finally, when all the voting was done and the results were in, Dan came in… drum roll, please… third place. OK, he didn’t win, but this all happened just a month after the Sporting News travesty – which makes the outcome even more remarkable. (The winner was, again, Beane, who will always benefit from having been played by Brad Pitt in “Money Ball,” while Dan’s appearance in the movie was a news clip of the man himself.)
Dan, needless to say, was elated – and felt somewhat vindicated, as well. And even better news? On January 16, the Orioles announced that they were extending Dan’s contract, along with that of Buck Showalter, through 2018! That’s even better than winning the GIBBY.
And… there’s always next year.
To see more of the “Get Duquette a Gibby!” work, check out the tumblr page.
