News and Notes in November

• In his Nov. 12 Column, Bill Plaschke wrote a feature on long time Dodger scout George Genovese. Genovese recently was forced to take a 56% pay cut from $18,000 to $8,000.

"Genovese was told his salary was being whacked because of "budget cuts," and, sure, why not?

Ten grand, and Jamie now doesn't have to worry about skinny jeans.

Ten grand, and now Frank can go the extra mile on that Gulfstream.

"I love the Dodgers, I'll always love the Dodgers, but I was like, 'C'mon,' " Genovese said.

At the time, he was far more upset than he will ever admit today, so he immediately began doing what he has done throughout his 70 years in baseball -- coaching, coaxing, finagling, selling.

He tried to talk the Dodgers into only cutting his salary to $12,000.

"That's $1,000 a month, an easy figure, makes sense to me," he said.

The Dodgers said no.

They had also slashed his annual expenses from $5,000 to $2,000, so Genovese tried to talk them into an extra $1,000 there.

"Do you know what gas costs?" he said. "What's an extra $1,000 a year for gas?"

The Dodgers said no."

• On a positive note, both Matt Kemp and Orlando Hudson won the Gold Glove award for their respective positions. Kemp, along with Andre Ethier, each won Silver Slugger awards as well.

• Prior to Game 6 of the World Series, Fred Claire, former General Manager of the ballclub, said that trading Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields was the worst trade of his tenure as GM. Tell us something we didn’t know.

• Speaking of Fred Claire. He recently wrote a column on mlb.com honoring the life of John Scolinos, who recently died at the age of 91. He won three national championships, 1976, '80 and '83, as head coach of Cal Poly Pomona. He retired in 1991 as the winningest coach in Division II history.

• Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, told the LA Times last week that he would be interested in buying the Dodgers if the situation were right. However, the Dodgers are not for sale. So for the foreseeable future, Los Angeles will be stuck with an incompetent owner walking the halls of Chavez Ravine. And that stands for both Frank and Jamie.

• Former Dodgers minor leaguer Jonathan Figueroa died on Nov. 8 of complications from Lupas Disease. Lupas, who turned 26 in September, is survived by his wife, Katitiana, a five-year-old son, Victor, and a one-year-old daughter, Victoria.

It's Official: Mannywood Will Stay Open

Dodgers Left Fielder Manny Ramirez notified the Dodger Friday that he would exercise his option to remain on the team for the 2010 season. The player option will guarantee Ramirez $20 million next season.

by Ken Gurnick/MLB.com

"Ramirez in March signed a contract for $25 million guaranteed in 2009 and a player option for '10. Ramirez had until Tuesday to notify the club.

Boras said Ramirez felt that his comfort level playing in Los Angeles was the overriding factor in his decision, although he had told teammates the grind of playing defense every day was taking a toll on his 37-year-old body and he was tempted to explore teams that might be interested in him as a designated hitter.

However, finding anything close to a $20 million salary in an uncertain economic climate, combined with the baggage of his 50-game PED suspension this year, made free agency an unattractive proposition for Ramirez, who hit .290 with 19 homers and 63 RBIs in 104 games this season."

It's a good start of the reloading process Ned Colletti will have to undertake to bring the 2010 World Series to Los Angeles. Manny is only human and he had to be mentally exhausted from the cloud of the 50-game suspension and learning that he was on the 2003 PED list. With the off season to recuperate and a full spring training to get in shape, Manny should be back to the powerful offensive force he was in 2008.

In all likelihood, Colletti will be alone in the process of reloading the ball club as the ownership "Power Couple" will be spending the off-season in the courtroom, rather than at Dodger Stadium working with Colletti on acquiring an Ace to bring stability to the rotation.

How Did the McCourt's Purchase the Dodgers

The new website, Dodger Divorce, has a interesting post on exactly how the McCourt's purchased the Dodgers.

Check out the link.

Mannywood will stay open in 2010,

The Dodgers have quite a bit of work to accomplish this off-season if they hope to advance past the NLCS and into the World Series for the first time since 1988. Manny Ramirez is helping the cause as he is expected to exercise his $20 million option for the 2010 season, according to a report by SI.com reporter Jon Heyman.



After the 50-game suspension, Manny was not the same player fans had grown accustomed to seeing during the 2008 season. As a result, a large group of fans rallied behind Juan Pierre and turned their backs on Ramirez.

I guess, in a way, the criticism was justified, but the alternative of Pierre was not a viable solution to the problem. Pierre’s avg. was never quite what it was during his breakout month in May. It bottomed out in September when he hit a measly .191 for the month. When a player, who probably has less of a chance of hitting a homerun than Chad Billingsley, can’t hit above the Mendoza Line, he certainly wouldn’t replace one of the greatest right-handed hitters in history.



Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate what Juan Pierre did for the Dodgers during Manny’s suspension. He deserves all the praise he got and will continue to receive from the Los Angeles fans. I have always been a fan of his from the moment the Blue Crew signed him, which is more than I can say for the majority of Dodgertown.

Throughout the 2007 and 2008 seasons, one of the only consistent thing all Dodger fans had in common was that General Manager Ned Colletti was clueless for signing and overpaying ole’ noodle arm Juan Pierre. In fact, until Manny was suspended, fans consistently labeled him as “Punch and Judy” hitter who probably couldn’t throw farther than an 8-year old girl. I find it odd that fans would suddenly start cheering a player they hated so adamantly. I find it even odder that those same fans were so tough on Manny upon his return. After all, no matter what he did, he still wore that Dodger uniform.

The news of Manny returning to the Dodgers is a great for all parties involved. It’s great for the “Power Couple” because whichever one of the two ends up with the team will continue to earn huge money off of the Mannywood marketing campaign. Fans win because Manny is always a power threat when he is at the plate and he one of the few players that interacts with the fans while on the field. Most players wouldn’t take the time to wave at the fans before the start of each inning. And Manny wins because he can regain his old power hitting form in the friendly environment of Chavez Ravine and earn a big payday for the 2011 season. And with a full Spring-Training and no 50-game suspensions standing in his way, he should have no problem being the 2008 Manny Ramirez of August and September.

Thoughts on the McCourt Chaos, Who Should be Running the Team

In a time when Dodger fans should be reflecting on the satisfactory 2009 season or looking forward to off-season moves and the 2010 season, most are wrapped up in the soap opera like divorce of Frank and Jamie McCourt. The McCourt’s have chosen to make this divorce a public circus and now it is nothing short of chaos.



This will more than likely drag into next season and can serve as a hue distraction. Manny Ramirez, who in all likelihood return to the team, shouldn’t have to answer question of the “Power Couple’s” divorce. Unfortunately, that is exactly what is going to happen. Major cuts to payroll and stadium maintenance will probably occur to cover lawyer bills and settlements. It will have a major effect on the ballclub’s competitiveness. They better get the job done in 2010, because there may not be much left after.

If both Frank and Jamie play hardball, which looks to be the case, and refuse to let the other buy them out, it could mean chaos for the team and for the stadium. In all likelihood the team will be sold. Whether Chavez Ravine is sold with the team or separately could affect the way Dodger fans will see Dodger games. The Long ago rumored stadium in Downtown could become a reality for a new owner and fans may be bidding Dodger Stadium farewell. Or worse, What is to stop a new owner from relocating the team to a new city all together. Although it’s not likely, one can never know.

If that horror story were to come true, it’s still a while away. The Dodgers need to focus on the present, which is building towards the 2010 season. Since Frank McCourt seems to be the McCourt running things nowadays, let’s discuss what his status on the ballclub should be. His first priority should be to put a quick end to his divorce from Jamie and move on. Until that happens, Frank needs to step back and allow some others to run the ballclub.

Need some ideas... How about teaming Ned Colletti, Kim Ng, and Logan White together with strong input from Joe Torre?



Kim Ng, vice president and general manager, has been with the team for eight years. She has interviewed for several General Manager’s positions, most recently with the San Diego Padres, and is seen by the baseball community as a great young rising executive.



Logan White, assistant General Manager, scouting, has been with the team for six years. Prior to the 2009 season, he served under the title, director of armature scouting. In that role, he headed up the draft selections of players like Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, James Loney, Matt Kemp and Eric Stults. Clearly, He can spot young talent and knows his stuff. I would make Ng the president of the Dodgers, and have Colletti consult her before any and all transactions occur. White would move into Ng’s current position and be Ned’s right-hand man.

Both Ng and White have what it takes and will be GM’s on a team within the next couple of years. So the Dodgers should put these rising front-office stars to use before they are gone.

McCourt separation/divorce running timeline

Here is a timeline of the McCourt separation/divorce fiasco. I will keep updating this as events unfold.

2009

Nov. 5: A Superior Court Commissioner ruled today that Jamie McCourt would not be reinstated as CEO of the Dodgers. However, the ownership is still in question. link

Nov. 4: On his blog, Dodger Divorce,Joshua Fisher is reporting that the first court hearing, or battle, between the "Power Couple" is scheduled to occur tomorrow. The battle of the Dodgers will begin at this hearing and will in all likelihood carry over to the Dec. 1 hearing. Also at stake is Jamie's role on the Dodgers. Will she or won't she be reinstated as team CEO. I guess we will soon find out. link

Oct. 30: According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, Jamie McCourt will have a tough time proving she is co-owner of the Dodgers. The reason being that Frank McCourt has a document that entitles him to "all assets of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team." The document was signed by Jamie. link

Oct. 27: Jamie McCourt officially files for divorce from Frank McCourt. She is asking the court to reinstate her as CEO of the Dodgers and half of the team. Jon Weisman, Dodgers blogger for the L.A. Times highlighted some of the main points of the filing. link

Frank McCourt countered with his own filing. He is asking the court to name him the sole owner of the Dodgers and to handle the bigger divorce case later. link

Oct. 25: TMZ has posted photo’s on its website of Jamie McCourt having lunch with former Dodgers Director of Protocol, Jeff Fuller. Fuller was fired by the Dodgers in mid-October. link

Oct 24: Major League Baseball’s commissioner’s office claims it will watch the ownership dispute between Frank and Jamie closely, but are not expecting it to have a major impact of the day-to-day operations of the Dodgers. link

Oct 23: Details of the letter, signed by Frank McCourt to Jamie McCourt firing her from the ballclub, began to surface. Frank claims that Jamie’s behavior was insubordinate and inappropriate. The letter also advises Jamie McCourt to contact team human relations personnel to arrange "a time and date to gather your personal belongings." link

Copy of The Letter

Oct 22: Frank McCourt fires his estranged wife Jamie McCourt from her position as CEO of the team. Jamie’s attorney said that the decision of whether or not she would continue to occupy her office at Dodger Stadium would depend on the outcome of court proceedings that would begin in the next couple of weeks. link

Oct 20: The Dodgers resign General Manager Ned Colletti, showing hope that the McCourt’s could still operate the club while going through their divorce. link

Oct. 16: Both Frank and Jamie McCourt claim ownership of the Dodgers. Frank’s attorney claims his client has sole ownership of the ballclub, while Jamie’s attorney says she owns 50% of the club. link

Oct. 15: Jamie McCourt, through a statement by her attorney, said she had no interest in surrendering her ownership with the Dodgers and has no plans to leave her post as Chief Executive Officer of the ballclub. link

Oct. 14: News broke in the early evening of the eve of Game 1 of the NLCS that Los Angeles’ “Power Couple” of 2008 were separating after nearly 30 years of marriage. No reason was given as to why the McCourt’s separated, but reporters were told that it was a private issue. link

Philadelphia Phillies: An Official Rival

Editors note: Clearly, I stopped updating the blog during the second half of the season. I apologize for that . I still followed the Blue Crew as closely as I ever have and will be blogging during the off-season full time leading into the 2010 season



Well, another season has ended and once again the Dodgers have had its run towards October baseball immortality dashed by the dreaded Phillies.

In a lot of Dodger fans eyes, the Phillies are now an established rival. In the 70’s and 80’s it was the Cincinnati Reds, The San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees have always been Dodger rivals dating back to Brooklyn, the Braves and the Dodgers had a mini rivalry of sorts in the early to mid 90s, and now the Philadelphia Phillies have joined the fold in a big way.

The most hated man in Chavez Ravine, which was a position occupied by Barry Bonds for about 15 years, is now held by Shane Victorino. Not only that, but he played a lot like Bonds as well. In the NLCS, Victorino hit .368, and had two home runs and six RBIs.

The starting lineup for Philadelphia includes Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Jayson Werth, Carlos Ruiz and Victorino. All of which came up big against the Dodgers. It was a true power hitting lineup that is usually seen exclusively in the American League.

The rivalry was born after the 2008 NLCD and is now in full force after the 2009 NLCS.

With the exception of the Yankees series, it will be the hottest tickets of the season.