Dodgers News: Sandy Koufax Leaves Front Office
A couple of days ago, there was a great thing that happened where new Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda finally got to meet Sandy Koufax for the first time despite not knowing who Koufax happened to be. Well, that might have been the highlight of everything that transpired with Kofuax this training camp.
It’s now been made known that the 80-year old former Dodger and Hall of Fame pitcher is no longer affiliated with the team’s front office. He was a special adviser to team chairman Mark Walter, and he joined the organization back in 2013 after Walter and his crew took over ownership.
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From Andy McCullough, contact reporter at the Los Angeles Times:
MLB.com first reported Koufax’s departure. Lon Rosen, the team’s chief marketing officer, told the website that the departure was “very amicable.”
The good news here is that there was no hostility with Koufax leaving the front office or anything like that. It sounds like both sides came to a mutual understanding and that was that. You definitely don’t want to see an organization and franchise alienate one of their greatest players, and it looks like the Dodgers avoided doing that.
There’s no word on what the famed left-handed pitcher will go on and do now, but it’s quite clear that he won’t have a hand anything that the front office decides to do from here on out, and he definitely won’t be acting as as special adviser anymore. He’s sure to be missed at least in some capacity.
Koufax finished his Dodgers career with 165 wins, three Cy Young awards, one Most Valuable Player Award, and 2396 strikeouts in 2324.1 innings. He also helped bring the team three World Series titles, and was named World Series MVP two times. He was, simply put, a legend.
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Well this Dodger Ownership and Front Office may be brilliant in building a Team. The jury is still out on that. BUT as far as public relations these guys are Horrible let me just say it They SUCK AT IT…
They sign a TV deal where 70% of the LA Population cannot see the games, They allow Time Warner to decide to not air all of the Spring Games to the few die hard fans that can get the games.
And now they decide to sign Kasten’s buddy ATLANTA BRAVE Legend Maddux to take DODGER LEGEND Koufax’s slot??
Complete and utter Morons….
I hope that it was age related on his terms. But if these guys did anything to disrespect Koufax, then they have lost a hole lot of Dodger fans support including mine. People will forget them, but not the great SANDY KOUFAX.
robert20156h Sandy Koufax lives in Florida. All that traveling can take a toll, That’s basically it. Same reason why Nancy Bea retired (she lives in Nevada).
Tmaxster I will give you that this FO can’t help themselves or get out of their own way to avoid negative press. They are not very good communicators. But there is no way that Koufax was just summarily dismissed. Koufax is 80, and he acknowledges that he is still and will always be a Dodger. He has already announced that he will be back Opening Day. Koufax isn’t shy about letting people know if he does not want to be around. Just ask Fox. It was just his time. I do not care if Greg Maddux was a Brave or Cub, or a two time Dodger. What he is, is a HOF pitcher who knows how to pitch instead of just throwing. He will have a great influence on the young Dodger pitchers (if they listen), and according to some articles, he already has. The same will be true with the position players and Raul Ibanez, who was never a Dodger.
I do not live in LA anymore so I cannot comment on the TV deal. I have MLBtv so I will get the games. I do understand that there is a problem with the TV deal, and while management declares they can do nothing to resolve the issue, my guess is that they could exert some pressure to move the ordeal to a positive ending, and they should.
You are right that these guys need a PR makeover, but not because of Sandy Koufax.
AlwaysCompete Tmaxsterrobert20156h We should criticize the FO for their real problems, and not the made-up ones in our heads.
AlwaysCompete Tmaxster You are right with further clarification Koufax is 80 and lives in FL. So I do understand…
So my bad I will give the Ownership one back..
But that does not help with the Time Warner Deal and that one just keeps me angry…