Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles 2005-06 Offseason Thread

[QuestGAV]

Maybe with Jeff Kent working out so well the Dodgers want to emulate the Giants philosophy. I would expect the Dodgers acquisition of Julio Franco, Jeff Bagwell, Sandy Alomar and Jesse Orosco to be announced shortly.

[Hotblack Desiato]

Too bad half these names will be gone by opening day:

Suns scorch Minor Leagues in 2005
MiLB.com Overall Team of the Year lives up to promise

Every so often, a tremendously talented team comes along. A veritable All-Star team onlookers will call it. Whether it's remembered past a given year often depends on whether that club can parlay that talent into a championship.

The 1998 Yankees, for instance, will likely have a long legacy. The 2001 Mariners, not so much.

That's what made the 2005 Jacksonville Suns such a special team. Stacked with perhaps the most legitimate young prospects a Minor League club has ever seen, the Double-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers lived up to its promise by winning the Southern League title. It's for that reason the Suns have been chosen as the MiLB.com 2005 Overall and Double-A Team of the Year.

Jacksonville beat out some stiff competition for the overall award: the Toledo Mud Hens, winners of the International League title and the MiLB.com Triple-A Team of the Year Award; the Indianapolis Indians, a talent-laden team which saw most of its players get called up to Pittsburgh; the Arkansas Travelers, perhaps the Texas League's equivalent to the Suns talent-wise; the San Jose Giants, winners of the California League championship, and the Midwest League champion South Bend Silver Hawks.

At the Double-A level, the Suns edged out the Travs; the Midland RockHounds, the team that actually won the Texas League title; the Eastern League champion Akron Aeros, the EL runners-up Portland Sea Dogs and the team Jacksonville beat in the Southern League championship, the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx.

"Coming out of Spring Training, the core of the team, we saw the talent we had there, we saw what we could do during the year," Suns first baseman James Loney said. "Most of us were there together throughout the whole year and stayed there for a championship. It was just a fun year overall."

Loney was just one of many young and talented players who contributed to the championship run. Youthfulness seems to have been a team theme: The first baseman is just 21 years old, with shortstop Joel Guzman only 20 and catcher Russ Martin, 22. The Suns started the year with 23-year-old second baseman Delwyn Young, and third baseman Andy LaRoche turned 21 in September. Infielder Tony Abreu's only 20.

With the help of veteran infielders such as Todd Donovan, Jon Weber and Ty Meadows, the Suns offense finished near the top of the Southern League in just about every offensive category.

That's not to say there was no pitching on this club. The staff was anchored by ace Chad Billingsley, who turned 21 in late July, and the ball was given to Luis Gonzalez (22) and Jonathan Broxton (21 in June) in the late innings. The end result? A 3.91 ERA, third in the league, and a league-best 1114 strikeouts.

"We had the speed, the pitching, the defense, the bullpen and the power everywhere we needed it," Loney said. "It was a great feeling."

"Just looking back on the talent we had on that team, it was incredible, with the whole young infield we had and the outfield with the veterans leading the way," LaRoche added. "With the pitching staff, every aspect of our game was phenomenal on that team this year."

And they didn't exactly do it under the radar. Most of these 20-somethings are on top prospects list somewhere, and in August Baseball America named the Suns the "Most Talented Team in Minor League Baseball." That more or less amounted to a big target on Jacksonville's back.

"I think most guys knew that most teams, once the (Baseball America) article came out, were trying to beat us," Loney said. "But we never pressed. We kept playing our game. If somebody didn't do something, the next guy picked him up. It's definitely one of the best teams I've ever played on."

Some teams would find the pressure from such a label too difficult to deal with. But with this Suns team, they believed it. Rather than finding it too difficult to live up to, they used that celebrated talent to make the job easier for each individual.

"For me, it's easier," Martin said sincerely after winning the SL championship. "You know your teammates are going to pick you up. You know they can do the job. It's easier than if you have a couple of prospects and they have to carry the load. We've got a lot of guys who can play. Everybody does their job and it worked out in the end."

Whether or not this championship run is the end for this core remains to be seen. Most of them have been playing together for a few years in the Dodgers system, and this was the first time they were able to carry it all the way through to a title. Martin hopes it's just the beginning. LaRoche would love for it to continue, but knows that baseball doesn't always work that way.

"It's only been a couple of years and it seems like we're really coming together," Martin said. "Hopefully, we can keep this group together all the way up to the big leagues. Hopefully we can carry this attitude up to the big leagues."

"I'll always remember that team," LaRoche said. "Chances are, guys will get separated, whether it's by trade or free agency. I'll always remember it as one of the greatest teams I've ever played on and one of the most talented by far."

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/a...milb&fext=.jsp

Best team in baseball. Not a bad honor, and well-deserved. Thanks for the memories, guys. Enjoy your stay in Oakland.

[lukster]

looks like they hired a midget with a big head...wtf?

this ought to be good...he's a talker

"i would like to thank the ballboy for the cubs, he was a great....."

cheers
lukster

[Karros270]

Originally Posted by gubaru

There's this. They have a number of categories but none of them was "Frank McCourt Is a Jackass" so I chose other, other. In a way, though, I almost want to congratulate McCourt. He's achieved the impossible and become a worse owner than Fox.

Regarding Colletti, I don't mind that he worked for the Giants in itself. I do disagree with the recent philosophy the Giants have been run under. That combined with the fact that Ng had the same set of responsibilities and qualifications pisses me off. The whole process has been a joke.

I fired off a strongly worded but polite letter. What are the odds I'll actually here back?

[gubaru]

Originally Posted by Karros270

I fired off a strongly worded but polite letter. What are the odds I'll actually here back?

I don't know. Are we talking polite-speak brush-off or a reply that addresses anything you said?

[Hotblack Desiato]

I'll bet on something like:

"The Dodgers thank you for your feedback. We value our fans and look forward to seeing you at the ballpark in 2006."

I'm writing one as well, but I'm still trying to come up with the best way to finish it.

[Karros270]

Originally Posted by gubaru

I don't know. Are we talking polite-speak brush-off or a reply that addresses anything you said?

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

I'll bet on something like:

"The Dodgers thank you for your feedback. We value our fans and look forward to seeing you at the ballpark in 2006."

I'm writing one as well, but I'm still trying to come up with the best way to finish it.

I made it clear that I'll be going to Angel games next year to see the beloved Dodgers from my childhood like Mike Scioscia, Alfredo Griffin etc. But yea, I don't really expect them to take the time to address my concerns over the franchise lacking any sort of real direction.

[Hotblack Desiato]

I will no longer be a Dodger fan as long as Frank McCourt is this team's owner, nor will I spend a single cent to help him pay off his loans.

Today's hiring of Coletti was the final straw. For two years now I have resisted the nagging notion that he is a bumbling idiot with no plan, no knowledge of baseball and no ability to understand life on the west coast. The hiring of Paul Depodesta filled me with hope, that if nothing else, McCourt knew that he could put certain people in place that would work in the best interest of the team and he would not need to involve himself in the baseball side of his business, and instead occupy his time raising ticket prices, selling ad space, cutting foul ground and exploring redevelopment options in Chavez Ravine.

Instead, he has only proved himself to be the left side's version of George Steinbrenner, but without the open pocketbook. It is now clear to me that he hired Depodesta not because he had the best philosophy on winning, but that a Moneyball approach would be most likely to turn a profit, because that after all was the great news his wife (who doubles as club President) had for us, the silver lining on a dreary season decimated by injuries -- in spite of these hard times, they turned a profit! I cannot express how overjoyed Dodgers fans everywhere were to hear this news. After all, our main concern is that the team's owners can pay their bills. I went into default on my credit card once, so I totally know how it feels.

In firing Depodesta, he left this team directionless. He had no contingency plan. This was not part of a greater vision, but panicked and spontaneous. There was nobody in line to take the job and a month later we wind up with one of the two people who would actually consider working for this shambolic front office. Of those two people, one was the assistant to the team's last two general managers -- both fired by McCourt, mind you -- who knew this club inside and out and, oh, just happened to be a woman.

The other was a Giant.

What was all this talk of restoring the Dodger way? When I think of the Dodger way, I think of Branch Rickey, who was not only a social pioneer but also invented the farm system, revolutionised training, and was perhaps the game's first Moneyball-style statistical analyst.

So he restores the Dodger way by firing THE statistical analyst IN Moneyball and then passing on the opportunity to break down a huge social barrier. Oh, and he also cut our Dominican training facilities to save money, and any day now our farm system will be ravaged for old and overrated Major Leaguers in the name of instant and marginal success, and by a former Giant at that.

Well, that pretty much takes care of everything Mr. Rickey established. Way to take us back to the glory days, Frank.

Take THAT, customer service representative!

[Hotblack Desiato]

Asked if the Dodgers would be capable of fielding a division-championship team if opening day were today, he smiled and simply said, "No."

God, the image of that scares me. What is he going to do?

[rudel.dietrich]

Colletti's baseball philosophy would seem markedly in contrast with that of DePodesta, who was 31 when he was hired by new Dodgers owner McCourt before the 2004 season. While DePodesta relied heavily on players' statistics, Colletti said he considers intangibles such as character may be even more important than numbers.

*snicker*

Have fun Dodger fans

[Karros270]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

*snicker*

Have fun Dodger fans

[Dargone]

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

*snicker*

Have fun Dodger fans

No doubt

[Astros33Resurrected]

they should be the anahiem dodgers of los angeles

[Skipaway]

More interesting quotes:

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar...articleid=2310

I'm a firm believer that you don't know what you have until an emergency situation puts you in a position to search for an answer. Who would have thought that Tim Worrell would have saved 30-plus games this year. It was the same in Chicago--I was with Lee Smith in Chicago, and they converted him from a starting pitcher. It's so vital in professional sports not only to know where your risks and dollars are, but also to know who your people are--who has the mindset to do the job. Who can handle the toughest three outs of the game: the last three. You need the mindset, talent, and durability, both physical and emotional. You need the warrior type. I've been around long enough to know closers, whether it's Nen, Beck, Lee Smith, Eckersley, Goose. You know what their intestinal fortitude is, what their approach is.

We may have never found that out with Worrell if Nen was healthy. You hate to lose someone like Nen, but we're fortunate that we had Worrell. He was given an opportunity, he took to it, and he's done a terrific job with it.

So he believes closers are special.

How a player approaches the game, how he approaches life, far outweighs what the stat line looks like. When you see a minor league pitcher called up, you trust your development people and your scouts. How the pitcher's numbers were accumulated isn't as important as talent, makeup, how he pitches in certain situations.

You look at a pitcher like Maddux, in '87 he had an ugly statistical season, nothing that would tell you this pitcher was going to be one of best you'd see in 30, 40 years. Sometimes the numbers can just be misleading. Even Glavine, he had the same struggles. Just looking at his minor league numbers, especially in Richmond in '87, they weren't that good. It's in that type of evaluation where relying on stats can crush you. But I'm sure Atlanta knew he had the makeup and the ability to pitch, so they stuck with him, and it paid off.

Just not a number fan. By the way, I think he used the numbers wrong, so he came up with the wrong conclusion with Maddux and Glavine.

[The Great Demo]

Dodgers Get a Big Assist From Rivals
From prep school to old school, the Dodger focus flips today; smartly and solidly and finally.

His name is Ned Colletti, and he's an old-time baseball guy, from his affection for snakeskin boots to his love of snake-free clubhouses.

He will be named as the new Dodger general manager in a morning news conference which, to be true to Colletti, should take place behind a batting cage.

That's where the guy has lived for the last two decades, first in Chicago, then in San Francisco, often in first place.

Since Colletti became the Giants' assistant general manager in 1997, the team has compiled the third best record in baseball with Barry Bonds and a bunch of character guys.

Colletti, 50, loves the character guys.

He helped build a 2002 World Series team with a lineup that featured Benito Santiago batting fifth, David Bell playing third and Shawon Dunston doing whatever.

Months after the last Dodger regime traded Paul Lo Duca, Colletti worked out a Giant contract for Mike Matheny.

While the last Dodger regime didn't see the value in Adrian Beltre, Colletti was signing Omar Vizquel.

While the Giants struggled with injuries, their first losing season with Colletti, they were still in the race in the final week, and Matheny and Vizquel won Gold Gloves.

For years, the Giants have succeeded despite a brooding superstar and a mid-level payroll. Colletti has been in the middle of all of it.

Of course, he has never been at the front, and that's the biggest question.

The last Dodger boss was a number-two executive who could not make the leap, so what makes us think Colletti can?

As deeply as Paul DePodesta was hidden behind Billy Beane in Oakland, hasn't Colletti been hidden behind Brian Sabean in San Francisco?

He's an inside guy, a contract guy, a batting cage guy, how can he be a front guy?

And, heaven knows, after his organization spent the last couple of weeks in chaos, Frank McCourt needs a front guy strong enough to make him disappear for a while.

Colletti could be out of his league, a guy who blinks hard under the Hollywood lights.

He's not a safe bet (Pat Gillick), or a sentimental bet (Orel Hershiser), or a nationally popular bet (Theo Epstein).

Of those three, only Gillick was offered the job, but their names filled local sports pages long before Colletti's appeared.

He wasn't the first, second, maybe not even the third choice.

But there are a couple of reasons he could be the right choice.

First, the Jeff Kent factor.

Kent is the Dodgers' most respected player, and he has often spoken of his admiration for Colletti as a front-office guy with people skills who understands his team.

Colletti worked diligently to keep relative peace in a place where Kent and Bonds so disliked each other, they once fought in the dugout. Insiders there say it could have been much worse.

Here's guessing that Kent recommended Colletti and will give him the clubhouse support to make tough decisions. And here's guessing that if Colletti spent last season with his finger on the clubhouse pulse, maybe the Kent and Milton Bradley feud ends before it starts.

Second, the Logan White factor.

The Dodger scouting director is the star of the organization, having built one of baseball's best low-level minor league systems, with last year's double-A Jacksonville club voted the minors' best.

Look for White to become one of Colletti's top evaluators, moving up perhaps even as assistant general manager, a situation that will work because Colletti will listen.

That's the thing about being 50 instead of 32. You know that you don't know it all. Colletti understands this, and will probably surround himself with smart people who will only make him look better.

Then, of course, there's the best thing about this hire.

It's a Giant killer.

Colletti worked in a small front office group where he will be sorely missed. Anything that hurts the Giants is good for the Dodgers, right?

We'll learn much about Colletti when he completes his first task, that of hiring a manager. He knows everybody in baseball, and he values experience and winning, so don't be surprised if his list is a bit different from the first one compiled by the last general manager.

Could Lou Piniella suddenly enter the mix? Maybe Jim Fregosi? Having worked in a couple of two-team markets, Colletti understands the importance of owning a town, so maybe he will call down the road to Bud Black?

Whatever Colletti does, expect that he has already started doing it, this old-school guy whose voice mailbox was full Tuesday night, the Dodgers' best hope for the calm after the storm.

Bill Plaschke can be reached at bill.plaschke@latimes.com. To read previous Plaschke columns, go to latimes.com/plaschke.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseba...adlines-sports

this was me this morning on my way to work. reading plaschke's ringing endorsement. i'm done.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Dodgers Saviour

You look at a pitcher like Maddux, in '87 he had an ugly statistical season, nothing that would tell you this pitcher was going to be one of best you'd see in 30, 40 years. Sometimes the numbers can just be misleading. Even Glavine, he had the same struggles. Just looking at his minor league numbers, especially in Richmond in '87, they weren't that good. It's in that type of evaluation where relying on stats can crush you. But I'm sure Atlanta knew he had the makeup and the ability to pitch, so they stuck with him, and it paid off.

Maddux was 13-1 at AAA in his age 20 and 21 seasons with an ERA in the 2's. Glavine had a 3.35 ERA in 150 innings at AAA in his age 21 season. Young pitchers with that kind of advanced ability are Grade A prospects.

As I said in my PM to LL, "Jesus Wept." The Dodgers are fooked.

[bagsangels]

when i heard the news that a giant GM would be ours, i litterally vometed. MCcourt u f ing piece of f ing crap, what the hell are u thinking? someone take him out, now! (go dodgers)

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by The Great Demo

http://www.latimes.com/sports/baseba...adlines-sports

Plaschke wrote that, didn't he? I don't even need to look. Nobody else writes so many god-damned one-sentence paragraphs. Hey Bill, try developing an idea. You know, make a statement, support it with facts and quotes, summarise your idea and segue into the next one. They teach you that at journalism school, don't they?

[Hotblack Desiato]

Originally Posted by Frank McCourt's Puppet

You look at a pitcher like Maddux, in '87 he had an ugly statistical season, nothing that would tell you this pitcher was going to be one of best you'd see in 30, 40 years.

Dip****, it was his rookie year. Of COURSE he's not going to perform completely. He was 10-1 with a 3.02 ERA at AAA the year before.

[Astros33Resurrected]

Originally Posted by Hotblack Desiato

Dip****, it was his rookie year. Of COURSE he's not going to perform completely. He was 10-1 with a 3.02 ERA at AAA the year before.

lets refrain from name calling