West Coast Soap Operas

[Frayed Knot]

- Jerry DiPoto loses a power struggle with field manager Mike Scioscia and is OUT as Angels GM
Supposedly the DiPoto-ites were trying to install their Sabremetric ways to the players and were willing to go over, around, or through Scioscia and his staff to do it. But that was always a tough battle to win for DiPoto when the manager has been there forever, has an expensive contract still with years to go on it, and has the franchise's only WS ring on his hand. Plus Scioscia can opt out of his deal after this season and, if so, would certainly have his pick of jobs going forward -- like across town where his "going home" would be seen as a pr coup for the Dodgers and a black-eye for the Angels -- or maybe to his actual home town team of Philadelphia where the incumbent now is strictly interim and he might even get a say in the new GM as well.

- Meanwhile there's a book coming out on the current LA Dodgers regime which apparently spills the beans that everyone hates Yasiel Puig.
"Best Team Money Can Buy" (sound familiar?) by ESPN's Molly Knight talks about Puig's (lack of) work ethic, sense of entitlement, near fist-fights over his entourage, tardiness, etc. Getting rid of him would be "addition by subtraction" claims a teammate.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Guest

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I can't believe the DiPoto whacking took place after a night game in Anheim. How dare they!

[Edgy MD]

Technically, it goes on the books as a resignation.

It makes sense that they would follow Metly protocol, though. There's some DiPoto-era Mets hanging around that organization, with Rico Brogna (good fit!) on the staff and Tim Bogar specially assisting the GM.

It was clearly going to end with Scoscia on top. He has the juice and has a lot of medium-profile jobs open (Philadelphia, Miami, San Diego) and high-profile ones possibly opening soon (Los Angeles, Mets, Washington).