The Dodgers took a look back at the last time they won the World Series and
found some common ground. No, they won't be bringing back right-hander Orel
Hershiser to fill out the starting rotation, and Tommy Lasorda will remain in
the front office.
Instead, the Dodgers struck up a multiyear deal to have Los Angeles radio
station KABC become their home -- again.
KABC was the Dodgers' flagship station from 1973 to 1997, during which time
the Dodgers won two championships and played in five World Series.
"Listening to Dodger baseball on the radio has been a tradition in this city
for half a century, and we believe we'll be able to serve our fans extremely
well with this new agreement," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said. "The Dodgers
and KABC became synonymous during the '70s, '80s and '90s, and we're very
excited to be bringing back a piece of Dodger history."
John Davison, the president and station manager for KABC, didn't become a
player in the Dodgers' radio sweepstakes until early September. By that point,
the Dodgers had pulled a renewal offer to KFWB off of the table. KFWB had been
the Dodgers' flagship station since 2003.
Negotiations between the Dodgers and the old (and new) radio station took
five weeks, a fraction of the time the Dodgers spent talking to other stations.
"They were inches away from closing a deal with one of their other suitors,"
Davison said. "We entered the negotiations in the bottom of the ninth inning. We
were late arrivals on the scene.
"So much of life is all about timing. The timing just happened to be right
for us and for the Dodgers."
The station could turn out to be the perfect fit for the Dodgers. KABC is one
of the more conservative talk-show stations in Los Angeles. If the Dodgers
aren't able to acquire that big bat they've been looking for, they'll have to
make do with their conservative approach to winning ballgames.
Notes and Quotes
--INF Shea Hillenbrand opted to become a free agent after refusing to sign a
minor league contract with the Dodgers. Hillenbrand was a late-season
acquisition who batted .243 in 20 games.
--2B Jeff Kent, who led the Dodgers with 20 home runs and a .303 batting
average this year, is one of six players in contention to be selected as the
best second baseman in L.A. Dodgers history. Other second basemen on the ballot
are Charlie Neal, Jim Gilliam, Steve Sax, Jim Lefebvre and Davey Lopes.
--C Russell Martin set a franchise record for stolen bases by a catcher (21).
He batted .293 with 19 home runs and a team-high 87 RBIs.
--INF Olmedo Saenz refused an outright assignment to the minor leagues and
chose to become a free agent. Saenz was one of the more reliable pinch hitters
for the Dodgers during the past few seasons, but that success tailed off in
2007, when he batted .191. The Dodgers offered Saenz a minor league contract as
a way to make room on their 40-man roster.
--RHP Roberto Hernandez didn't have to wait for the World Series to end
before declaring for free agency. The veteran pitcher became a free agent after
refusing a minor league contract offer by the Dodgers. Hernandez was acquired
during the 2007 season to give some support to the bullpen, and he pitched 20
1/3 innings in 22 games. He ended the season with an 0-2 record and a 6.64 ERA
for Los Angeles after going 3-1 with a 6.23 ERA for Cleveland.
By the Numb3rs-: $800 million -- The approximate amount the Dodgers have spent
on free agent signings in the past 10 years. They've won one playoff game during
that span.
Quote to Note: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don't know." --
Dodgers OF Juan Pierre on the possibility of moving from center to left field
next season.
Roster Report
The Dodgers will go into the offseason singing a familiar tune. Whether the
song has a happy ending remains to be seen.
"Since I've been here, I've been singing the same refrain about a
middle-of-the-order bat," Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said. "Everybody
in the league looks for pitching. We're no different. I think we're in a better
spot than most clubs. But if you go back to last spring, everybody was saying we
had eight starting pitchers. We needed 10. Eight wasn't near enough."
Biggest Needs: The Dodgers need a hitter who can reach the outfield walls and
beyond. 2B Jeff Kent led the club with 20 home runs in 2007, which ranked last
among home run leaders in the National League.
The free agent market will
feature some heavy hitters, but most of them are in the outfielders. The Dodgers
can create some space in their outfield, but only by trading some of their
up-and-coming talent.
Free Agents: INF Olmedo Saenz, INF Ramon Martinez, OF Luis Gonzalez, RHP
Roberto Hernandez, LHP David Wells, INF Mark Sweeney, RHP Rudy Seanez, INF Shea
Hillenbrand.
Saenz and Martinez struggled in 2007, which may lead to their departure from
Los Angeles. That could lead the Dodgers to retain Sweeney, who is second on the
all-time pinch-hit list.
Arbitration-Eligible: LHP Joe Beimel, LHP Mark Hendrickson, RHP Yhency Brazoban, RHP Scott Proctor, OF Jason Repko, RHP Chin-hui Tsao.
Beimel lost his arbitration hearing last winter but is in a much better
position to come out ahead should things go that way this offseason. Beimel cut
his hand and was unable to play in the 2006 postseason for the Dodgers, but he
appeared in 83 games this year, becoming one of the more reliable components in
the bullpen.
In Limbo
: C Mike Lieberthal, OF Matt Kemp, LHP Randy Wolf.
Lieberthal is waiting to see if the Dodgers will pick up his option for $1.4
million or buy out the contract for $100,000. Chad Moeller played during the
final week of the season as a tryout to be the Dodgers' backup next season.
Rumors have it, if the Dodgers find the power they're looking for, and it happens to be in an
outfielder, Kemp could find himself playing for another team next season.
Wolf
is coming off of shoulder surgery, and though he would like to come back, he is
waiting to see if the Dodgers will pick up his option (at $9 million).
*M*A*S*H* 4077 Report:
INF Tony Abreu (sports hernia surgery in October 2007) will recover for six
to eight weeks before re-engaging in baseball activities.
SS Rafael Furcal (slightly bulging disk in back) missed the final two weeks
of the 2007 season but won't need surgery for that or his sprained left ankle.
Rest and rehabilitation should have him ready to go by spring training.
RHP Jason Schmidt (shoulder surgery in June 2007) could begin a throwing
program early in the offseason. Early indications were that he had healed from
his surgery.
OF Jason Repko (left hamstring surgery in March 2007) missed all of the 2007
season.
LHP Hong-Chih Kuo (left elbow surgery in July 2007) had begun a rehab program
before the end of the 2007 season.
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