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Dodgers fire general manager DePodesta
Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt fired general manager Paul DePodesta on Saturday.
The team scheduled a 5 p.m. news conference to announce the move, first reported by Los Angeles newspapers and also confirmed by ESPN.
Earlier in the week, Orel Hershiser, one of the key members of the 1988 World Series championship team, became the sixth candidate to interview for the vacant manager's job. In a sign of pending trouble, Hershiser met with McCourt and adviser Tommy Lasorda, but not DePodesta, The Los Angeles Times reported.
McCourt hired DePodesta, then 31, after buying the team in January 2004. The Dodgers won the NL West title in his first season, but DePodesta riled fans by trading popular catcher Paul Lo Duca and two other players at midseason.
DePodesta had three years left on his contract.
The Dodgers went 71-91 this season, the team's worst record since 1992 and second worst since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, after DePodesta made many offseason changes.
The team has been without a manager since Oct. 3, when the Dodgers and Jim Tracy agreed to cut ties. Tracy was hired shortly after to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Dodgers began the 2005 season 12-2, but losses and injuries soon mounted. The team was without Adrian Beltre, Alex Cora, Shawn Green, and Steve Finley, key players from its 2004 NL West title run.
Jeff Kent was brought in to play second base and had a solid year, but other newcomers didn't perform well, such as J.D. Drew, Jose Valentin and Derek Lowe, along with holdover Odalis Perez, who was signed to a three-year contract.
Eric Gagne, baseball's best closer the previous three seasons, had season-ending elbow surgery in June and injury ended outfielder Milton Bradley's season in August.
Source: AP
The team scheduled a 5 p.m. news conference to announce the move, first reported by Los Angeles newspapers and also confirmed by ESPN.
Earlier in the week, Orel Hershiser, one of the key members of the 1988 World Series championship team, became the sixth candidate to interview for the vacant manager's job. In a sign of pending trouble, Hershiser met with McCourt and adviser Tommy Lasorda, but not DePodesta, The Los Angeles Times reported.
McCourt hired DePodesta, then 31, after buying the team in January 2004. The Dodgers won the NL West title in his first season, but DePodesta riled fans by trading popular catcher Paul Lo Duca and two other players at midseason.
DePodesta had three years left on his contract.
The Dodgers went 71-91 this season, the team's worst record since 1992 and second worst since moving to Los Angeles in 1958, after DePodesta made many offseason changes.
The team has been without a manager since Oct. 3, when the Dodgers and Jim Tracy agreed to cut ties. Tracy was hired shortly after to manage the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Dodgers began the 2005 season 12-2, but losses and injuries soon mounted. The team was without Adrian Beltre, Alex Cora, Shawn Green, and Steve Finley, key players from its 2004 NL West title run.
Jeff Kent was brought in to play second base and had a solid year, but other newcomers didn't perform well, such as J.D. Drew, Jose Valentin and Derek Lowe, along with holdover Odalis Perez, who was signed to a three-year contract.
Eric Gagne, baseball's best closer the previous three seasons, had season-ending elbow surgery in June and injury ended outfielder Milton Bradley's season in August.
Source: AP
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