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Dodgers’ Manager Finalists Present Interesting Theory

Jeff Spiegel
3 Min Read
Jon SooHoo-Los Angeles Dodgers

It was reported on Friday that the Los Angeles Dodgers narrowed down their list of managerial candidates to four.

The four finalists were to be selected from a pool of five. The group was initially said to be composed of former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black, University of Nebraska head coach Darin Erstad, former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson, Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler and Padres bench coach Dave Roberts.

A notable omission was Chicago Cubs bench coach Dave Martinez, though an updated report left open the possibility Martinez and others not mentioned above, remained in the mix. Erstad since removed his name from consideration for the vacancy.

The remaining candidates largely supports the importance of finding a strong leader, which Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi discussed on Oct. 22.

Wait, aren’t all front offices interested in leadership qualities? Well, of course, but if we learned anything from the Don Mattingly tenure under Friedman, it’s that leadership is atop a very short list of requirements.

Sure, the Dodgers want someone who is into sabermetrics, but really, the qualifications for manager go something like this:

  1. You’re a good leader
  2. You’re willing to do whatever Friedman and Co. tell you

After all, if you’re going to hire the “Geek Squad” to run your team, you might as well let them work their geeky magic everywhere. It’s why rumors swirled that Mattingly wasn’t even filling out lineup cards by the end of his time in Los Angeles — no matter his and Friedman’s assertion that wasn’t the case.

So what does this have to do with the names mentioned as finalists? Well, when you look at Kapler and Roberts, you’re talking about two candidates who haven’t been on many people’s radar as a manager, which means they might be more flexible and moldable than most.

These are two options who might let the front office make decisions about personnel, lineups, bullpens and substitutions. And if that happens, then all the manager needs to do is be a clubhouse leader — a role Kapler and Roberts appear more than capable of.

Really, this isn’t just another bet on the front office, it’s doubling down. Not only are they being entrusted with player movement, but now they’re betting on themselves to essentially manage games.

And, well, if I’m honest, that’s a bet I think qualifies as a smart one.

Jeff Spiegel was raised in California but currently resides in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from the University of Oregon, he worked in sports before entering journalism full time — first as a Sports Reporter and then as the Associate Editor of a local newspaper. Online, he has been writing about both the Dodgers and Raiders since 2012 — having written for DodgersNation.com and SBNation.com prior to joining both DodgerBlue.com and RaidersNation.com. He left full-time journalism in 2012 to become a pastor. Jeff can be found on Twitter at @JeffSpiegel. Favorite Dodger I'm going past and present (sort of) on this one. Recently, I was a die hard Yasiel Puig guy. The energy he played with was amazing and the hope and expectation he brought every single night was captivating. Whether it was a rifle from the warning track to throw a guy out at second, an aggressive bat flip or licking his bat, I was here for ALL of the Yasiel Puig era. Past tense, I'd go with Eric Gagné. This wasn't so much about Gagné himself as it was the experience of cheering for him. Yes, he was on steroids — but the dude was unlike any pitcher I've ever seen — he was NASTY. I still stand by the claim that if I needed one out and my life depended on it, and could choose any pitcher from any era to get me that out, I'm taking roided up Gagné in a heartbeat. Favorite Dodger Moment A few jump to mind immediately. Being born in November of 1988, I missed the last World Series by weeks — which also meant I didn't get to see the Dodgers win a playoff game until I was nearly 16. They had made the playoffs in 1995 and 1996, but were swept both times. In 2004, though, I got to see them win behind a complete game shutout from Jose Lima, and that was pretty freaking special. The next in-person moment that came to mind was the Manny Ramirez bobblehead night pinch-hit grand slam from 2009. Vin Scully claimed it was the loudest he had heard Dodger Stadium in 20 years, and it's hard to disagree. As far as ones I didn't get to see live, I'll throw one more out there: the back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs that tied a game against the Padres in 2006 (plus the walk-off from Nomar Garciaparra in extra innings) was an all-timer. Obviously, the impending Dodgers World Series will quickly jump to the top of this list...