Amid a whirlwind of rumor-chasing and finger-pointing in Los Angeles, there's a sense of peace that will come out of the order Dodgers' GM Ned Colletti is determined to set. His chessmates are currently sitting back 4 games of the NL West-leading (cough) San Diego Padres.
Anyone can have a spectacular start to a season. It's April. The pitchers are still finding their grip, hitters are getting their vision focused on seeing better pitches, and managers are understanding their roster and get to play their part in deciding who is getting a better grip and who has their vision pinpointed.
Colletti revealed recently that he isn't pleased with his team's current direction. While there is still 85% of the season remaining, his displeasure with discourse (this team was picked by many to win their division) is evident in his shots taken at the team's most consistent and multi-talented player, outfielder Matt Kemp.
Kemp is having a good start at the plate, leading the team in home runs, and has manned every game in center field this season. Even with the fielding miscues, manager Joe Torre trusted him enough to make him one of only two players to play all 18 innings of Tuesday's doubleheader against the New York Mets (Jamey Carroll was the other). Where does the GM find fault in Matt Kemp?
But this team is struggling defensively and on the mound -- solid pitching has always been a staple for the Dodgers.
Make no mistake, this Dodgers team is layered with young talent. Names like Billingsley, Kemp, Ethier, Kershaw, and Broxton were prospects that now foster a home-grown environment that would make Martha Stewart proud. Colletti is upset with his team's current cellar-dwelling stance the same way a father is upset with his son for not trying his best. Can you fault a guy who's first job in baseball was in public relations?
He's dealt with controversy many times since his hiring in 2005. Colletti once had the hot-headed Milton Bradley dealt for a young prospect named Ethier. He had to deal with Jeff Kent's non-leadership in 2007. He STILL has the Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, and Andruw Jones signings...and departures, for that matter (the team is still paying part of each person's salary). Being in 'Mannywood' is nothing short of a drama.
So, now the proper PR move is for Colletti to publicly apologize to Kemp. Then Kemp's agent is supposed to protect his player by reading off the stats and throating the intangibles at us. We'll get the manager's perspective -- which will warrant a neutral statement Bill Clinton would be jealous of. Then Colletti or McCourt will try to hush everything by sitting by the dugout and hugging the players in the clubhouse (which cameras present, of course).
It's so standard. But, you never see the Pittsburgh Pirates in this situation because they don't have the expectations that should be there. The Dodgers are dedicated to winning, they support the system, and they have the right guy leading the rush to October. Cut the guy some slack, he's 'passionate' (as he wants to be referred to as) about seeing his son succeed.
And don't forget. The Padres are in first place.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Pay To Stay
Pay the man.
Pay him handsomely.
Butler's basketball head coach, Brad Stevens, deserves to be paid amongst the top fifteen or so coaches throughout NCAA basketball. His gritty savvy produces the best defensive unit we've seen in years and is making universities, such as Oregon, lick their chops at a chance to let the dollar dogs feed.
Note to Butler: Don't even give them the opportunity to drool.
In three seasons, he has been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year twice (2009, 2010), has an overall record of 89-15 (49-5 in conference play), and has won SIX games in the NCAA tournament. He may have a future Naismith Player of the Year in-the-making in Gordon Hayward. Stevens not only has the credentials, he has the talent to add even more muscle to an already impressive, albeit shor
t, resume. Butler has been labeled a mid-major which often translates to lower-level recruits. Keeping Stevens as the main man will instill the Bulldogs with the swagger to keep top recruits from leaving 510 W. 49th St. in Indianapolis.
Of course, there are some exceptions to what Butler can afford to pay the 33-year-old. Not because of their willingness (hello, alumni) but because there are 13 head coaches in Division I who make over a million bucks a year, according to About.com. True, some may have sponsorship deals and bonuses to make their salary seem modest, especially since private schools are not as inclined to be specific as their public counterparts, who often have their coaches among their respective state's highest-paid public employee.
The future of Butler basketball should be handled as an investment. Some may heed caution, referring to the Matta/Lickliter/Stevens timeline as an indicator that the system can remain the same while the operator just keeps pushing the buttons. No matter. The Big Blue machine has built up steam and could ultimately break down if they let Stevens leave.
The future is the opportunity to improve their facilities, possibly join a power conference ripe for expansion (the Big Ten has publicly stated they are looking for a 12th team), and take basketball and turn it into a cash cow, benefiting the entire school's athletics. It's a chance to mirror the school that operates most similar to "The Butler Way" (term coined by Athletic Director, former Butler coach Barry Collier), the University of Duke -- the 2010 NCAA champion to the Bulldogs' runner-up.
And that's not a bad thing.
Stevens is currently signed for $350,000 per season until the 2015-16 campaign. Indystar.com has stated that he expected to get a raise.
Pay him handsomely.
Butler's basketball head coach, Brad Stevens, deserves to be paid amongst the top fifteen or so coaches throughout NCAA basketball. His gritty savvy produces the best defensive unit we've seen in years and is making universities, such as Oregon, lick their chops at a chance to let the dollar dogs feed.
Note to Butler: Don't even give them the opportunity to drool.
In three seasons, he has been named the Horizon League Coach of the Year twice (2009, 2010), has an overall record of 89-15 (49-5 in conference play), and has won SIX games in the NCAA tournament. He may have a future Naismith Player of the Year in-the-making in Gordon Hayward. Stevens not only has the credentials, he has the talent to add even more muscle to an already impressive, albeit shor
t, resume. Butler has been labeled a mid-major which often translates to lower-level recruits. Keeping Stevens as the main man will instill the Bulldogs with the swagger to keep top recruits from leaving 510 W. 49th St. in Indianapolis.Of course, there are some exceptions to what Butler can afford to pay the 33-year-old. Not because of their willingness (hello, alumni) but because there are 13 head coaches in Division I who make over a million bucks a year, according to About.com. True, some may have sponsorship deals and bonuses to make their salary seem modest, especially since private schools are not as inclined to be specific as their public counterparts, who often have their coaches among their respective state's highest-paid public employee.
The future of Butler basketball should be handled as an investment. Some may heed caution, referring to the Matta/Lickliter/Stevens timeline as an indicator that the system can remain the same while the operator just keeps pushing the buttons. No matter. The Big Blue machine has built up steam and could ultimately break down if they let Stevens leave.
The future is the opportunity to improve their facilities, possibly join a power conference ripe for expansion (the Big Ten has publicly stated they are looking for a 12th team), and take basketball and turn it into a cash cow, benefiting the entire school's athletics. It's a chance to mirror the school that operates most similar to "The Butler Way" (term coined by Athletic Director, former Butler coach Barry Collier), the University of Duke -- the 2010 NCAA champion to the Bulldogs' runner-up.
And that's not a bad thing.
Stevens is currently signed for $350,000 per season until the 2015-16 campaign. Indystar.com has stated that he expected to get a raise.
Monday, May 18, 2009
The Exit Ramp!
Greetings Baseball Bloggers:
The Exit Ramp is current as of today, May 18, 2009.
Number for today: 46,572.
Maniac Monday. Thirsty Thursday. Sabermetric Sunday???
Not feel like going to a ballgame tonight? What if there were free hot dogs? Or a t-shirt giveaway with your favorite team's logo on the front and 'Pepsi' on the sleeve? No? If that won't get you out from in front of your laptop and make you gather up your wife, girlfriend, and 2.1 children and pay $35 a ticket, then maybe this will.
Wa..wait.You haven't left have you? Oh well, maybe you can read this at the game instead.
Go ahead. Wait until the third inning and crack open your Mac and we'll continue. You'll need your computer anyways to track the box scores anymore, as well as order your first margarita (remember, you're the one driving, Dad). Or maybe not.
And, if you've moved forward into the SmartPhone generation of cell phone users, you can go to the ballpark and receive all the perks of being a baseball techie without bringing along any extra baggage (well, besides the wife, girlfriend, and 2.1 kids). And yes, you can still bring your glove.
In San Francisco, former owner Peter McGowan made a written remark in late 2007 aimed at those in the Giants organization directly involved in the telecommunications at, aptly named, AT&T Park. Since then, the park has moved forward from the analog switch and created its own Wi-Fi network that gives logged on users, for a price, the ability to find specific delicacies and see replays of calls 'allowed' by the t-comm system administrators. This advancement could be essential for the iPhone user at Wrigley and Fenway, but at Chase Field, you wouldn't need a second look; it's already screamed at you in HD on a screen 136 feet wide by 46 feet tall.
Not all these upgrades will keep the average taxpayer (is there such a thing anymore?) coming to the ballpark. It may get them to fork over the $2 price tag for use of the network, but they may just might as well check their e-mail and read this blog rather than check who is warming their arm in the bullpen. Sure, the pop-up capabilities are there but consumers have practically become immune to pop-up ads the way they are to small pox.
So while so many Major League stadiums are catering to those inside the ballpark, where is the creative promotion selling something other than a church group night? We need these now, as it's not like it was when Jackie Robinson commanded a crowd of 46,572 when the Dodgers visited the Cubs for an 18-inning affair on this date.
I'm not saying that attendance is suffering, because it's not. I'm only saying that franchises are looking at cost-cutting moves (main reason McGowan wrote his memo in the first place) without sacrificing the 'experience' that sums up the raising ticket prices.
And in San Francisco, one of the more eco-friendly cities in this country, why not stop pushing paper products and start promoting wireless access to not only the internet, but also the ballpark, especially when it should cost less for the franchise over the long-term.
The advent of the SmartPhone should allow for the capability to 'beam' your ticket to the ticket-takers and never have to tear anything and throw it away. There are turnstiles with the 'beam' feature, for security reasons, and they could serve a combined purpose of keeping lines moving and patrons safe.
Now, getting fans to the ballpark when the team isn't winning can be difficult and, depending on how bad, could lead to many $1 hot dog nights. Not that's there is anything wrong with that, but for the true baseball fan who is there to watch the game, learn the players, and track the pitch counts, those things don't matter.
They're our stats and we want 'em now!
Send us ticket vouchers two hours before the game starts. We may just go. Have local restaurants' coupons sent to me in the 8th inning. Aren't selling as many programs as you'd like? Send a discounted rate to us for purchasing programs of the entire season, directly to us on our phones. Even if we don't attend the game.
That's the power of the network.
The Exit Ramp is current as of today, May 18, 2009.
Number for today: 46,572.
Maniac Monday. Thirsty Thursday. Sabermetric Sunday???
Not feel like going to a ballgame tonight? What if there were free hot dogs? Or a t-shirt giveaway with your favorite team's logo on the front and 'Pepsi' on the sleeve? No? If that won't get you out from in front of your laptop and make you gather up your wife, girlfriend, and 2.1 children and pay $35 a ticket, then maybe this will.
Wa..wait.You haven't left have you? Oh well, maybe you can read this at the game instead.
Go ahead. Wait until the third inning and crack open your Mac and we'll continue. You'll need your computer anyways to track the box scores anymore, as well as order your first margarita (remember, you're the one driving, Dad). Or maybe not.
And, if you've moved forward into the SmartPhone generation of cell phone users, you can go to the ballpark and receive all the perks of being a baseball techie without bringing along any extra baggage (well, besides the wife, girlfriend, and 2.1 kids). And yes, you can still bring your glove.
In San Francisco, former owner Peter McGowan made a written remark in late 2007 aimed at those in the Giants organization directly involved in the telecommunications at, aptly named, AT&T Park. Since then, the park has moved forward from the analog switch and created its own Wi-Fi network that gives logged on users, for a price, the ability to find specific delicacies and see replays of calls 'allowed' by the t-comm system administrators. This advancement could be essential for the iPhone user at Wrigley and Fenway, but at Chase Field, you wouldn't need a second look; it's already screamed at you in HD on a screen 136 feet wide by 46 feet tall.
Not all these upgrades will keep the average taxpayer (is there such a thing anymore?) coming to the ballpark. It may get them to fork over the $2 price tag for use of the network, but they may just might as well check their e-mail and read this blog rather than check who is warming their arm in the bullpen. Sure, the pop-up capabilities are there but consumers have practically become immune to pop-up ads the way they are to small pox.
So while so many Major League stadiums are catering to those inside the ballpark, where is the creative promotion selling something other than a church group night? We need these now, as it's not like it was when Jackie Robinson commanded a crowd of 46,572 when the Dodgers visited the Cubs for an 18-inning affair on this date.
I'm not saying that attendance is suffering, because it's not. I'm only saying that franchises are looking at cost-cutting moves (main reason McGowan wrote his memo in the first place) without sacrificing the 'experience' that sums up the raising ticket prices.
And in San Francisco, one of the more eco-friendly cities in this country, why not stop pushing paper products and start promoting wireless access to not only the internet, but also the ballpark, especially when it should cost less for the franchise over the long-term.
The advent of the SmartPhone should allow for the capability to 'beam' your ticket to the ticket-takers and never have to tear anything and throw it away. There are turnstiles with the 'beam' feature, for security reasons, and they could serve a combined purpose of keeping lines moving and patrons safe.
Now, getting fans to the ballpark when the team isn't winning can be difficult and, depending on how bad, could lead to many $1 hot dog nights. Not that's there is anything wrong with that, but for the true baseball fan who is there to watch the game, learn the players, and track the pitch counts, those things don't matter.
They're our stats and we want 'em now!
Send us ticket vouchers two hours before the game starts. We may just go. Have local restaurants' coupons sent to me in the 8th inning. Aren't selling as many programs as you'd like? Send a discounted rate to us for purchasing programs of the entire season, directly to us on our phones. Even if we don't attend the game.
That's the power of the network.
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