Monday, January 26, 2009

Ned Colletti Is Not Above a Little Help

From Diamond:

The Dodgers have hired longtime major league coach Lee Elia as a special assistant to General Manager Ned Colletti, and the two go all the way back to the 1980s with the Cubs.

Elia, 71, is best known for being the Cubs manager who in 1983 unleashed a profanity-laced tirade aimed at fans at Wrigley Field after a loss to the Dodgers. Unfortunately, I will have to refrain from linking it here because I can't quite find a version with enough bleeps. Colletti, who began his major league career in 1982, happened to work in the Cubs media relations department at the time.

For those keeping count, that makes ten assistants for Colletti. Here are the other nine:

  • Kim Ng, Vice President, Asst. General Manager
  • Logan White, Assistant GM, Scouting
  • De Jon Watson, Assistant GM, Player Development
  • Mark Weidemaier, Special Assistant to the GM
  • Toney Howell, Special Assistant to the GM
  • Vance Lovelace, Special Assistant to the GM
  • Bill Mueller, Special Assistant to the GM
  • Rick Ragazzo, Special Assistant to the GM
  • Jose Vizcaino, Special Assistant, Baseball Operations

I don't know where they find the money for all these assistants, but as long as their salaries don't count toward team payroll—knock yourself out, Ned. Or, have someone do it for you.

9 comments:

Steve Sax said...

I tried to call Ned to ask him about this issue, but I only ended up reaching his assistant.

QuadSevens said...

How far up the ladder did you get before being brushed off? Assistant #4 perhaps?

Steve Sax said...

Q7, your email is evoking visions of a videogame with each successive assistant being a "boss" before reaching the ultimate boss himself. Which I guess would make Ned Colletti Ganon from Zelda, or Zeus from God of War 2...

Anonymous said...

Is it common to have that many assistant GMs? :o

I know there are a lot of people in organizations, but that seems a tad excessive. :o

Anonymous said...

I've convinced myself that Frank McCourt hasn't fired Colletti simply because he doesn't want to pay him for 2008, and then have to pay another GM for 2008 as well. :o

QuadSevens said...

That's exactly what I had in mind Sax. Although I was envisioning Ned as Bowser (King Koopa) from the Mario Brothers series and the assistants would be his Koopalings. Larry Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Ludwig Von Koopa, Iggy Koopa...

Orel said...

Michael Koopa?

Steve Sax said...

C. Everett Koopa?

Orel said...

Soopa Doopa Poopa Skoopa?