Oakland's ability to build an exciting team without the financial resources available to most contenders has earned the A's Baseball America's Organization of the Year award for the past two seasons.

DePodesta credits another baseball man with Harvard roots with a lot of the team's success.

"Sandy Alberson, Billy's predecessor at GM, was the key to what's been done here. He knew that with the exploding salaries, it would be necessary to build from within. He put a lot of emphasis on scouting and development."

Alberson, who is now Major League Baseball's Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations, is a Harvard Law graduate.

"Billy continued to use his approach, and it shows in the way things work here," DePodesta observes. "We have an incredibly cohesive scouting and player development system. Part of what I do is oversee a lot of the farm system, but ours is outstanding to the point where it takes care of itself. Everyone is thinking the same way."

While it has distinguished itself over the past few years as one of the best-run organizations in baseball, Oakland also has acquired a reputation for being the most laid-back. The 38-year old Beane and his staff are renowned for being as jovial and easygoing as the young, boisterous squad they have put together.

DePodesta laughs off the comparison.

"It is probably a different atmosphere here, but we take our jobs as seriously as anyone else," he says. "I'd say we're casual, but not relaxed."