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Franchises

New Dodgers Exec Andrew Friedman Offers Few Details On Plans For '15

New Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman was introduced Friday, but he "remained as much of a mystery as some of the advanced metrics used by the overachieving" Rays in his time as their GM, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. TIMES. Friedman offered "little insight into how his trademark small-market principles would be used to more efficiently operate a big-market franchise." While "acknowledging the necessity of signing star-caliber players to long-term contracts in one breath, he preached financial restraint in the next." Friedman: "When you're solving for talent, having star players is a critical part of having success. That being said, it's really important to do as much as you can to put yourself in the position to pay for what a player will do, not necessarily for what they have done." Friedman "wouldn't say whether the Dodgers would decrease their payroll," which was a record $240M this year. Though Friedman "worked with great autonomy" in Tampa, he said that he "didn't envision any problems working under a hands-on executive" such as Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten. Friedman does not think that the Dodgers' "marketing concerns would influence whether he could make certain player-personnel moves." Meanwhile, Friedman on confirmed Don Mattingly "would manage the team next season" and that a GM would be hired (L.A. TIMES, 10/18). In L.A., Steve Dilbeck wrote Friedman showed up and "came across pretty much as expected -- bright, embracing numbers, likable, all humble, and about as forthcoming as J.D. Salinger." He "seems polite, confident, very careful." Dilbeck: "Not the socially awkward type like the Dodgers' last sabermetics guy, Paul DePodesta" (L.A. TIMES, 10/18). Meanwhile, ESPN L.A.'s Mark Saxon cited sources as saying that Friedman "has spoken" to former Padres GM Josh Byrnes about the Dodgers' opening. But Friedman said that he "isn't ready to announce who his GM will be or how the duties will be split" (ESPNLA.com, 10/17).

COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? In Boston, Nick Cafardo writes if Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw "pitches to his capabilities" in the NLDS, "are we talking about Andrew Friedman replacing" former GM Ned Colletti? Maybe there were "discussions even prior to Kershaw’s problems, but how could the Dodgers replace their GM if they made the NLCS and maybe the World Series?" Cafardo: "If you’re Don Mattingly, you’d better have a good 2015 after Friedman said he’s sticking with you." Rays manager Joe Maddon is a free agent after '15, and if he "doesn’t sign an extension with Tampa, Maddon, a southern California resident, could go to LA and become the new Tom Lasorda" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/20).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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