If Paul DePodesta's name sounds familiar, it's because he was the analytics guru played by Jonah Hill in "Moneyball" -- a Hollywood dramatization of the workings of the Oakland Athletics' front office.
Now DePodesta is leaving the world of baseball, leaving his post as Vice President of Player Development and Scouting for the New York Mets to take over a role as "chief strategy officer" for the Cleveland Browns.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the role is basically that of an executive vice president. Working in that capacity, DePodesta will reportedly only be answerable to the team owner and president. However, he will be termed as Chief Strategy Officer, per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam initiated a major housecleaning in the organization on Sunday night, firing both general manager Ray Farmer and head coach Mike Pettine. The team is casting a wide net in its coaching search, with Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson the latest candidate to be connected to the team.
DePodesta began his career in Major League Baseball as an advance scout for the Cleveland Indians in 1996. He served as a special assistant for the Oakland Athletics' Billy Beane from 1999-2003 -- helping to infuse analytics into the inner workings of baseball management.
He was named general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004, serving in that capacity for two seasons. He then went on to be a special assistant with the San Diego Padres (2006-09) before joining the Mets in 2010.
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