Jennifer Floyd Engle writes a piece for the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram about the team’s owner Tom Hicks, his plan to sell the team and about the team’s latest bit of success.  While Hicks desparately needs money, the team actually selling tickets, and the chance of a post-season bid certainly will help keep Hicks alive, even if MLB is helping cover salaries for the moment.

The piece of the article that speaks to me, of course, is the long-term planning part.  While Hicks and Engle both readily acknowledge that Hicks wanted to jump-start the team when he took over by over spending- including  a certain $252 million contract, it is the turn to long-term planning that has brought about the success. And the great thing is that this success will last the next 4+ years.  Michael Young may not get to ride out the whole wave, but with most of these players in no danger of reaching free agency for 3 more years, this team could be good for awhile.

Owners don’t like to admit it, if Hicks is any example, but long-term planning really does pay off.  The key, as research I conducted as part of New York University shows, is that baseball think long-term is two years away.  That comes because you can’t tell how  a player really will hold up more than two years out.  But long-term, as any non-baseball businessman will tell you, is 5-10 years away.  And especially with the length of time it takes to grow your own player that is a better way to be building for the future.