Dodgers Team News

Dodgers News: Andrew Friedman Does Q&A Session

Today over at the Los Angeles Times, they released a question-and-answer session with Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. In there, many questions were asked about how team feels about the offseason, upcoming season, and everything else.

It was a very fascinating piece that helped you delve into the mind of one of the Dodgers’ most powerful decision makers as he attempts to bring the first championship back to the city since 1988. Friedman answered everything about as eloquently as you would expect him to.




ICYMI: Puig, Seager Among ESPN’s 16 Players To Watch


From the LA Times when Friedman was asked about comparing this year’s team to last year’s:

We just haven’t done a comparison to last year. It’s much more about how we like our chances in the 2016 season compared to the teams that we’re competing against.

Naturally, you would expect this sort of answer. Very few general managers choose to compare the rosters on a season-by-season basis, but rather compare them to the rest of the teams that they’re going to be in direct competition against. Because of that, it’s hard to really answer this question.

Friedman’s response when asked how to define a successful season:

I tend to try to look at it as two parts. It is more difficult to accomplish your ultimate goal without accomplishing your regular-season goal. That being said, our postseason goals have not been met, and we’re doing everything we can to put ourselves in position to meet those goals as well.

If you’re trying to decipher this, it basically means that it’s not a “championship or bust” mentality going on there. He is right. The regular season does matter a lot. And you can’t get to the postseason without at least meeting some goals during the regular season. It’s the postseason that feels like a crapshoot.

Friedman was asked about fans wondering why the front office isn’t talking about the World Series more:

I think all of us are perfectly aligned in the sense of doing all that we can to bring a World Series back to Los Angeles. With that comes doing everything we can to not only put ourselves in a position to do that, but to be able to have a chance of doing it multiple times in future years.

It’s a tough thing to do. He’s basically saying that the front office is trying to cut some cost, inject some youth into the roster, and build something for the long-term. The front office is doing everything they can to bring a title to Los Angeles, and fans need to understand that.

So, read through the entire Los Angeles Times article as it’s filled with great answers to a variety of questions. You won’t be sorry for it. I think fans will walk away with a greater sense of understanding as far as Andrew Friedman is concerned.

Dodgers News: Adrian Gonzalez Is A Top-5 1B

 

Staff Writer

Staff Writer features content written by our site editors along with our staff of contributing writers. Thank you for your readership.

4 Comments

  1. All Dodger fans should read this interview because Bill Shaikin has finally got Friedman to admit what many of us have long believed: he does not define success as winning the World Series. Yes, it’s a goal, but, and I quote: “I just don’t subscribe to the notion that there’s one success story and 29 failures in any given season.” How does he define success? “Winning your division is a very successful regular season.”

    These are the sentiments of a passionless technocrat who calculates the numbers, measures the angles and avoids long odds. Winning it all is nice, but that’s so difficult, he can settle for being in the top five.

    We in Southern California have witnessed many champions in many sports: John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Billy Jean King, Pete Sampras, Serena Williams, John McKay, Pete Carroll, Magic Johnson, Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Sandy Koufax, Maury Wills, Tom Lasorda, Kirk Gibson. What drove them all was an unwavering determination to be the last one standing, not to just be in the top five. 

    Yes, winning the World Series is difficult and yes there’s often even a bit of luck involved, but that’s what makes winning worthwhile. This determination, this drive, this all consuming desire, is lacking in Andrew Friedman, if not in Dodger fans and in many of the team’s players, Clayton Kershaw most prominently. Without that, Friedman is unlikely to achieve the ultimate goal. Without it, he’s just a guy with a title, not a leader.

  2. Blue58 I love and share your Passion for the Dodgers. My first game also was in 58 so long time Dodger Fan. We all need for the Dodgers to win the WS. Especially as the Giants have won 3 of the last 5. I truly like the Dodger plan of building the Farm System. They are being very smart in spending money for International players this year as they will have limits the next 2 years. We have a very deep Minor League system two levels deep. I would like to see some additional infield talent but we have the most valuable commodity in baseball and that is young arms coming up in waves starting this year or next. The future should be sound for years to come. 
    I think from experience the trick is to get to the playoffs. After that it is a crap shoot and Lady Luck is in charge. I do not think the last few winners or participants of the WS were the best teams. But injury and bad bounces decided the outcome.
    If not for Hanley’s broken rib we would have had an incredible chance to get to the WS a couple of years ago.
    With the additions made by the Giants and Dbacks the NL West will be more competitive this year and I believe our win total may drop. I would bet the Wildcard Teams will probably be from the NL Central and East. It is reasonable to think the Nats will play to better reflect their talent. The Mets with that pitching staff are a favorite to win it all. . The Cubs, Cards and Pirates should be very good in the Central. 
    I think Robers will  provide the drive and enthusiasm to drive the team forward. I was not a Mattingly fan.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button