What I have come to understand is that everybody believes they can be a general manager.

That makes me realize that NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE GENERAL MANAGER’S JOB REALLY ENTAILS!

Most fans (I am including talk show hosts as fans) believe that the general manager’s job is all about putting together the major league team. Certainly that is a major part of the job, but it is far from the entirety of it. There are many more responsibilities that a general manager has beyond just building the 25-man roster in the big leagues. Let’s take a look at some of those duties and then we will look at the major league roster construction….

So despite what you might believe know this — not everyone can be a general manager.

In fact, there are very few that are capable.

– Steve Phillips, AOL Fanhouse.

In a lengthy and vaguely patronizing column, Phillips reminds readers that there’s a lot more to being a Major League GM than putting together a 25-man roster.

Like talking to the scouts, for one. And talking to the manager. And talking to the owner. And talking to the team doctor. And talking to the press. And sometimes, depending on the GM, talking to the players.

I have no doubt that being a GM of a Major League team takes an unbelievable amount of hard work and requires insane hours, but it does seem pretty damn obnoxious to suggest that there are very few people capable. There are a lot of really smart people in the world, and a lot of them are probably willing to work extremely hard for a seven-figure salary and the right to run a baseball team.

I’m not saying I’m one of them; I’ve worked my share of 80-hour weeks in my life, but it’s not something I have the capacity to do regularly.

But I’m certain I know plenty of intelligent, hard-working, driven people who would know better than to trade for Mo Vaughn. And all of them probably recognize that Carlos Beltran is a great baseball player.