SAN FRANCISCO — Billy Beane’s day got off to a lousy start Thursday. The A’s executive vice president scheduled a 4 a.m. wake-up call to make a flight, but the cheery hotel operator rang to say, “Good morning! It’s 5 a.m.!”
Beane shouted a few expletives before making a mad dash for the airport.
Things got better during his ride back from baseball’s Winter Meetings: He was able to finalize the deal for St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Stephen Piscotty, the Pleasanton native, from somewhere above clouds.
From his first-class seat on United Flight 759, Beane signed off on the trade that sends infielder Yairo Munoz and minor league infielder Max Schrock to St.