Dodgers need a new map

09-NOV-05
Random notes, idle thoughts and getting seasick with the Los Angeles Dodgers...
The Dodgers' exploration for a new general manager is beginning to resemble Christopher Columbus' voyage.
Ostensibly on his way to India, Columbus bumped into the New World.
Ostensibly on their way to hiring an experienced general manager with an attractive resume like Pat Gillick or Jim Bowden, the Dodgers have sailed into uncharted territory, too.
It worked out for Columbus. Maybe it will work out for the Dodgers.
But with former Texas general manager John Hart and Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng now topping the list of candidates, it's clear that owner Frank McCourt fired Paul DePodesta before knowing where he was going next.
"Leadership is a very important characteristic for a general manager to have, as well as a keen eye for talent, an ability to communicate, and the experience to do the job," McCourt said less than two weeks ago after he suddenly dumped his GM of 21 months. "We're committed to doing this with dispatch. We're very mindful of the importance of the offseason."
At that point it sounded like he had someone specific in mind, maybe even someone reputable all lined up and ready to go.
Nope.
The lesson of the "importance of the offseason" is only two years old. That's when free agent Vladimir Guerrero was ready to come to the Dodgers, but lame duck General Manager Dan Evans couldn't get permission to close the deal during the transition of ownership from News Corp. to McCourt. This winter's free agent activity is about to heat up, with Ng temporarily (or maybe not) in charge. You might call it absurd to have one person begin the roster reshaping process and have another finish it. I'd call it typical.
Meanwhile, the team hasn't had a manager for five weeks. Actually, it didn't have a manager for about two months last fall, as renewal negotiations between DePodesta and Jim Tracy dragged on into December. They only fire people in a hurry around Dodger Stadium.
Bobby Valentine might be Tommy Lasorda's top pick for manager, and probably a good one. But Valentine, fresh off a Japanese World Series title for the Chiba Lotte Marines, has become a cult figure there, reportedly will make as much as $4 million next year, and has found a mission in life promoting Japanese baseball. Or he could work for McCourt for a lot less money and have Lasorda in his ear. Is that a choice?
_The American League Cy Young Award was a referendum between a starting pitcher who had a pretty good year, Bartolo Colon, and a future Hall of Fame reliever who had, perhaps, his greatest year ever, Mariano Rivera. Respect for relief pitching may be at a zenith, but starters still rule. Colon in a landslide.
_What AL playoff team besides Boston may be getting rid of its cleanup hitter? OK, it's a trick question because Bengie Molina only made a cameo appearance as the Angels No. 4 guy in the postseason. But you wonder why the punchless Angels seem so cavalier about letting Molina go, considering the state of that offense.
Boston's cleanup hitter, Manny Ramirez, seemingly has a limited number of places to go because of his personal preferences and what he would cost his new team. The New York Mets and the Angels are the best bets.
Last summer when the Red Sox were in Angel Stadium, Ramirez was seen chatting at length before games with Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera and Guerrero. Bet we can guess what they were talking about.
_The Bowl Championship Series folks are breathing easily these days. USC and Texas are so far out in front of the field that only a bizarre upset of one of those two would throw the BCS into its usual end-of-season turmoil. Shoot. The turmoil was so much more fun.
_I'm guessing Terrell Owens will never again see anything close to the seven-year, $49 million contract he is forfeiting, the deal that he finds so insultingly low.
_Landon Donovan, with a Major League Soccer-record 14 goals in career postseason play, has been so impressive in the playoffs that he should have a nickname. Unfortunately "Mr. October and November" doesn't roll off the tongue.
_UC Riverside's basketball team unveiled its frenetic game against the University of Redlands' equally hyper style in an exhibition Saturday, scoring a 162-123 victory over the feisty but overmatched Division III kids. New UCR coach David Spencer sees the so-called "System" as the Highlanders' best chance to upset teams with superior talent and attract some attention to the stagnating program. But he knows traditionalists, like one old friend and mentor, would frown.
"I'd hate to have Pete Newell come to one of our games," Spencer joked last week. "He'd disown me."
At least a couple of Big West coaches don't think UCR's radical style will rattle their sensibilities.
"Not at all," Long Beach State's Larry Reynolds said. "It's just very up-tempo, getting up and down the court. We'll be right there with them."
Said Bobby Braswell of Cal State Northridge: "It'll be a real track meet. We don't mind playing up-tempo. We play the same kind of pressure defense, too."
UCR opens its high RPM show at Washington State and Portland on Nov. 19 and 20. The first home race, er, game comes against the University of San Diego on Nov. 26. Leave your pre-conceived notions of college basketball at home.

Source: http://www.shns.com/