It seems to me that both process AND outcome are important. But I think it's forgotten that luck and chance (great poker example earlier) play a larger role in baseball than we give credit to. This year, who could have predicted the Rockies? Last year, who could have predicted the Cards winning the series? The White Sox before that? Or the Marlins in 03? You can have the best process in the world and it sometimes will never matter. If the measure is playoff appearances, then clearly the Yankees would have a "good" process. If the measure is world series wins, then do ANY teams have a good process? Because it seems like a new team wins it every year, which makes "processes" less important than "outcomes", at least by that measure. But, in the end, clearly without a solid baseball "process" and strategy, your chances would have to be reduced. I think.