The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Matt Silverman, the 30-year-old president of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It noted how he has solicited input from other team presidents on ways to improve the franchise. The advice, most notably from the Yankees’ Randy Levine and the Texas Rangers’ Jeff Cogen, has helped refine Silverman’s already strong commitment to customer service.
Nobody, however, could help with the low payroll and the last-place product on the field.
But Cogen did provide a contrarian spin for the still floundering Rays.
“The old saying is, ‘The beer always tastes better when you’re winning,'” pointed out Cogen. “In this case, maybe they’ve created a situation where the team looks better when the beer tastes better.”