Sports - Florida Newsmakers of the Year
• MATT
SILVERMAN - President, Tampa Bay Rays
• ANDREW
FRIEDMAN - Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations
• JOE
MADDON - Manager, Tampa Bay Rays
 Matt Silverman, President  Andrew Friedman, Executive Vice President |
With a 2010 payroll of $72 million, President Matt Silverman and Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman made some crafty moves in the off-season — picking up pitcher Joaquin Benoit, who became one of the top middle relievers in baseball, for $750,000 in base salary and Rafael Soriano, the American League saves leaders last season. While attendance is not what management would like, it's also not a barometer of the team's standing in the community, which has come a long way since the young executives took over. Manager Joe Maddon — a big believer in crunching stats and tweaking his lineup according to how each player matches up against an opponent — took the team to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons in a division where the Yankees' payroll is $207 million and the Red Sox's is $161 million.
— John Annunziata
 Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays manager [Photo: St. Petersburg Times] |
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Business Politics Military |
Education Science/Innovation Environment CRITTERS Sports |
Volunteer/Non-Profit Arts/Entertainment Dubious Achievers |
• PAT RILEY
General manager, Miami Heat
 The triple threat: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James [Photo: Jeff Daly/Newscom] |
 Pat Riley |
General manager Pat Riley, as one writer put it, pulled off "the greatest free-agent coup in NBA history." Riley persuaded LeBron James, who joins Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, to sign for less money than he could have received by staying in Cleveland. Season ticket sales went so well the Heat fired its season ticket sales team — about 30 people, according to one published account.
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Business Politics Military |
Education Science/Innovation Environment CRITTERS Sports |
Volunteer/Non-Profit Arts/Entertainment Dubious Achievers |