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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Plaschke: Paul DePodesta is captured to a T in film ‘Moneyball’

That was DePodesta when he took over the Dodgers in February 2004, a 31-year-old prodigy occupying a seat once held by Branch Rickey and Al Campanis. That light made him blink, and he wasn’t the only one.

He clearly wasn’t ready for the job, which lasted only two years before he was fired for essentially tearing the place apart. But I clearly wasn’t ready for him, and never really gave him time to implement the baseball sabermetrics that I have since come to accept and understand.

“The Dodgers have a new face, and it is dabbed in Clearasil,” I wrote when he was hired. “The Dodgers have a new voice, and it speaks in megabytes.”

Yeah, I never really gave him much of a chance, I saw him as some robot enemy brought here to destroy our blue heaven. Watching him in the movie reminded me that he was, instead, nothing more sinister than a numbers cruncher who just couldn’t equate with people.

...To completely understand that sentiment, we’ll just have to wait for the movie about Ned Colletti.

Unfortunato, Jerry Colonna is dead. Farewell, Gates.

Repoz Posted: September 21, 2011 at 10:14 AM | 40 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: dodgers, history, sabermetrics, scouting

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1. Robert in Manhattan Beach Posted: September 21, 2011 at 11:41 AM (#3931718)

The joke is obviously on the Dodgers now as DePo has moved on to other GM jobs and had all that success. And really who from the Beane GM tree hasn't killed it out there? Why Beane himself must be running out of shelf space for all the hardware his A's have pulled in. All the run these guys are getting is nothing if not completely warranted.

2. The Essex Snead Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:19 PM (#3931728)

Yeah, let's all strive in this discussion thread to be as big a jackass as Plaschke.

3. Swoboda is freedom Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:22 PM (#3931731)

Yeah, let's all strive in this discussion thread to be as big a jackass as Plaschke.

That is an impossible standard, an unachievable goal.

4. The Essex Snead Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:23 PM (#3931733)

Here's my go at it: Bill Plaschke is a petty, ineffectual clown whose best days are well behind him, & whose unending vendetta against a former Dodgers FO employee that's been out of the organization for over half a decade is as bewildering as it is pathetic.

5. Greg (U)K Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:27 PM (#3931734)

While he's still pretty critical of DePo in this article, I think it's fair to point out that Plaschke is admitting he was a bit too petty and harsh on him back when he was GM.

6. Snowboy Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:49 PM (#3931744)

How about a *spoiler* alert?
The movie doesn't open until tonight here. I was planning to line up (18:55 should be plenty of time for the 19:05 show) wearing my Jeremy Brown Alabama jersey, but now that someone spilled the beans about the movie what is the point?
[throws chair]

7. JE

Posted: September 21, 2011 at 12:52 PM (#3931747)

I agree with Greg. This is hardly vintage Plaschke.

8. pthomas Posted: September 21, 2011 at 01:55 PM (#3931795)

Plaschke has been particularly awful over the last couple of weeks.

9. Never Give an Inge (Dave) Posted: September 21, 2011 at 02:15 PM (#3931818)

10. Tripon Posted: September 21, 2011 at 02:37 PM (#3931845)

#### Bill Plaschke. DePo isn't in the ####### movie, why take this cheap shot?

11. chris h. is a member of Team Keefe! Posted: September 21, 2011 at 02:58 PM (#3931862)

While he's still pretty critical of DePo in this article, I think it's fair to point out that Plaschke is admitting he was a bit too petty and harsh on him back when he was GM.

Agreed 100%. DNRTFA, but the quoted passage sounds very reasonable for Plaschke.

12. Bob T Posted: September 21, 2011 at 04:44 PM (#3931951)

There's a cheap shot at Hee Seop Choi at the end. And Plaschke is still bemoaning the loss of Paul Lo Duca, the noblest Dodger to ever get caught up in the PED mess. And Guillermo Mota too. Plaschke believes that Gagne blew out his arm because Mota was gone and that forced Gagne to pitch more because Dreifort got hurt.

13. Austin Kearns: The Spy Who Shagged Flies Posted: September 21, 2011 at 04:57 PM (#3931968)

Maybe Plaschke is upset that he wasn't deemed important enough to be a character in the movie?

I looked through the list of characters, and I didn't see much in the way of characters representing the MSM or other "traditional thinking" types, other than one person playing "Call-In Radio Host". No Joe Morgan, no Lupica or other interchangable, hyperventilatingly angry sports columnists. Not sure how they're portraying the conflict.

But Jermaine Dye is being played by somebody known as "G Thang." So there's that.

14. The DA Baracus Hypothesis Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:03 PM (#3931971)

Maybe Plaschke is upset that he wasn't deemed important enough to be a character in the movie?

Huh? He wasn't a character in the book.

15. Austin Kearns: The Spy Who Shagged Flies Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:07 PM (#3931974)

Huh? He wasn't a character in the book.

He only just got over that. The movie just reopens old wounds.

He's never been too thrilled about not being in "All the President's Men" either.

16. The Artist Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:12 PM (#3931975)

What a ####### ######### Plaschke is.

17. Greg (U)K Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:13 PM (#3931978)

I looked through the list of characters, and I didn't see much in the way of characters representing the MSM or other "traditional thinking" types, other than one person playing "Call-In Radio Host". No Joe Morgan, no Lupica or other interchangable, hyperventilatingly angry sports columnists. Not sure how they're portraying the conflict.

I think Art Howe is going to fill that role.

18. bads85 Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:15 PM (#3931980)

Maybe Plaschke is upset that he wasn't deemed important enough to be a character in the movie?

Plaschke is a Los Angeles sports writer. Why would he care he wasn't in a book about the Oakland A's that was turned into a movie?

19. OsunaSakata Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:20 PM (#3931984)

No Joe Morgan.

Morgan's voice is in the movie.

I think he says Billy Beane should have never left Jennifer Anniston for Angelina Jolie. :)

20. Austin Kearns: The Spy Who Shagged Flies Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:33 PM (#3931996)

Plaschke is a Los Angeles sports writer. Why would he care he wasn't in a book about the Oakland A's that was turned into a movie?

That was a (clearly unsuccessful) attempt at a joke. I wasn't actually suggesting that Plaschke carries a grudge over not appearing in the book or movie.

Morgan's voice is in the movie.

Bummer. I'd been wondering who'd play him. Is Sherman Helmsley still alive?

21. Justin 'The Cespedobear' T Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:35 PM (#3932000)

But Jermaine Dye is being played by somebody known as "G Thang." So there's that.

He ain't nuthin'.

22. Shock Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:44 PM (#3932012)

Fill in the blank:

Bill Plaschke is captured to a T in film _______

23. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:45 PM (#3932013)

Plaschke believes that Gagne blew out his arm because Mota was gone and that forced Gagne to pitch more

Of course, back in reality, Gagne pitched 82.1, same as always.

Baglapper trotted this one out on more than one occasion, as part of his general make-up-facts-and-refuse-to-acknowledge-anyone-who-points-out-that-you're-a-liar style of debate.

24. Don't want the truth; just wanna see some dingers Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:48 PM (#3932017)

Bill Plaschke is captured to a T:

...by John Candy in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles"

25. bigcpa Posted: September 21, 2011 at 05:57 PM (#3932024)

"During the rest of DePodesta's tenure here, the Dodgers were swept in a playoff series..."

They lost in 4... to a 105 win team with the best player on the planet that advanced to the World Series. Plaschke claims to understand "baseball sabermetrics" but apparently doesn't have access to baseball-reference on his typewriter.

"... a Harvard-educated geek who would later spend two years as a failed general manager of the Dodgers."

The 2003 Dodgers had the worst offense in MLB. DePodesta got hired in February 2004, a week before spring training. The farm was 2 years away from bearing fruit. In three weeks he traded minor leaguers for Jayson Werth, Cody Ross and Milton Bradley. By August he had turned over 5 of the starting 8 position players and added a #1 starter in Penny. Run scoring increased 33%. They won 93 games. They led the league in attendance for the first time in 13 seasons- a 15% increase from 2003 to 2005. Any fair-minded person has to consider this a failure.

The real stunner here is that DePodesta granted the guy an interview.

26. SoSH U at work Posted: September 21, 2011 at 06:08 PM (#3932034)

The real stunner here is that DePodesta granted the guy an interview.

That was my reaction as well. I kept wondering if Plaschke had just gotten notes from some other reporter's interview with DePodesta, but it appears that it was just a one-on-one conversation between the two. Mighty big of DePo.

27. hokieneer Posted: September 21, 2011 at 06:29 PM (#3932058)

Maybe in Oakland he could have survived gutting the roster of a clubhouse leader and bullpen stalwart during a championship race, but it didn't work here, not when he traded Paul LoDuca and Guillermo Mota in the summer of 2004 from a team that was 60-42.

Even being able to look back on it all these years later with revisionist history, Plaschke is still complaining about that trade? Good lord he traded a reliever and a decent every day player for a #1 starter and a prospect with some upside. What the #### am I missing?

Reading this article and then going and looking at the moves that Depodseta did for the Dodgers, he actually did a good job in a brief time period. Injuries caught up to the '05 team.

28. Best Regards, Larry M. Posted: September 21, 2011 at 07:09 PM (#3932089)

Let's not forget that Paul LoDuca was dealing steroids.

29. Earvin 'Gold Stars' Johnson Posted: September 21, 2011 at 07:36 PM (#3932121)

What the #### am I missing?

That Lo Duca was, to the media, in the mold of Mark Grace: Always willing to provide column fodder by anonymously ripping on teammates.

30. Bob T Posted: September 21, 2011 at 07:37 PM (#3932123)

Dodger fans had a very very very very weird fascination with Paul Lo Duca. I'm not sure it was healthy.

31. Alan S Posted: September 21, 2011 at 08:05 PM (#3932157)

Mets fans did too. Same thing that always made me hate him made many people love him.

32. bads85 Posted: September 21, 2011 at 08:49 PM (#3932264)

What the #### am I missing?

Penny got hurt right after the trade -- he only pitched about 12 innings for the Dodgers that year. The trade created a large hole at catcher (LoDuca had around an .800 OPS at the time of the trade) for a team that was humming along, and because Penny was hurt, the Dodgers received nothing positive in the trade for 2004. ######## Jim Tracy wasn't pleased as the season progressed and began letting that displeasure be known to the likes of Reid, Simers, and Plashcke -- fror some reason, Plaschke thought the Dodgers were having a season for the ages before the trade. To counter the displeasure of LoDuca being traded, Depodesta began trumping Choi, which essentially put a huge bullseye on Choi.

Plaschke still can't let go of all this.

33. phredbird

Posted: September 21, 2011 at 09:00 PM (#3932286)

What the #### am I missing?

forget it, jake. it's plaschke-town.

34. Voros McCracken, Human Shield Posted: September 21, 2011 at 09:10 PM (#3932300)

Well they had David Ross who was a decent enough player (still is) even if he didn't have the best season in 2004. One problem was that Tracy seemed to favor Brent Mayne (including in the playoffs), and Mayne was an inferior player to Ross both offensively and defensively and showed it.

18 months (and 1.8 WAR) later the Marlins traded LoDuca for Dante Brinkley and Gaby Hernandez, so it's not like the Marlins were gleeful at the robbery they committed.

35. Bob T Posted: September 21, 2011 at 09:17 PM (#3932313)

Here is Plaschke reveling in his own supposed power on June 17, 2005:

"When taking the mound for his first game this spring, baseball's toughest pitcher didn't swagger, he limped.
Why didn't I scream about the limp?
When throwing his first pitch to an opposing hitter this spring, baseball's most fearless pitcher didn't fling, he lobbed.
Why didn't I rail about the lob?"

Flash back to last Aug. 1, when the clubhouse was reeling from the trade of Paul Lo Duca and Mota, when the Dodgers desperately needed a settling win.
Gagne pitched a season-long three innings and they defeated the San Diego Padres in what Manager Jim Tracy later, and correctly, called the biggest victory of the season.
It was also the beginning of a six-day stretch in which Gagne appeared four times and threw 109 pitches. And that doesn't include the countless tosses in the bullpen.
After struggling throughout a hot August stretch, Gagne regained his form in September, but batters were whispering that he seemed tired.
But Gagne said he wanted to work. And Tracy was under orders to turn this mismatched roster into a champion.
"I could not go to bed at night thinking I used a guy too much ... I carefully monitored pitch counts," Tracy said. "But yes, because of the position we were in, yes, we had to use him regularly. If we were going to get beat, we were going to get beat with our best guy out there."

36. Phil Coorey. Posted: September 21, 2011 at 09:36 PM (#3932338)

The articles about the movie are more unbearable than the book. That is saying something - god help us all.

37. Dale Sams Posted: September 23, 2011 at 12:40 AM (#3933636)

What I like is the opportunity all the sportswriters are taking to say, "In case you didn't know...I'm an idiot."

38. Shock Posted: September 23, 2011 at 01:04 AM (#3933662)

After struggling throughout a hot August stretch, Gagne regained his form in September, but batters were whispering that he seemed tired.
But Gagne said he wanted to work. And Tracy was under orders to turn this mismatched roster into a champion.

Content notwithstanding, I still don't understand why so many people think this man is a great writer.

I wanted a sandwich. But I had no bread. And I had no cheese. What I had was peanut butter. I went to the store. I bought some jam. I wanted a sandwich. And I wanted it now.

Plaschke.

39. JE

Posted: September 23, 2011 at 01:29 AM (#3933692)

Morgan's voice is in the movie.

Unlike McCarver and Costas, I don't think the voice in the film belonged to Morgan. It seemed to be an actor playing a Morgan-esque character.

40. chris h. is a member of Team Keefe! Posted: September 23, 2011 at 02:54 AM (#3933770)

Fyi, Roger Ebert's review is up. 4 stars.

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Plaschke: Paul DePodesta is captured to a T in film ‘Moneyball’

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