Is the LA Dodgers’ successive fall baseball failures due to the team owner’s indifference?
On the 26th (Korean time), the US ‘LA Times’ pointed out that ‘it is time to show that Mark Walter is the owner of the Dodgers,’ and that a change is needed in the management of the Dodgers baseball team, which relies on President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.
LA Times reporter Dylan Hernández, who wrote the article, said, ‘The problem with today’s Dodgers is the lack of leadership. Is there any team owner who disputes Friedman’s philosophy? Walter is the controlling owner of the Dodgers and he is in charge. ‘He needs to start acting like that,’ he said, adding that he needs to intervene in Friedman’s operations.
He continued, ‘In the early days when Guggenheim Baseball Management owned the Dodgers, Walter frequently appeared at Dodger Stadium, but as time went by, he was seen less and less often at the baseball stadium. He only watched a few games this season. “My request to interview him was also rejected by the Dodgers,” he said, criticizing owner Walter for his indifference.
Reporter Hernández emphasized that the only person who can put a stop to President Friedman’s stubborn management philosophy is the club owner. President Friedman maintains a reasonable management stance and is consistent with a conservative attitude when recruiting top players. After signing Freddie Freeman as a free agent before the season last year, there was no reinforcement of impactful players.
Reporter Hernández said, ‘The Dodgers did not use their financial resources to control the free agent market, but left it alone to determine what they could and could not do in the market. This is why we were unable to recruit a single impact player last winter. This is also the reason why there were no notable player signings at the trade deadline this year and last year. Friedman may be right that the playoffs are an unpredictable gamble, but the Dodgers’ inaction made the playoffs even more messy, he continued.
Furthermore, Reporter Hernández asked, ‘Why can’t the Dodgers build a roster with the depth needed to win the regular season and excellent talent to win in October? Why can’t we build a team that can maximize opportunities in both the short and long term? Owner Walter must demand an answer to this question. He said, “We cannot expect true insight from President Friedman or Chairman Stan Kasten.”
Reporter Hernández continued, ‘The more owner Walter maintains his distance from the team, the more comfortable President Friedman and Carsten become. No one will be held accountable. “That’s why President Friedman’s nonsense, when he claimed last week that the Dodgers had enough pitching staff to win in the playoffs, was possible,” he sarcastically said.
Reporter Hernández claims that owner Walter must step forward in order for the Dodgers to recruit Shohei Ohtani, the biggest free agent player this winter. If President Friedman is passive in free agency negotiations for reasons of rationality, he may lose Ohtani to another team.토토사이트
Reporter Hernández said, ‘This winter, owner Walter is expected to have the opportunity to meet Shohei Ohtani, the top free agent recruit target, along with team officials, just as he met Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) before the 2019 season. The club owner is not someone who simply gives money. “They can have enormous influence in these negotiations,” he said. “The club owner can embody the organization’s identity and present a vision.” Owner Walter needs to do more than he does now. He urged interest, saying, “You have to pay attention to the team and learn.”