Lecturer Sandy Alderson, who teaches popular sports business courses at Haas, is returning to the baseball diamond as general manager of the New York Mets.
Alderson previously served on the management of the San Diego Padres and Oakland A's. He began teaching at Haas after he stepped down as CEO of the Padres, which he led through three winning seasons–including two National League West titles–from 2005 to 2009.
Before the Padres, Alderson worked for Major League Baseball, charged with various special projects involving international play, including Major League Baseball's participation in the historic games with the Cuban National Team in 1999 and the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
He also was instrumental in the creation of Major League Baseball academies in Australia and Italy, and, domestically, the Urban Youth Academy, a 10-acre complex in Compton, Calif., aimed at promoting baseball and softball skills among inner-city youth.
As general manger of the Oakland A's from 1983 to 1997, Alderson led the team to the World Series three times and saw the team win the series in 1989.
An ESPN story about Alderson joining the Mets said he "brings instant added credibility" to the team, which has had two straight losing seasons.
Alderson will finish teaching his undergraduate Sports Marketing course at the Haas School this fall. He also has taught an MBA Business of Sports class. Read more about sports business courses at Haas in the spring/summer 2010 issue of CalBusiness.