Ned Louis Colletti Jr. is an American sports executive with 40 years experience in Major League Baseball, is a four-time Emmy Award-winning baseball analyst, a professor of Sports Administration at Pepperdine University, the author of the best-selling book The Big Chair, and a scout for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He was general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 through 2014. Before moving to the Dodgers, he was assistant general manager of the San Francisco Giants.[1] Colletti is one of very few American sports executives to work in two major sports: Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.
During his tenure with the Dodgers (2005–2014), Colletti had the highest winning percentage of any general manager in the National League. He joined the Sharks in 2019.
Early career
In 1982, Colletti began his Major League career with the Chicago Cubs. He was a member of the front office when the Cubs won the National League East in 1984 and 1989. Colletti was honored with Major League Baseball's Robert O. Fishel Award for Public Relations Excellence in 1990.[3]
Colletti left the Cubs and joined the front office of the San Francisco Giants in 1994 as director of baseball operations. He was promoted to assistant general manager in October 1996. During his tenure, the Giants had an 813–644 overall record (.558), winning an average of 90.3 games per season. He was hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005.[4]
Career with the Dodgers
Colletti became the 10th general manager in Los Angeles Dodgers history and the fifth in eight years when he was hired on November 16, 2005.[5]
The Dodgers made the playoffs in five of his nine seasons from 2006–14. Only once in Colletti's nine seasons did the Dodgers have a losing record. Los Angeles went to the NL Division Series in Colletti's first season in 2006 and reached the National League Championship Series in 2008, 2009, and 2013. The back-to-back appearances in 2008–09 marked the first time the Dodgers had reached the NLCS in consecutive years since 1977–78.[6] The Dodgers won 15 playoff games from 1989–2014. Fourteen of those playoff wins came under Colletti. The only other Dodger postseason win in that period came in the 2004 NL Division Series under then-GM Paul DePodesta.[7]
During six of Colletti's nine seasons, the Dodgers set home attendance records. The Dodgers averaged 3,606,151 fans per season in Colletti's nine seasons with the Dodgers. The Dodgers led all of Major League Baseball in home and road attendance in 2013 and led, again, in home attendance in 2014 with 3,782,337 fans.[8]
In 2010, under Colletti's leadership, the Dodgers were named Topps Organization of the Year, an honor presented annually to the Major League franchise that has shown most-outstanding performance, depth and talent among its Major and Minor League teams.[9]
In the nine seasons from the start of Colletti's career as general manager through 2014, the Dodgers had a 783–674 (.537) record—the third-best record in the National League. Only the Cardinals (.542) and Phillies (.538) were better. Among NL West teams, the Dodgers' record during that stretch was 40 games better than second-best San Francisco Giants.
Colletti reached 750 wins as a general manager on July 29, 2014, when the Dodgers defeated the Atlanta Braves 3–2 in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium before a crowd of 47,386. Only Buzzie Bavasi reached the 750-win mark faster in Dodger history.[10] His 783 wins from 2006–14 were most among all National League general managers.
From June to December 2012, Colletti, with the backing of a new, aggressive ownership team led by Dodgers' president Stan Kasten, owners Mark Walter, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Peter Guber, and Guggenheim Baseball Management, spent more than $600 million to bring a parade of all-star players and prospects to Los Angeles. The wholesale makeover began in late June when the Dodgers spent $42 million to sign 21-year-old Cuban prospect Yasiel Puig to a six-year deal. On July 25, Colletti brought in former National League batting champion Hanley Ramírez as the key to a four-player trade with the Miami Marlins.[11]
On August 25, 2012, with the Dodgers three games behind the Giants in the National League West and 1½ games out of the final wild card spot, Colletti completed a nine-player trade that the Los Angeles Times called a "block-buster" and a "stunning development".[12] Key to the deal was the acquisition of four-time All-Star first baseman Adrián González from the Boston Red Sox. But the Dodgers also obtained the four-time All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, three-time All-Star pitcher Josh Beckett, and switch-hitting utility infielder Nick Punto. The Red Sox received first baseman James Loney and four prospects, including infielder Iván DeJesús Jr. and pitcher Allen Webster. The Boston Globe's Dan Shaughnessy called it "the biggest Red Sox trade since Babe Ruth was dealt to the Yankees for cash in 1920",.[13]
After ending the season 86–76, but failing to make the playoffs, the Dodgers were active on the free-agent market, signing starting pitchers Zack Greinke, a former Cy Young winner, and Ryu Hyun-jin,[14] who had been an All-Star in each of his seven seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization from 2006–12. Greinke, who won the Cy Young with Kansas City in 2009, provided the Dodgers with what MLB.com called "unprecedented starting pitching depth."[15]
On October 14, 2014, he was removed from his position as general manager of the Dodgers after the Dodgers failed to advance to the World Series despite a 2014 opening day payroll more than $30 million higher than any other MLB team, and $55 million higher than any other National League team.[16] Colletti remained with the team in a new position as senior adviser to the president.[17]
Following his tenure as the Dodgers' GM, Colletti became a baseball analyst on SportsNet LA,[18] a professor of Sports Management at Pepperdine University, and released a memoir.
Combined career as AGM and GM
Colletti was a top front office executive – either an assistant general manager (AGM) or general manager (GM) – continuously from 1997 until 2014 with two clubs, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. Only five other GMs served continuously, either as an AGM or a GM, from 1997–2014.[citation needed] Of the six GMs who served continuously for the past 18 seasons as assistant general manager or general manager, only Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees had a higher winning percentage.[citation needed]
In his last 24 seasons as an executive, Colletti built or helped to build teams that qualified for the postseason 15 times (with five other teams eliminated in the final game or two of the season), made 7 NLCS appearances, and appeared in four World Series, winning one World Series with a combined record of 2124-1701 (423 games over .500). During his time with the Dodgers, he and his staff drafted or signed players who won 3 Cy Young Awards, plus three runners-up; 2 Most Valuable Player Awards, plus one runner-up; two National League Rookies of the Year, two NLCS Most Valuable Players and one World Series Most Valuable Player.
Colletti is active in several community and charity efforts in Los Angeles.
He and the Dodgers have partnered with Guide Dogs of America to sponsor lifelong working partners for the visually impaired. In October 2011, Colletti joined radio personality Peter Tilden and Colletti's friends[20] from the band Chicago, who played a benefit concert that raised funds for Guide Dogs of America and the Foundation for Fighting Blindness.[21]
Colletti received a prestigious Humanitarian Award from A Place Called Home, located in South Central Los Angeles, which provides at-risk youth with a secure, positive environment. The Los Angeles City College Foundation also honored Colletti for his work with youth.[22] On October 23, 2012, the Los Angeles City College Foundation honored Colletti for his work with youth.[23]
Vicki Santo, widow of Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame legend Ron Santo, and Colletti established a foundation, RonSantoFoundation.com, to place service dogs with people suffering from diabetes. The foundation's 45 dogs are trained to alert their human partners when their blood sugar is low, helping prevent sudden, unexpected onsets of hypoglycemia that can be devastating.
Colletti also serves on the advisory board of Get Lit–Words Ignite,[24] a non-profit organization committed to providing Los Angeles children with opportunities to develop an appreciation for literature, writing, reading and poetry. From 2011 to 2013, actors Tim Robbins and Helen Mirren worked with Colletti to raise more than $100,000 for the organization.[25]
As a California Advisory Board member of Vision To Learn, Colletti works with the organization founded by Austin Beutner to provide eye examinations and free glasses to under-served, urban youth in some of the hardest-to-reach communities. In its 10 years of existence, Vision To Learn has screened more than 1.25M children in 13 states and more than 400 cities, providing nearly 500,000 students with eye exams and more than 300,000 with free glasses.[26]
Related Research Articles
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. Established in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the team joined the NL in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and used several other monikers before finally settling on the name Dodgers in 1932. From the 1940s through the mid-1950s, the Dodgers developed a fierce crosstown rivalry with the New York Yankees as the two clubs faced each other in the World Series seven times, with the Dodgers losing the first five matchups before defeating them to win the franchise's first title in 1955. It was also during this period that the Dodgers made history by breaking the baseball color line in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the Major Leagues since 1884. Another major milestone was reached in 1956 when Don Newcombe became the first player ever to win both the Cy Young Award and the NL MVP in the same season.
Kimberly J. Ng is an American executive best known for her work on Major League Baseball. She is the former general manager of the Miami Marlins. She was the first woman to serve as general manager of a team in the Big Four leagues in North America and the first person of East Asian descent to serve as general manager of an MLB team. She is currently an advisor for Athletes Unlimited Pro Softball.
William Richard Mueller is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mueller's MLB playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs (2001–2002), Boston Red Sox (2003–2005), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2006). He is currently the assistant hitting coach for the Miami Marlins.
David Keith Stewart, nicknamed "Smoke", is an American professional baseball executive, pitching coach, sports agent, and former starting pitcher. The Los Angeles Dodgers' 16th-round selection in the 1975 MLB draft, Stewart's MLB playing career spanned from 1978 through 1995, winning three World Series championships all with different clubs while compiling a career 3.95 earned run average (ERA) and a 168–129 won–lost record, including winning 20 games in four consecutive seasons. He pitched for the Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Gabriel Stefan Kapler, nicknamed "Kap", is an American assistant general manager of the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is also a former professional baseball outfielder and manager in MLB.
Donald Zackary Greinke is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. Greinke primarily played with the Kansas City Royals in Major League Baseball (MLB) across two stints; from his 2004 debut to 2010, and from 2022 to 2023. He has also played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Houston Astros, with the last of which Greinke finished as a runner-up in the 2019 and 2021 World Series.
William Grady Little is an American former manager in Major League Baseball, currently working in the front office of the Pittsburgh Pirates. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007. He was inducted into the Kinston, North Carolina, Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001, Charlotte Baseball Hall of Fame 1985 and was inducted into the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame on April 13, 2009.
Robert José Watson was an American professional baseball player, coach and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman and left fielder from 1966 to 1984, most prominently as a member of the Houston Astros where he was a two-time All-Star player. Watson had a .295 batting average over a career that also saw him play for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and the Atlanta Braves.
Josh Byrnes is an American baseball executive who is senior vice president of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Ronald Jon Roenicke is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach, and manager. During his playing career, Roenicke played eight seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. He later served as a coach for the Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and Boston Red Sox, and as manager for the Milwaukee Brewers and Red Sox. He is the younger brother of former MLB outfielder Gary Roenicke.
William Richard Lajoie was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front-office executive. The general manager of the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball from 1984 to 1990, he helped to build, then served as GM of, the world champion 1984 Tigers.
Andrew Friedman is an American baseball executive. He is currently the president of baseball operations of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously served as the general manager for MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, where Sporting News named him Executive of the Year in 2008. That year, for the first time in franchise history, the Rays both qualified for the playoffs and played in the World Series. In Los Angeles, as of 2023, Friedman and the Dodgers have won a World Series, three pennants, and eight division titles since he took the job after the 2014 season. Baseball America called the Dodgers the model franchise in the sport under Friedman’s tenure as President.
The history of the Los Angeles Dodgers begins in the 19th century when the team was based in Brooklyn, New York.
The 2012 Major League Baseball season began on April 5 because during the MLB Spring Training it was the first of a two-game series between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. On November 22, 2011, a new contract between Major League Baseball and its players union was ratified, and as a result, an expanded playoff format adding two clubs would be adopted no later than 2013 according to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new format of the 2012 postseason to used the 1 game series of the Wild Card round of the format for the 2012 postseason only. The restriction against divisional rivals playing against each other in the Division Series round that had existed in previous years was eliminated, as the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees squared off in one of the best-of-five LDS in the American League. On April 4, 2012, it was the last day of the MLB Spring Training and ended with the new Marlins Park, as the newly renamed Miami Marlins hosted the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The regular season ended on Wednesday, October 3. The entire master schedule was released on September 14, 2011.
The 2013 National League Championship Series, the 44th NLCS, was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the St. Louis Cardinals against the Los Angeles Dodgers for Major League Baseball's National League pennant. The Cardinals beat the Dodgers in six games.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2014 throughout the world.
The following are the baseball events of the year 2015 throughout the world.
Farhan Zaidi is a Canadian baseball executive who was formerly the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Zaidi also served as General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Assistant General Manager of the Oakland Athletics.
The 2016 Major League Baseball season began on April 3, 2016, with a Sunday afternoon matchup between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the two teams with the best regular-season records in 2015, at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The regular season ended on Sunday, October 2, 2016, and the postseason on Wednesday, November 2, 2016, with the Chicago Cubs coming back from a three games to one deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and win their first championship since 1908.
The 2019 Major League Baseball season began on March 20, while the regular season ended on September 29. It was the 150th anniversary of professional baseball, dating back to the 1869 foundation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings. The postseason began on October 1. The World Series began October 22 and ended October 30 with the Washington Nationals defeating the Houston Astros in seven games to win their first World Series championship. The entire schedule was released on August 22, 2018.
References
↑ Schulman, Harry. "Durham will face challenge". San Francisco Chronicle, February 13, 2008. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
