Saturday, March 20, 2004
LA’s Odd Couple
Posted by Matthew NameeIn today's LA Times, new Dodger GM Paul DePodesta says that Tommy Lasorda "is the living embodiment of what the Dodgers are all about. It would be foolish if we didn't utilize his experience and expertise." Lasorda will help out in various ways, particularly in the player development area.
I've gotta say, DePo's saying all the right stuff. Lasorda was apparently hurt by the previous Dodger regime, saying, "I guess some people didn't want to listen to what I had to say."
Tommy Lasorda deserves his Hall of Fame plaque for being an excellent manager, but he's definitely not the sort of guy DePodesta would want managing his ballclub. Tommy was the most emotional manager I've ever seen, and that served him well in his World Series run in 1988. He's certainly a different breed than his predecessor, Walt Alston, and the current Dodger manager, Jim Tracy.
I'm really glad that DePodesta has reached out to Lasorda, trying to build a bridge. The jury's still out on the McCourts as owners, but Paul DePodesta has yet to make a mistake in his young GM career.
Matthew Namee cofounded The Hardball Times in 2004, when he was working as the assistant to baseball author and Red Sox executive Bill James. Matthew still lives in Kansas, where he is currently pursuing a law degree. He can be reached at mfnamee [at] gmail [dot] com.