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GREAT article, Doc. 
That said - my take on Beane is that he (like most GMs) is "average" on talent evaluation.  But, what Beane is/was correct about is that for a low income team to compete, it is forced to identify "value".  Beane's edge (at the time) was he correctly recognized that OBP was undervalued dollar-to-run wise in the MLB.  And he got (where most who read the book missed), that OBP was not the end-all be-all stat ... it was just significantly undervalued "at the time".
 
That said ... I think Beane created a lot of his subsequent problems as a result of the book.  I think he was hurt in negotiating with many GMs who had ego issues (not uncommon), and may have even helped some GMs examine their approaches and made them better.
 
What's interesting to me is that I get the sense Beane has tended to do better when mining for extra draft picks through arb-and-walk offers than he has when trading stars (since the book).  This I attribute to the book making it harder for him to snag the talent he actually wants when trading away his Hudsons and Mulders.
 
But, I think, over time, the small market paradigm may have also become a drag on his farm system (to a small degree).  I have noted that I believe it is important to develop an organizational culture if one is going to "sustain" success.  I think you need some number of home grown veteran REGULARS (I continue to believe batter/pitcher dynamics are two different psychological subsets), around to promote the "insert team name" way. 
 
The Oakland model was consistently shipping off the star bats (even quicker than the star arms).  I think there is an inherent difference in Jeter or Chipper saying ... "listen to Skip" versus say ... Richie Sexson as a Mariner.  The real end to the Oakland run (from my perspective) was when Chavez fell off the production table. 
 
I think Doc calls it true ... that Oakland "had" a working 13 to make 8 paradigm ... but I don't think it is sustainable, unless you have those foundation pieces in place to keep it going.  The 13 to make 8 paradigm is almost directly contrary to the mercenary mentality ... unless you're talking ONLY lucky-to-have-a-job mercenaries.  Cust was nearly out of baseball once upon a time ... of course he'd buy in.  Just like Kennedy would today ... or Langerhans ... or Josh Wilson.  Who doesn't?  Somebody like Chone Figgins who has always been "the man".
 
But, if you're playing 13 to make 8 with home grown talent ... that is 'naturally' feeling the GIFT of a major league job ... it makes sense that it'll be easier to get buy in -- (unless you have a bunch of mercenary vets in place who promote the attitude that since they've paid their dues they deserve full time play regardless of production). 
 
This goes to the point I've been belaboring for the past 3-4 years ... that order matters in building a solid organization.  It's one of the reasons I've been petrified of the club going the mercenary route this year before things like the 13 to make 8 paradigm has time to solidify.  It's already a tough situation because of Chone and Ichiro ... the two "entitled vets" both playing way under norm. 
 
It's actually a minor miracle what Wedge has managed to do.  Ichiro, Chone, Bradley, Jack Wilson ... each was a different flavor of land mine to building a solid team-first foundation.  And having someone like Kennedy to say "divided PT is fine" while playing his a** off ... without A.K. ... I don't know that Wedge wouldn't have lost the clubhouse without him.