Joe Torre Teaming With Los Angeles Developer Rick Caruso To Submit Bid On Dodgers
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 8:27 AM PST
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PrintAdd Joe Torre officially to the list of bidders for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The former Dodgers manager resigned from his executive position with MLB on Wednesday to team up with billionaire developer Rick Caruso to submit a bid on the franchise, which is to be sold by April 30.
"I have great confidence in Rick Caruso’s unique qualifications and his ability to lead a successful bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers," Torre said in a statement on Wednesday. "In Rick I found a partner who understands consumers and fully appreciates that the Dodgers are a treasured LA institution. Since moving to Los Angeles, I have seen firsthand Rick’s dedication to business and the people of Los Angeles. I am very excited about this new opportunity and also want to thank Commissioner Selig and Major League Baseball for providing me with invaluable baseball operations experience over the past 10 months."
Torre managed the Dodgers for three years, from 2008-2010, taking them to their only two trips to the NLCS in the last 23 seasons. He resigned at the end of the 2010 season, when it was announced Don Mattingly would take over as the next manager of the team. Torre had expressed an interest in joining the Dodgers front office in some capacity, but ended up taking an executive position with Major League Baseball instead.
Caruso is perhaps most known for developing The Grove at Farmers Market. In 2011 he was considered a potential candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles, though never formally announcing his candidacy. Caruso, a trustee at USC, resigned from the Coliseum Commission, a position he held for three years, in September amid concerns of a conflict of interest while the commission was in lease negotiations with the school.
"I am a lifelong Angeleno; I love this city and have dedicated my career to creating world-class destinations that support this community and foster great customer experiences," Caruso said on Wednesday. "Joe and I believe in the Dodgers and Dodger fans and know that together we will foster a winning culture and deliver a premier, fan-focused baseball experience at Dodger Stadium."
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fan focused environment means more in game distractions and fewer in game wins.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 8:35 AM PST via Android app reply actions
yeah
Wassupwitdat?
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 8:37 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
ha, thanks, do any of us ever really leave?
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:28 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Sarcastro
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:31 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
In fairness, it could also mean less drunken louts prone to starting fights with other fans, better bathrooms and concession services.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 8:39 AM PST up reply actions
I never realized bathrooms were such an issue for men until I started posting on Dodger blogs… I always thought that was a woman issue…. I guess if you take dumps at games its an issue… otherwise, I can pee anywhere, and dont need a clean toilet or whatever to pee in.
"I can pee anywhere"
So you’re the one who took a leak on the dugout roof. Poor Eugenio, had a hard enough season…
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
by underdog on Jan 4, 2012 9:03 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
sometimes, apparently, this happens in the urinal trough: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MHtx1nwFow
(worth it, even with sound off)
Oh dear god, why did I click on that.
{weeps for his gender}
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
I saw it on Tosh.0 and I just, it’s at a NASCAR event and…just dear god why
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 11:44 AM PST up reply actions
Caruso is another guy that I do not take seriously
Like many others, this is just a free publicity ploy to get some attention and keep his name in the headlines for another month.
I’ll admit, Torre resigning from his post at MLB offices made this bid seem serious to me.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 8:45 AM PST up reply actions
Yup
Team could be in place
Owner – Caruso
President of Baseball Operations – Joe Torre
GM – Kim Ng
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
That’s depressing
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:26 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
No, GM- Larry Bowa- now that’s depressing.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 9:29 AM PST up reply actions
Larry Bowa has special assistant written all over him.
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:30 AM PST up reply actions
Well, the abbreviation anyway, “Larry Bowa, Special Ass.”
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 9:31 AM PST up reply actions 5 recs
If it weren’t for the rumor that Tony LaRussa is taking over Torre’s job I’d be seriously concerned that he’d be in the running for GM.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
that and the I-banker involved
that guy is this real deal
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:23 AM PST up reply actions
Can’t imagine Joe leaving MLB unless he was convinced his guy was making a real offer
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
yea
but Joe is over 70 years old right? Maybe he’s just wanting to finally retire from baseball completely. He does have a young daughter I think.
by Dodgerblue8188 on Jan 4, 2012 9:07 AM PST up reply actions
Joe Torre in charge?
We all know that he makes GREAT decisions. He’ll replace Colletti with Troncoso, then bring in Sherrill to GM.
@TElciram
Yeah, it was kinda weak.
It originally was more serious and did did not include the bullpen joke.
I still say that he’d be a bad choice, though.
@TElciram
by Taylor Maricle on Jan 4, 2012 8:50 AM PST up reply actions
It may have been better if you had something along the lines of
Having only 1 or 2 scouts and overusing them like crazy. But something actually clever, which i’m incapable of being right now (or maybe at all, i’m not sure).
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
“Joe Torre would be a horrible President, do we really want him running the team? Orioles.”
@TElciram
by Taylor Maricle on Jan 4, 2012 9:09 AM PST up reply actions
Torre ownership would be a new Bigalow point for this franchise.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:13 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
indeed
(applause)
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 9:16 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
what're you, one of those Tea Party dudes?
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
Matt Kemp is freaking the hell out right now. thought he was done with Torre, now he gets to hear it from the owner’s box.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:17 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Is Joe looking to GM or be President? Just opinions, I know none of you don’t know.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
I would assume president, he just wants to sit there, not actually work… plus he’s dam near 100 years old, cant be workin GM hours.
71 is the new 100
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
So we have
a number of groups with confirmed interest or strong speculation in that direction:
Magic/Kasten Group
Cohen Group
Caruso/Torre Group
Orel/Garvey Group
Gilbert Group
Am I missing anyone else that we’ve heard from?
He was a good baseball man for twenty years and brought the Dodgers a World Series. Trading Pedro Martinez does not mean he’d be the worst of all possible owners.
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
Didn’t Claire neglect the system and invest heavily into free agents at the end?
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:32 AM PST up reply actions
Ok. Claire’s efforts at subterfuge were for naught until the Lord did a Mr. Miyagi thing on Kirk Gibson’s knee.
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
And the baseball gods made Eckersley walk Mike f’ing Davis.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
Fred Claire was the GM, Tommy the Manager.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Crap
I mixed this up with Tommy’s actual horrid move. The Konerko for Jeff Shaw debacle. Thanks for the clarification
Jeff Shaw was very good for the Dodgers. That trade was exactly what it was supposed to be.
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
They didn’t give OB12 a copy of their personal financial statements
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 8:51 AM PST up reply actions
NewsCorp will be the wealthiest owner we ever have. The ROYALE have the wealthiest owner this side if the EPL. The net worth of the owner doesn’t mean jack.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:21 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
those wankers dip their fries in mayo? the finks.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:26 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
mayo is a lousy condiment
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 9:31 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 9:39 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
wealthy is certainty better than not wealthy enough.
just saying, if they can afford to buy the team at this price, they’re probably ok to operate it too. I don’t expect Bud to find us someone like frank again. not as he’s about to retire again.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:28 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Cuban
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:27 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
looks good to me
that’s a nice option, but any other option than mccourt is a gem to me
by mbayushi on Jan 4, 2012 10:09 PM PST via Android app up reply actions
I’m stunned that Tommy is not fronting an owners group.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
He’ll be fronting all of them
It's not what you look like, when you're doin' what you're doin'
It's what you're doin' when you're doin' what you look like you're doin'!
That’s probably true. (I don’t know whether you might have just meant it as a large-size joke.) He wants to remain as team mascot for whichever ownership group wins the bidding – no point in pissing off some of them by entering the fray even as a front man, since it could hurt the feelings, if not chances, of some of his friends in other groups.
Raiders are interviewing Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie for the GM job…. holy shit, Raiders are finally getting it together… ok, you can come back to LA now.
I can’t quite put my finger on what might have changed in their operational strategy, but it feels like hope.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:32 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
hiring a real GM instead of letting crazy al make all the decisions
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
drawing huge conclusions from limited facts....
I like the way Caruso executes customer experience at his current developments. He has changed how people shop, meet, and experience LA in a significant way. He makes everything upscale yet accessible, he makes the experience neither exclusive or common. Tough line to hold and he does it very well
While I have had my troubles with Torre, I think he is largely a class act with good intentions. I think he is a good baseball man and I hope humble enough to work through others rather than work directly. He recruitment of Kim Ng said much to me about him.
Trott is well respected by one of my personal heroes and that goes along way with me. Hard to imagine a better deal enabler than him as your banker.
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:34 AM PST up reply actions
Kim Ng seems competent, but I know virtually nothing about her baseball philosophy or how much she values statistical analysis.
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:40 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I agree, I think she is overrated until further notice… I dont get the love feast over her…. Ok, she is brilliant in arb cases, what else??
I figure she only has to be better than Ned colletti
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:44 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I am not sure how much I value statistical analysis.
but I am confident in saying the industry has tipped
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:42 AM PST up reply actions
Aaron Harang and Juan Uribe’s agents must love you.
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:48 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
“tipped” meaning that everyone, over time, will largely level the field on statistical analysis
that there will be a base level of understanding that will exist within all organizations and will be thought of as standard and necessary. Not revolutionary.
I think the next competitive advantages might be in nutrition, prevention, and recovery
and I wouldn’t have signed either of those guys
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:53 AM PST up reply actions
"tipped" meaning that everyone, over time, will largely level the field on statistical analysis
This has pretty much happened already and anyone who isn’t on board is absolutely screwed.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
yet Jon garland and Jason Schmidt got signed, brandon Webb, Ben sheets and Eric gagne were given millions after they were unable to perform, and stan conte exists.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:57 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
time baby
we are measuring industry changes in days – check back in a decade and see what baseball looks like then
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:59 AM PST up reply actions
I’m talking about stats wise. You absolutely need to have and listen to numbers department but I’m not sure any organization is really “better” at stats.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 10:00 AM PST up reply actions
I think to a large extent this is correct – but it does come down to who is asking the best questions that aren’t answered by today’s stats.
and G’s examples are mostly in the past, many several years in the past – similar mistakes are being made today,but fewer and fewer of them
Changing how industries think is a long process and happens in increments – baseball is not alone in this regard
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:03 AM PST up reply actions
Changing how industries think is a long process and happens in increments – baseball is not alone in this regard
Agree with this completely, but you can make bigger leaps when you don’t have members on the “old guard” running the team.
I like a balance
those old guard guys know a ton – learn how to value and incorporate that
stats are a tool, they are not the answer
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:09 AM PST up reply actions
The ones that are willing to listen and change absolutely.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 10:10 AM PST up reply actions
agreed
industries change slowly because the people in charge have to die off for new information to take hold
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 10:09 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
not true
people need to be confronted by challenges that the old methods do not solve
death helps, but not totally necessary
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:10 AM PST up reply actions
But when entrenched ways of thinking lead people to believe that the point of Moneyball was the at the A’s never won the World Series….
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:12 AM PST up reply actions
isn’t the point of Moneyball that the Red Sox did it better?
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:13 AM PST up reply actions
I guess better in that they used the same principles but were vastly better funded.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
Apparently Manny and Ortiz’s juice was better than Giambi and Tejada’s
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:16 AM PST up reply actions
I think the point was it worked
even if it took the red sox taking the same ideas and running with them. How valid is that? I dunno.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
When you win 205 games in two years there really shouldn’t be a debate that it worked.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 10:17 AM PST up reply actions
That was my point- there are plenty of people that think those wins are overshadowed by short series losses against really good teams.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:18 AM PST up reply actions
wasn’t the old party line that it didn’t work in the playoffs. Whatever that means.
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
How those teams never won in the playoffs
with those starters boggles the mind.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Mulder was really great his first 3 full years
After that he got worse just about every year. It’s so weird looking at his numbers now and not being all that impressed (4th full season and beyond) when I used to think he was amazing.
He didn’t strike out many at all and allowed nearly a HR per 9 innings. Just weird to see.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
Man, who would have thought Tim Hudson would end up the best of these guys
I always thought way back then he was their 3rd best starter.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
that is the old newspaper writer line
yet one by one teams started to build out their statistical analysis teams
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:20 AM PST up reply actions
They where successful
but that doesn’t mean it was because of advanced statistical analysis. Weren’t you the one trumpeting the fact that they had the big 3 starters along with Tejada etc?
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Sure, but what did work was getting two win players for far cheaper than they should have, which took them from a 90 win team to a 100 win team.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 10:36 AM PST up reply actions
What worked? Moneyball or the fact those teams had the prime years of Hudson/Mulder/Zito/Eric Chavez/Tejada not Scott Hatteberg.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Well Scott Hatteberg was the one thing that you can definitely say worked. Got him for nothing, had a 2.7 WAR. That’s damn near impossible now.
But for the most part it was having those players and playing 7 games over their pythag.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 10:56 AM PST up reply actions
I don’t understand the near impossible now. It happens every year.
2011 Brendan Ryan, Clint Barmes, Casey Kotchman, Michael Morse,
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Fair enough.
It’s not as good of a story since they had Jason Giambi but the 2001 A’s are a much better example of undervalued assets.
Starters included a guy they got in the minor league draft (Frank Menechino) and five guys they got by trading not all that much (Damon, Terrance Long, Jeremy Giambi, Jermaine Dye, Corey Lidle)
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:27 AM PST up reply actions
I don't see how any of that has to do with stats
sometimes really good players bounce back from being really injured.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
this has been my thinking for awhile as well.
the next market inefficiency to be exploited will be getting the most out if the players you develop and sign, hopefully limiting the number of replacement level innings being played.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:55 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I understand what you’re saying. The information is out there, and then there’s what you do with it.
The Cardinals value elite talent and don’t pile up veteran fringe. The Blue Jays and Rangers invest heavily in international markets and player development (I realize this is an indictment of FM, who I blame more than Ned overall).
However the point stands that I have no idea what Ng values or how she thinks. I trust Kasten’s track record more as an operations guy.
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 10:03 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
injuries
not only signing the best players, but keeping your assets healthy, thus on the field
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:24 AM PST up reply actions
injuries, and by association, the premature decline in skills.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 10:25 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Agree on Caruso's properties
Ones that I can think of are The Grove, The Lakes (in TO) and The Promenade in Westlake. These places sort of elevate what they could have been, and your description of upscale yet accessible is perfect.
But I have no idea if that would translate to the Dodgers organization, outside of the stadium itself. And while I’d love for some attention to be paid to the aesthetics, I’d take a dump in a urinal if it meant that we had a consistantly winning team who also won some WS.
WHAMMY!
I don’t think shitting on a first world commode and winning games are mutually exclusive.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:01 AM PST up reply actions
glad you cleared that up :)
TEAM MAGIC
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:30 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
“Cookie”
/Johnlennonvoice
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:42 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
sugarplum fairy
sugarplum fairy
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 9:47 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
I, personally, would be cool with Joe being the President.
But I am not cool with his sponsorship to Bigelow Green Tea.
Seems weird.
thanks man, appreciate the support
and for the record, I am a coffee man. A caffeinated coffee man.
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:44 AM PST up reply actions
then drink a damn coke, you’re in the south after all : )
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:12 AM PST up reply actions
I’ll take a crab juice
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 10:14 AM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
I’d rather catch crabs than drink that shit.
:)
by keithc13 on Jan 4, 2012 10:14 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Caron, butler for the LA Clippers
Caron, from Butler, who fought la Clippers in the battle of New Orleans
Caron Butler, F the Clippers
: p
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:14 AM PST up reply actions
MLB prohibits players and managers from owning shares of their team
Ted tried to manage the Braves long ago
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:50 AM PST up reply actions
That’s a pretty gaping plot hole for Little Big League, isn’t it?
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:01 AM PST up reply actions
Only thing that kept it from winning multiple Oscars.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 10:03 AM PST up reply actions
I thought Leon Durham got jobbed not getting a supporting nominatino.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
Own the world, color old movies.
"I'm telling you, y'all created a monster."
by Pure Azure on Jan 4, 2012 9:50 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I'm not on team Caruso
From some personal experience, I’m not a big fan of how Caruso operates, and I would be surprised if he even bid high enough in the first place (unless Trott is the real money behind the partnership). He will look at the Dodgers as business first, and winning if convenient (yes I know this is true for a lot of the groups). On top of that I don’t want to see Torre running this team with an old-school baseball mentality. I want fresh faces and fresh opinions.
I want an egomaniac who is going to want to win at all costs and be smart about it. That probably describes Cohen, although I know he has a bit of a scumbag rep.
wanting to win at all costs a.d being smart about operations are mutually exclusive.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 9:53 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
He ate lunch at the Grove once and it was terrible. BFDC is an unforgiving man.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 9:57 AM PST up reply actions
He will look at the Dodgers as business first, and winning if convenient
this past season proved that the Dodgers only pencil out as a business if they have a compelling team
I don’t have any problems, like zero problems, with someone who operates this business like a business
and you can name every egomaniac owner in sports, and I would not want one of them, notta one
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 9:58 AM PST up reply actions
No
Cuban is the Mav’s biggest star, not my bag.
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:05 AM PST up reply actions
Co-sign. I feel guys who experienced Dodger WS wins (not sure if that includes you) tend to be more choosy than the younger fans. Get Kemp a ring in a box, then I’ll complain about how Cuban doesn’t do it the right way.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:20 AM PST up reply actions
I’ve been alive for 2. I just like the cut of Cuban’s jib.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:22 AM PST up reply actions
I just don’t think one equals the other
If I thought that Cuban guaranteed a championship then I would be more inclined but baseball isn’t baseketball. Running a NBA franchise is kindergarten compared to running baseball
the number of players in the org, how to build, draft, protect……in every way the variable is extended so the possibility of failure is increased
so I don’t buy the argument that we’d be the mav’s of the league
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:24 AM PST up reply actions
People want to believe he will come in and spend 180 mil a year
I’m not convinced he would do that.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
I dont know that he would spend 180 million a year, I just know how passionate he is about winning, and how important it is too him personally. He doesnt want to lose to other owners, and that in return will most likely result in a solid amount of money being spent, how much, who knows… more then were spending now though, thats for dam sure.
so I don’t buy the argument that we’d be the mav’s of the league
Thats not the argument. The point is Cuban is a passionate guy that wants to win. He’s also smart and will find ways to win even if it has nothing to do with spending money.
says you
not my cup tea, but feel free to drink it
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
Cuban exploiting an inefficiency in basketball which completely turned around his franchise. Namely, he used “non-salary” compensation (setting guys up in the nicest hotels, state of the art practice facilities, etc.) to lure free agents since spending on free agents was capped.
He’s a forward thinker committed to winning.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:30 AM PST up reply actions
I used to think I wouldn't like him
but honestly I don’t think he will go Red Sox or Yankees crazy, and its not like he can run onto the field at DS like he did in Dallas for awhile. I’d be more then willing to give him a shot.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Cuban is coffee Joe, not tea haha….. how about your reasons for dislike? because he rags on officials? is too much in the spotlight as an owner? Makes comments against his league? I understand all that, but I keep in mind its only because he wants to win, so I can deal with it.
If Cuban raised holy hell at the generally poor state of umpiring and anything was actually done about it, I’d call that a win.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
Not really “says me”. That is what he has done in the NBA. Dude has found and exploited a loop holes to get talent onto the roster. He’s even talked a bunch lately about how some of the loopholes are gone with new CBA and he’s got to figure out new ones.
Funny. Me, you and Eric all typed just about the same thing at the same time.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
And Im not even saying I want Cuban. I just want an owner who is smart and passionate about winning.
I dont see that coming from a Caruso/Torre. I dont know much about Trott though.
Torre’s involvement doesn’t even move the mercury for me. He’s getting up in age and as such he’s a relatevely short term problem/solution when it comes to new ownership. I fully expect the new owner to last far longer than a guy like Torre would in a material role.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:31 AM PST up reply actions
My criteria for an owner: Wealthy. Obtained and maintains that wealth through legal and ethical means. Will spend money to hire the best, progressive baseball minds, allow them to formulate and execute their plan in a reasonable timetable without meddling and changing course.
If he or she has personality disorders like Cuban, so be it.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:27 AM PST up reply actions 5 recs
That’s fine. I’m not suggesting that Cuban arriving would guarantee a WS ring either. Of course, of the bidders he’s the only one who has experience owning a professional sports franchise and he was/is VERY succesful at it. That should count for something.
I actually took your comment to suggesting that Cuban being the star (even if he delivered championships) would be a problem for you. It would not be for me. If he were to pull off in LAD what he did in Dallas, he could be the face of the franchise for all I care.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
Cuban has poured tons of money into infrastructure-type things, relatively small expenses compared to say player payroll. The Mavs have kick-ass facilities, the most coaching and instruction available, even down to small things like improving the player experience.
I don’t necessarily think Cuban would say, “fuck it, $200 million payroll every year” (though the Mavs do annually have one of the highest payrolls in the NBA) but would rather see the advantage of spending an extra $5-10 million internationally (rather on a player or upgrading facilities) than adding another $20-30 million in MLB payroll.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 10:28 AM PST up reply actions
Late to the party but I’d think the one efficiency that a new owner could address would be:
1. Hire the best scouts
2. Pay them real money, that would make them come knocking at your door.
3. Give your scouts the best technology you can
4. Scour the world but dominate your home grown area. No one should come out of Southern California that was not scouted to death.
5. The cost of upgrading your whole Scouting Department is less then one Eugenio Velez.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
by meercatjohn on Jan 4, 2012 10:56 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Who are the best scouts?
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
I think measuring scouts would be extremely difficult. Now if you are just going for hiring lots of people, making sure more players are scouted, increasing the odds of identifying talent, no doubt that’s a good thing. But it would be really hard to put together all the scouts’ work, then follow the players and track their progress to the scouting report since most wouldn’t be in your system, so now the development staff pollutes your measurement.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 11:00 AM PST up reply actions
Find out, everything they see and do is documented but I doubt it is databased in a way you could mine that information. Just seems to me that while everyone ends up even on the sabremetric front, you go back and address the problems with the old school way and make that better.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
get all that stuff indexed up on a computer
cross check their evaluations with what actually happened. It could be done, you just need a small army of interns and the right program.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Small army of interns = 1/1000th Eugenio Velez
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 11:13 AM PST up reply actions
The interns can get the data in, but BP is an example of what happens when you let interns do to much. At some point you need an experienced dataminer who knows what he’s looking for and how to get it, not some snot nosed pecker head living on cheetos:)
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
the interns don't do the final analysis
they just punch in certain codes based on what a scout said about a player. The rest can be done by a computer and then cross checked by one guy.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Agreed on all fronts, except for number five. I’d peg the cost at somewhere closer to Juan Rivera.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
1 eugenio velez = 10 midlevel scouts or 100local scouts.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 11:02 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
I’d love Cuban…. ofcourse I dislike him as the Mavs owner, but I gotta respect his passion for winning, and how he treats his players…. Also love how he is in the front row cheering his team on like there #1 fan…. Would be cool to see him at Dodger games, cheering on the Dodgers like that.
I think attendance this past season was as much a problem with Frank as it had to do with team performance. There were plenty of mediocre seasons where attendance was still near the top of the league. A new owner could run an 85 win team year after year and make a bunch of money.
Thomas Wolfe says
hard to go home again
the fans relationship to the team has changed, I think people are going to have to be pulled back in – folks realized other things to do with their time and how not to spend that money
Dodger fans, not baseball maniacs, but run of the mill dodger fans, are going to need some romancing
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:07 AM PST up reply actions
Truth, at least with the fans I talk to. The ones who used to spend quite a bit of money at DT, not the few tickets a game people.
Seems like a normal conversation goes like this these days:
I wear Dodger hat
“hey, are you a Dodger fan”
“Yes, kind of”
“they are a mess, I used to be a season ticket holder but I gave them up”
“Why, cost, McCourt, or quality?”
“all of the above”
“Do you miss it”
“Not really, I still watch the games but now I can do it on my big screen HDTV”
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
my point exactly
Frank fucked the next owner of the Dodgers, the team will not print money without being compelling
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 10:26 AM PST up reply actions
that sort of goes for any sports team though, now that every game is broadcast. Either all the games are sold out (Packers) so TV is your only option save paying above market value for a ticket, the team is competitive and well attended, so you want to pay face value for a ticket and experience that atmosphere, or things are bad, season tickets sell below face value, leaving little incentive to buy in
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:27 AM PST up reply actions
or I guess I could have just written supply and demand, but I guess the big change is you can pay now to watch home games in HD which you couldn’t go thirty years ago, so demand can’t just be “I like the Dodgers”
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:29 AM PST up reply actions
However
Unlike Packers games where you have to freeze your tail off, DS games are gorgeous (unless its a day game in August and its 98) and the game is so much more tailored to live watching vs TV as compared to the NFL (IMO). This is why so much has been made about the fan experience at baseball games and the emergence of the new stadiums, the league reckons that the thing they have over football isn’t necessarily the product on the field but the ambiance and experience that fans can have while at a game.
WHAMMY!
And on the court his teammates shorten it to “Bo” (e.g. ‘Yours Bo’) which means they drop the part of the nickname which actually made sense.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 10:19 AM PST up reply actions
Then again, teammates and coaches would call Earvin “Magic” Johnson “Buck” so what do I know?
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 10:24 AM PST up reply actions
I can’t tell you how disappointed I am that this comment thread is not full of David Caruso impressions regarding the Dodgers. Such as…
“Well Ned,” [takes off sunglasses] “it looks like somebody needs to get out of Dodge(rtown).”
YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Oh, is David Caruso an actor from old Westerns?
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:34 AM PST up reply actions
nah, I think he was in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:36 AM PST up reply actions
I’m famous and rich on TV.
I could totally be more famous and more rich in movies.
/my David Caruso impression
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:35 AM PST up reply actions
That's about the one thing that Jay Mohr does humorously
There's no need to fear, Underdog is here! / Broncos/Dodgers/Lakers fan in Niners/Raiders/Giants/Warriors country, and damned proud of it.
That, and his impression of the Carl’s Jr. voice guy.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
and the ESPN “brought to you by…” voice too. I laugh every time.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:49 AM PST up reply actions
I also want the new owner to spend money on cloning Vin
That’s reasonable right?
Tell me how much it would cost to get me one of those Roger Ebert machines with Vin’s voice. I’d totally hook myself up to that.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:42 AM PST up reply actions
Roger Ebert Machines? I always figured with sixty odd years of source material, you could take a robot and input the EA Sports commentary program it uses for it’s football games and be good to go.
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 10:43 AM PST up reply actions
Man that would be awesome. An AI Vin Scully complete with his voice. Your move, Apple.
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:44 AM PST up reply actions
And remake Wargames with it.
“How about a nice game of chess? Let’s get back to this game of global thermonuclear war”
by Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache on Jan 4, 2012 10:45 AM PST up reply actions
“in soviet Russia, they call him the owl.”
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 11:09 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Absolutely
What horrors await us fans as the next announcer, the current back up “blandies” who bore you to death with their bland-ness?
Or worse, some toad who can’t keep his mouth shut and has to keep barking, “…and its a GRAAAAAAaaaaAAAaaaaAAAaaaaNNNDDD SALAAAAAAAMI!”
WHAMMY!
I wouldn’t mind the announcer with all those grand slams for the Dodgers.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:58 AM PST up reply actions
Watched year end highlights on MLB last night
With my 4 year old. Everytime they used the audio he would frown up and say “huh?” That and also “ow! my freakin’ ears!” in his high pitched 4 year old voice.
WHAMMY!
I’m only about halfway through. So far no such luck. But a good read.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:00 AM PST up reply actions
Turns out none of that. Mostly 2002-2007 stuff. Interesting read, but nothing shocking or anything.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
So what moneyball moves did boston actually make?
I imagine you don’t need moneyball to sign david ortiz and manny ramirez
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
How does that change the fact it was a moneyball move? Could moneyball moves only be made after Billy Beane hired Depo?
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Well thats the question
didn’t they implement moneyball after 2002? Or was that just another lie.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
David Ortiz was definitely a Moneyball move. They picked him up off the scrap heap after he was non-tendered by Minnesota.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:12 AM PST up reply actions
anyone could have had him. anyone.
That said, they also let Carlos Pena walk away to their competitors. Oops
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
carlos pena isn't a moneyball guy remember?
now hatteberg…
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Per the movie, Pena was an all-glove first baseman. After TB got him, he was a 50 HR slugging TTO machine. But he’d bounced around the american league before Tampa hit the lotto with him.
by Michael White on Jan 4, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions
Say what you will about Billy Beane but you can’t blame him for Pena when it took four years to become a good player.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
Actually, they released him
Ortiz his .272/.339/.500 with 20 home runs in 125 games as a 26-year old in 2002. Then, this happened (per AP):
The Minnesota Twins released designated hitter David Ortiz to make room on the roster for shortstop Jose Morban, selected from the Texas organization in Monday’s Rule 5 draft.
Trading Ortiz was one of general manager Terry Ryan’s top priorities at baseball’s winter meetings, which concluded Monday. But Ryan couldn’t quite get a deal done.
“I would’ve liked to have found a home for him,” Ryan said from Nashville, Tenn., this year’s meeting spot. “We exhausted every avenue, but in essence it turned out to be an Ortiz-for-Morban type of thing.”
Minnesota placed Morban on waivers in spring training, and he hit .141/.187/.225 in 77 PA for the Orioles in 2003, never to be heard from again.
Ortiz signed for $1.25 million in Boston and became David Ortiz.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:17 AM PST up reply actions
Youklis and Pedroria
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
David Ortiz was actually a castoff from the Twins so it was
Mark Bellhorn and Kevin Millar could qualify.
Bronson Arroyo?
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:13 AM PST up reply actions
I guess 2002 was a different era
when a guy who ops’s 830 can get nontendered
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Bill Mueller was almost no value by the time the Red Sox got him.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:15 AM PST up reply actions
so he was moneyball because he was cheap?
his best years came on the red sox by far
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Moneyball is inherently about acquiring undervalued assets so yeah.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:19 AM PST up reply actions
Even then the thought process was probably “hey this guy is 31 and has a .370 on base percentage let’s take a chance on him”
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:20 AM PST up reply actions
his obp was 339 and he was 26ish
he become a much much better player with boston. Heck couldn’t you argue it was a scouting win? Yeah this guy seems like he could do great things if we give him a chance.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Wait are we talking about Millar or Mueller?
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
Oh.
Well in that case 26 and a .230 iso seems like something worth rolling the dice on.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:25 AM PST up reply actions
Sounds like Nolander was talking about Ortiz.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:24 AM PST up reply actions
it sounds like its incredibly hard to say
whether moneyball moves are luck or skill.
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
I know that I make great decisions, based on the data that I have at the time, that turn out awful
and other times, I made terrible decisions that turn out great
the importantly thing is to make a decision
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
Its10 percent luck, 20 percent skill
15 percent concentrated power of will
5 percent pleasure, 50 percent pain
And 100 percent reason to remember the name
by uschris0304 on Jan 4, 2012 11:25 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
Ortiz was a late 20s slugger who was DFA'd by the Twins who thought he was no good
They took a chance on him and he turned into the best DH in baseball for half a decade (or more).
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
Ortiz slugged .500 his last year with the twins
in 123 games, and had a .339 OBP and 25 HR. Man, that was a mistake to get rid of him.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
are we going to start calling you the obvious man?
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
123, 125. 20, 25. Who’s counting, anyway?
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:57 AM PST up reply actions
another solid player from 2007:)
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
and another 3rd baseman who was good at age 24 and never again.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
maybe
he is going to have the Alex Gordon year
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 12:06 PM PST up reply actions
Josh Fields had a worse OPS than Juan Uribe last year.
Josh Fields was on the Yoimuri Giants.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 12:07 PM PST up reply actions
can't hit
The Shuuto
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 12:10 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
Man I coveted that guy way back when
He looked to have monster power and at 3B. Thought he’d be the next troy glaus.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
I have made that mistake before again and again
projecting who will be good, whether you use the scouts eye or the nerds spreadsheet is hard
very hard
by Hollywood Joe on Jan 4, 2012 12:05 PM PST up reply actions
Absolutely
I remember thinking how stupid the Marlins were for not taking Danks, Floyd, Fields, etc… for Miggy and Willis. Funny thing is I liked that trade for the player who sucked the worst.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
Moneyball Dodgers – defined as veteran players who were got on the cheap ala Miles not Carroll and who produced a WAR > 1 this century
Wilson Alvarez seems to be the poster boy. Easy to find pitchers,
Smiling Sammy Saito
Joe Beimel
Bellisario
Jose Lima
Aaron Sele
how about hitters?
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Well, not easy, but I did find 6 who met the criteria
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
When you can say Miles is a moneyball move
it all breaks apart for me. NRIs have been part of the game since how long?
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
or maybe I'm emphasising the newness of moneyball too much
Watch me all in flames, on a butterfly I ride
Miles didn’t actually WAR 1.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
how much did robin Ventura make? my memory of hee seop choi makes him a moneyball type player.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 11:29 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
When we signed Ventura as a free agent he was bad.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:32 AM PST up reply actions
always expensive
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Way out performed what we paid him though.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:28 AM PST up reply actions
Pujols has done that most of his career, if not all
Doesn’t mean he hasn’t made a lot of money though, right?
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
Pujols is homegrown though, different team building strategy
by Josie Becker on Jan 4, 2012 12:18 PM PST up reply actions
Hitters
Jayson Werth
Jose Hernandez
Tony Gywnn:)
Ron Belliard 2009 actually pulled a 1 war in only 83 at bats
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Jose Cruz Jr
Jose Valentin
Jeff Kent
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jan 4, 2012 11:31 AM PST up reply actions
We paid good money for Jose Valentin and all we got was a broken leg
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
speaking of 3bs from 2005
nori nakamura checks in with a cool -0.5 WAR
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jan 4, 2012 11:38 AM PST up reply actions
Let the record show the last time Norihiro Nakamura stepped foot on the field during a Dodgers game, he played at second base for one inning, after playing one inning at shortstop in the same game.
Jack of all trades!
Paul Wilson did not have a good start that day in Cincinnati.
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:42 AM PST up reply actions
2005 was the year I got back into the dodgers in a big way. What a disaster.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jan 4, 2012 11:46 AM PST up reply actions
some more
mike edwards -0.9 WAR
antonio perez 1.1 WAR
olmedo saenz 0.5 WAR (17 games at 3b!)
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jan 4, 2012 11:42 AM PST up reply actions
woops
didnt see the 1 war note above. should look before I leap.
by hee came hee seop'd he choi'd on Jan 4, 2012 11:33 AM PST up reply actions
Rudy Seanez came close with 0.9 rWAR in 2007
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:29 AM PST up reply actions
Who has the highest WAR as defined by Baseball Reference since 2000 as a Dodger 1st Baseman?
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Either that or that half season when Loney went bananas.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 11:34 AM PST up reply actions
Yes, but is sad is that it is only 2.1.
12 years of Dodger first baseman and the best WAR we have is 2.1
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Damn, conflated “this century” above, but you said since 2000 here, so never mind!
by Eric Stephen on Jan 4, 2012 11:37 AM PST up reply actions
157 seasons
this century (including 2000) from first baseman with a WAR > 2.1
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
Eric Karros had his best season in 1999. Jeff Shaw was very good. I get tired of these statements.
"It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard... is what makes it great."
You are literally the only person on Earth that defends that trade, Jeff Shaws immediate family included. Congratulations.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 12:33 PM PST up reply actions
You are serioiusly incorrect about Jeff Shaw
In 2 seasons he had a 3.89 ERA 132 innings 124 hits 34 walks 97 k 17 hr (that’s close to 1.2 HR/9 inning) .
He was at best, around average.
TBLA 2011 Postseason Prediction Champion
Quick thoughts
Caruso certainly would be interested in exploiting non-baseball revenue income and possible development in parking lot area (I would also expect outside vendors to be licensed to sell at the Stadium in both food and retail). And add more Dodger stores at his local malls.
Torre, not sure about his skills as an administrator, he would need a lot of support (he’s no Sandy Alderson). In the one area he probably has experience in, do you really want his baseball philosophy developed throughout the system. And, finally, Ned was his boss (okay maybe McCourt was, but Ned was the GM) so would he be inclined to keep the baseball ops staff and make just little tweaks with the overall budget.
A banker is necessary to convince outside lenders that the Dodgers are in safe footing to get financing.
I humbly admit that Tripon may have been right.
If one does not like to carry things in their hands (I do not) what would be the best place for the Ipad? I suggest an Ipad flap on the back, high enough up that one could reach over the head to nab it. Problems would be easy to steal and baby boomer would have a touch time making that reach.
With a Vest, Sports Coat, or other coat, simple to sew in an Ipad flap inside the coat, but in So Cal we rarely need to wear such things.
If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
so you want to be able to carry your iPad like a rambo machette
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 11:58 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
plus, being Apple, it’d be a white blazer and everyone would know you were packing.
by G.Scott on Jan 4, 2012 11:59 AM PST via Android app up reply actions
Back to the subject at hand
There’s a lot of criticism of Torre, folks who don’t want him involved with the Dodgers “at all” and I just have to ask, why? I’m not being sarcastic, this is an honest question. Do some feel his role in operations, as a President or what have you would be that dramatically awful? Is this retribution for the way he made certain moves as a manager? What is it that frustrates some fans about the thought of Torre involved in owning the team?
WHAMMY!
This works in most businesses - not just sports
A lot of folks distrust top administrators, feel they get too involved. Ideally, one would like a Jerry Buss – Jerry West dynamic, owner steps in as needed but you know who is running the team. Obviously , Torre brings baseball insight to this potential ownership. That is what he knows and what I would think he would bring to the table. Some could feel nervous about that.
Yes, nervous considering he is fairly close to the product we put on the field. He may not hold a very objective POV or he may feel that he knows the personnel well enough to be more intimitely involved than maybe he should be.
Look
it is a risk with any new ownership, what are Garvey’s and Orel’s credentials for being owners. Stan Kasten has done it before.
Kasten
Is the reason I like the Magic group
"Heroes get remembered, but Legends never die."
by Tommy Blackjack on Jan 4, 2012 12:48 PM PST via iPhone app up reply actions
See and I get the relationship
And I agree that it works, the owner allows the more seasoned, experienced individual run the actual team. My question is why Torre is so roundly hated. I guess I compare that with someone like Cuban, who I also don’t mind, but who frankly has no baseball experience and yet you know he would want to be solidly involved in the D2D operations. To me Torre feels like the better choice, or at least the known choice.
That is until one day when Cuban actually is able to buy a team and he starts winning like crazy.
WHAMMY!
Because Joe Torre will probably bring along friends of Joe Torre, and then you have another regime that will make Colletti look like Branch Rickey.
Minor League Central @mlcentral @andrewngrant
by regfairfield on Jan 4, 2012 12:47 PM PST up reply actions
Hmm - power armed - okay
Matt Eddy @eddymk
Athletics sign power-armed RH relievers Travis Schlicting & Merkin Valdez and little LH reliever Fabio Castro. All minors deals.
I will say that the banker that Caruso has with him
seems like the real deal, he can certainly line up the money to do the deal.
D-Backs signed Mike Jacobs to a minor-league deal, per Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Jacobs still has a 50-game HGH suspension to serve.
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