Honestly I didn't even know that IT Chief of the Year was a thing... but this in-depth article makes a strong case for why the head geek of the SF Giants is the guy this year. Dynamic ticket pricing, All-Star Game vote-rigging, use of big data, and PandaCam are all examples of his innovative thinking and fast execution.

I like how he pushes the limits.

I believe he's consulting with the 49ers about "smart stadium" recommendations, too.

Here's his entire IT team.

I like the part of the article that explains how interconnected sports franchises are. Even if we Giants fans aren't big fans of the Dallas Cowboys or L.A. Dodgers, our teams are learning from them and vice-versa:

One of Schlough's proteges is John Winborn, whom he hired in 1999 as a desktop support specialist and later promoted to MIS director, before seeing him off to the Padres. Winborn is now the CIO of the Dallas Cowboys. "I would not be here without his mentoring," Winborn says of Schlough, who's one of the first people he calls with tough problems.

Ralph Esquibel, the senior director of technology for the hated Los Angeles Dodgers, says the Giants "have without a doubt been innovators in the league," and that while baseball hasn't been on the top of the innovation curve, "Bill doesn't fit that mold. ... He has tended not to follow the herd ... and they've been rewarded."

The Giants' technology prowess has rubbed off on many baseball franchises. Esquibel says the Dodgers are building the largest stadium wireless infrastructure in North America -- more than double what the Giants have. Esquibel has a big challenge on his hands, given that Dodger Stadium is the third-oldest stadium in Major League Baseball, but he's undaunted -- a reflection of the pace Schlough has set for everyone else.