Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES — I have to hand it to the guys at the Bleed Los Podcast. They have been getting a seeming endless supply of baseball insiders to join them on their terrific podcast. This week’s edition was no exception. Former Dodger GM and current SportsNet LA studio analyst Ned Colletti stopped by for an hour-long exclusive interview and this episode is definitely appointment listening for every true Dodger fan.
Early days in Chicago and San Francisco
Colletti’s story didn’t just start with his tenure as Dodgers GM during the turbulent Frank McCourt years. He grew up in Chicago and his first job in baseball was with the hometown Cubs. A PR executive with the club, he worked in the Chicago front office from 1982 to 1994. And as he rose in the ranks, he started to get noticed out west. First, he was hired by the San Francisco Giants and served as both director of baseball operations and assistant general manager for the Giants. During his time with the club, 1994-2005, the Giants had a winning record and several playoff appearances.
2005: Colletti joins the Dodgers
Then, he took his talents to Chavez Ravine, where he oversaw a transitional time in Dodger history as the O’Malley family transferred ownership of the team to Fox and then ultimately to Boston businessman Frank McCourt. It was McCourt who gave Colletti his chance to run a team. Of course, the McCourts’ reputation made it all the way to the Bay area. “I got a lot of it the first couple years they owned the club up in San Francisco,” he recalled. “Wow. I don’t know who these people are, but they take a beating in the papers. I think part of it was how they got along with people in the media, but the other part was… you’re talking about the O’Malley family. To be held side by side with the O’Malley family… my goodness!”
Though Colletti acknowledges McCourt’s shortcomings, he was very philosophical about his tenure with the team. “Not everything is going to be easy,” he explained. “Not everything is going to be laid out the way you would want it to lay out. I talked to somebody before I took the job, and I asked them, ‘What am I getting into?’ and they said ‘It’s a lot. But with your experience, and the things you’ve done in your life, maybe you can help the situation get better.”
Kershaw draft unforgettable
But most of the conversation with the Bleed Los team was about the Dodgers, and Colletti’s unique perspective on Dodger history. Of course, Colletti’s most lasting contribution to the team was the drafting of Clayton Kershaw out of high school in Texas in 2006. For Colletti, the whole thing was a bit of a nail-biter as they had no idea if the young lefty would still be around when it got to the Dodgers’ pick at number 7.
“The week before the draft, he goes out and throws a five-inning perfect game and strikes out every batter!” Colletti recalled. “We liked the guy, but we didn’t want everybody else to know about him!” However, once the Dodgers, were on the clock and Kershaw was still available Colletti didn’t hesitate. “Logan White, my scouting director came to me and said, ‘he’s there.” And I said, “Go! Go for it!”
Three Cy Youngs later, it has turned out to be probably the best baseball decision Colletti ever made.
The Art of the Deal, Colletti-style
In the wake of the blockbuster Scherzer/Turner trade, Colletti reflected on his own history of wheeling and dealing, and what it took to pull off a big trade like that at the deadline. “First thing you have to understand is that playing in Los Angeles is different than playing in almost any other city in major league baseball,” he explained. “You have a tremendously rabid fan base who’s paying attention every day, so you have to know if a player can play (here).”
Also a deal goes much farther than knowing the talent on the field. “You have to know the other GM,” he said, “You have to know their personality. You have to know if they are just going to string you along or if they’ll drop a few tell-tale signs into a conversation.”
For Coletti, it all comes down to relationships
The podcast is jammed with other gems from Coletti, but in the end being a general manager of big league ball club is no different than being a teacher at Pepperdine, a gig he’s had for five years now. “I don’t paint with a spray paint can,” he said wryly. “I paint with a fine brush. Because everyone is different.”
