Best GMs in Sports

The fate of every professional sports team is carefully placed in the hands of one person and his or her apprentices.

These geniuses are given a wide array of tasks that make for a busy year-round schedule. While some teams have significantly lower payrolls, an efficient and gifted general manager can keep them competitive.

From Billy Beane building the Moneyball phenomenon to Theo Epstein using the high payroll he was lucky enough to inherit, these men build their teams with a clear focus in mind.

Some embrace speed and defense, while others stick to power. Many have an infatuation with prospects, while others believe that free agency and paying top dollar are the keys to success.

Here are the best general managers in sports.

Enjoy.

15. Dave Dombrowski

Anything this general manager touches seemingly turns to gold within three years.

While he first worked with the Chicago White Sox, Dombrowski truly started his career with the Montreal Expos at 31 years old, the youngest GM in MLB at the time.

The team enjoyed .500 or better seasons from 1988-90 by developing the farm system, including players such as Delino DeShields, Larry Walker, Marquis Grissom and Moises Alou.

When the league expanded and the Florida Marlins appeared, he was recruited to become their executive in 1991.

After two world championships in Florida, he took his talents to Detroit to oversee their rebuilding process, He was hired as President and GM six games into the 2002 season.

An aggressive rebuild led the Tigers to the 2006 World Series.

He is thankful every day that the Padres drafted Matt Bush and not Justin Verlander.

14. Kevin O'Connor

The general manager of the Utah Jazz is clearly in rebuilding mode now, as impending free agents were going to be too expensive and the risk was worth the reward on some significant deals that were offered.

O'Connor has always been good at picking up young talent, considering he drafted Deron Williams in 2005, and he is never afraid to make the big trade.

Many blamed him for trading Williams too early, but he got Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and two first-round picks in return, as well as Enes Kanter in the draft, eventually ending up with a significantly deeper frontcourt.

While the Al Jefferson trade hasn't appeared as dominant as many expected, Jefferson is still only 26 years old, only now entering his prime.

The future looks bright.

13. Sam Presti

Spurs general manager R.C. Buford knew this kid was going to be something special when Presti encouraged his superior to draft point guard Tony Parker in 2001.

In three seasons, Presti built the Oklahoma City Thunder into perennial contenders, with Kevin Durant leading the league in scoring and head coach Scott Brooks and assistant Ron Adams preaching defense.

If it's any consolation, as a Division III player at Emerson College, Presti once took six charging fouls.

Defense wins championships.

12. Jerry Reese

Arguably the most underrated GM in the NFL, the New York Giants executive is most valuable in evaluating talent.

Perhaps this is a ripple effect from the 2007 NFL draft, when he inherited talent such as Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Kevin Boss, Michael Johnson, Ahmad Bradshaw and Zak DeOssie.

Most of his 2007 draftees played huge roles in the team's Super Bowl XLII victory.

He has been criticized for being too conservative on draft day, but he places a high premium on college production rather than potential, which almost always leaves his options on the board.

Aside from an injury, he seems to have gotten a steal in cornerback Prince Amukamara.

The David Baas signing will turn out to be an underrated one.

11. Andrew Friedman

To keep a team with a $41 million payroll in the AL East consistently relevant is tough enough, but to keep them competitive is pure genius.

By stockpiling young talent and moving on from the past, the Rays made the 2008 World Series and seemed set for a long tenure of success.

The only difficult part continues to be affording all the talent.

Maybe Evan Longoria can take a pay cut.

10. David Poile

With a career record of 912-758-197, there might not be anyone better at building an organization for long-term success.

After spending 15 years in Washington, Poile left for the expansion Nashville Predators.

He has always found talent in the draft, made subtle deals that helped the team and rarely dealt with team controversy to this day. All this with a limited budget.

Nashville's 228 wins since 2005 is fifth-best in the league, while 131 home wins puts it third in the NHL. The Predators have reached the 40-win mark in five consecutive seasons as well.

The only negative in Poile's career has been his teams' 7-17 postseason record.

9. R.C. Buford

The general manager of the San Antonio Spurs may have lucked out in hitting the jackpot and acquiring David Robinson and Tim Duncan, but as LeBron James showed us, only a team can win the championship.

R.C. Buford surround his stars with key contributors and solid role players to help win multiple championships in the long haul.

Picking Tony Parker late in the first round (essentially orchestrated by Sam Presti, as said earlier), Manu Ginobili late in the second round and signing ball-hawk Bruce Bowen helped alleviate pressure.

The worst move he ever made was signing Richard Jefferson to a four-year, $38.8 million contract with the final year a player option.

8. Lou Lamoriello

With the New Jersey Devils since 1987, Lamoriello has served longer than any current general manager in the league with a single franchise, as well as played a key part in negotiating the settlement of the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

After being appointed president of the Devils in '87, he immediately named himself general manager, which was baffling considering he had never played, coached or managed in the NHL.

This unknown entity went on to lead the Devils to playoff appearances in 21 of 23 years.

7. Theo Epstein

A Yale graduate and sabermetrics aficionado, Epstein has become a master of combining young talent and veteran leadership to put a competitive team on the field in a tough AL East.

His key acquisitions of David Ortiz (one of the biggest steals in history), Kevin Millar and Curt Schilling helped bring a World Series title back to Boston and end the 86-year curse.

In December 2009, Sports Illustrated named him No. 3 on its list of the Top 10 GMs/Executives of the Decade (in all sports).

6. Kevin Colbert

The general manager of the Pittsburgh Steelers may be the best executive we've never heard of.

A man who loves to build through the draft, Colbert, known as the director of football operations, may be the most unheralded GM in the NFL despite running one of the most prodigious franchises.

Success has always followed him. As the pro scouting director of the Detroit Lions for 10 seasons, the Lions went to the playoffs five times with records of 12-4, 10-6, 9-7, 10-6 and 9-7.

Since returning to Pittsburgh in 2000, the Steelers have reached two Super Bowls, five AFC Championship Games and won five AFC North titles.

Six key draft picks have been instrumental. Ben Roethlisberger, Casey Hampton, Troy Polamalu, Heath Miller, Santonio Holmes and Kendall Simmons are all major contributors to a stellar squad, with some elite at their positions.

5. Bill Polian

This man's success came long before Peyton Manning arrived.

Coming off back-to-back 2-14 seasons, Polian took over as the Buffalo Bills' general manager and was expected to rebuild a beleaguered team.

He acquired Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Cornelius Bennett and Thurman Thomas (second round of 1988 NFL draft) on his way to building a Bills team that would reach the Super Bowl four straight years in a row, albeit losing all four.

Polian was fired in 1993 for not getting along with the treasurer and ended up with the expansion Carolina Panthers.

In only their second year of existence, they made it to the NFC Championship Game. This earned Polian vast respect and an opportunity to be the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts.

The rest is history.

His teams have reached the postseason in 15 of his 22 years.

4. Mickey Loomis

Turning a 3-13 team into Super Bowl champs is no easy feat—unless you're Mickey Loomis, general manager of the New Orleans Saints.

Most fans would say that Loomis' risky signing of Drew Brees changed the fate of this franchise forever.

While teams like the Dolphins were scared off and opted for Daunte Culpepper, Loomis saw great opportunity to bring back pride to a desperate fanbase and melancholy throng of residents.

However, it was also his reliance on undrafted free agents and late-round picks that paid off.

A truly inspirational story.

3. Scott Pioli

Some might say Scott Pioli seems successful because he is a Bill Belichick disciple, but he does the dirty work that fans don't see.

He is known for his run with the Patriots from 2001-2008, when they won three Super Bowls and had the only 16-0 regular season in history.

What separates the current Kansas City Chiefs general manager is his ability to find hard-nosed players who may not be the most athletic but fit the team's mold and play into the philosophy.

With the Chiefs, he has brought size to the defensive line and potent weapons on offense, including his immediate trade for Matt Cassel.

2. Ken Holland

His résumé as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings speaks for itself.

Winning the Central Division eight times, the Presidents' Trophy four times and the Stanley Cup three times can garner plenty of attention.

With 493 regular season wins and 67 playoff wins, Detroit has more wins than any team in the league since 1997.

Need we say more?

1. Billy Beane

The book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game may have been written by Michael Lewis, but it's focused around the brain-work of the successful A's general manager.

A follower of sabermetrics, Beane has always been able to recognize young and old talent based on unique stats, such as on-base percentage.

After taking over in 1998, he crafted the Athletics into one of the most cost-effective teams in baseball. The 2006 A's ranked No. 24 in player salaries but had the fifth-best regular season record.

However, the game has changed, and he has learned to adapt to the times.

While the A's have not made the playoffs or finished above .500 since their 2006 playoff appearance, Beane has started to focus on speed and young pitching, unlike the team of the early 2000s.

Only time will tell if he can truly recognize the changes he needs to make.

True genius.