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The Dodgers finished their disappointing season with a loss to eventual division champs San Diego Padres and closed the books on what was their worst season in over 10 years. We don’t know what was more frustrating, the fact that the Dodgers, just before the post season was to start last year, watched their first place team melt away under the misguided general management of the since fired Paul DePodesta. Or that the team that was brought in to replace it this season was mainly on the bench injured while unproven youngsters took the bulk of the innings as well as the bulk of the losses. LAist never thought that DePodesta’s “Moneyball” system was going to work in LA bringing in new players with stats but not taking into regard the chemistry of the clubhouse (see future Hall of Famer and clubhouse cancer Jeff Kent). Then to add insult to the injuries (sorry that was too easy) manager Jim Tracy, a master at making the most of what he was given, was let go.
So here we are, no manager, no general manager, a team of injured, young malcontent players and fan base losing interest and faith. If the Dodgers are to turn this thing around, they have to start from the top, that is with the general manager position. Several names have been tossed into the rumor mill. Starting with Nationals general manager Jim Bowden (who has since refused the position) former Texas Rangers GM John Hart, former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein, assistant Giants GM Ned Colletti (PLEASE tell us they are joking) and Dodger assistant GM and team vice president Kim Ng.
All the candidates are qualified in some respect but LAist has a preference for Hart. While everyone knows what Epstein did for the Red Sox, he did it with the second highest payroll in baseball. The Dodgers are a big market team, but their owner does not necessarily have big market pockets. Big money is already locked up in free agent pickups Jeff Kent, JD Drew, and Derek Lowe and the Dodgers will probably have just enough funds to secure one big free agent (former Dodger Paul Konerko perhaps?). Ng has been a great assistant and has championship experience with the New York Yankees. While the Dodgers would make history again by making Ng the first female general manager in Major League Baseball history, the situation calls for someone with more experience and the Dodgers would be able to keep Ng on the staff anyway. We are not even going to get into why we don’t like Colletti.
John Hart, who was the architect of the Texas Rangers revival, would be a great fit. He has the ability to discover and develop talented stars like Mark Teixeira, Hank Blaylock and Michael Young and the craftiness to make great moves such as the trade to get All-Star Alfonso Soriano for amazing but super expensive Alex Rodriguez, a move that has been regarded as the one that turned the Rangers from also-rans to AL West contenders. It is that type of foresight and knowledge the Dodgers need to return to competitiveness in a very winnable NL West.
Dodger owner Frank McCourt has a huge decision on his hands. With the General Manager Meetings already underway in Indian Hills, the Dodgers are at a disadvantage with the inability to make any serious deals. Although Ng and vice president of player development Roy Smith have attended the GM meetings, and say they have the authority to make decisions on any deals that might come up, a GM is needed immediately to help find the big bat or bats the Dodgers desperately need to improve the 15th ranked offense (out of 16 teams) in the National League. LAist and Dodger fans will be watching.
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Actually, the Dodgers should have an additional $25m per year if they spend the exact same as last year, as payments for Darren Driefort and a few others are falling off the books.
Should be enough for a slugger, a pitcher, and a couple of role players.
The Dodgers have one huge problem, in my opinion-- The McCourts. Everything, and I mean Everything bad that has happened to them in the past 2 years can be directly traced to their utter mismanagement of the team.
That is true Ted. With the money they save hopefully they can build up enough money to land Konerko and end the debate about 1st base. Word also has it that they are working on bringing Beltre back from his Seattle vacation. Stay tuned for THAT Im sure.
As far as the McCourts are concerned, no one in my opinion is ever going to measure up to the O'Malleys. But at least his heart is in the right place. Believe me, Im a little shaky on him too, but to see him step up and handle the DePodesta debacle helped me restore a little faith in him.
Is this a joke? Hart was the architect of the Rangers revival? First of all, there was no revival. The Rangers still aren't very good. Secondly, the good young talent on that team was already there when he arrived. Lastly, the ARod/Soriano deal was a stupid one to make but I can at least blame the owner for that one debacle.
There is a reason Hart's nickname in Dallas is the EGS (Empty Golf Shirt). He is never available for comment, he is always on the golfcourse and he was never creative. He did nothing here in TX except back us up about 3-4 yrs. He wanted to trade Mike Young because he thought he could not hit, Blalock & Tex was here when he got here. He brought in Chan Ho who wasa flop and some spare relief pitchers for big money. He did make a few trades that helped us but he made a few more that hurt us mainly giving Travis Hafner away for a bag of beans. Another bad trade was Arod to NY for Soriano & Arias and the right to pay NY ( mill for the remainder of Arod's contract. The best player in baseball to the biggest payroll and we still have to pay...(ridiculous).
I grew up a Dodger fan but moved to Texas and am now a diehard Ranger fan. For the Dodger fans I hope you do not get to appreciate Hart as I have.
Good Luck
Scott
Thanks guys... I always heard that some of the moves (the Chan Ho and Hafner for instance) were made because of the owner's influence over him. I would hope so anyway. Which reminds me, if I see him, I have to remember to thank him for the Chan Ho thing...
"Architect of the Texas Rangers revival"? What Rangers' revival? That's like saying that Tommy Lasorda is the main reason the Dodgers can sign Paul Konerko in the off-season, since it was his boneheaded trade that dispatched Konerko in the first place.
BTW, if Jeff Kent is a "clubhouse cancer", then we need more of that disease.
Why is everyone jumping on the Rangers? They are a LOT closer to contention than in seasons past. Also, I know that Milton Bradley is not the easiest guy to get along with (by a long shot) but he was pretty quiet before Kent got to the clubhouse. Like I said, he is a first ballot HOFer, no matter where he's been, Toronto, New York, San Fran, Houston and now LA, players have grumbeled around him. But heck, at this point, I would take a team full of Kents too if it meant a championship. Contention in the locker room is only bad when you are losing. I mean look, it worked for the Lakers.
Well noone could doubt that the Rangers are better. That being said, are they 'better enough' to make hiring Hart a good decision?
McCourt said he's going to hire a "proven winner". Now I don't know much about Hart before he was with the Rangers, but is he a proven winner?
When Teixeira, Blalock and Young were acquired, the Ranger GM was Doug Melvin.
You got his number Lucas??? He would have a job in LA... lets make this happen!
Maybe Hart isnt a "proven" winner (and by some of the remarks from fans here might not be a winner at all) but what are the real options for the Dodgers?
UPDATE: In a not so stunning announcement, Hart withdrew his name from consideration for the job. Now a full court press has been put on Theo Epstein. Good luck with that.