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Best all-time general managers: #14 Ned Colletti

By Bill Felber

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 27: Ned Colletti, General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches batting practice before the game against the Minnesota Twins on June 27, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 27: Ned Colletti, General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers watches batting practice before the game against the Minnesota Twins on June 27, 2011 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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A recent man at the helm in Tinsel Town takes the #14 spot in our countdown of the best all-time general managers.

Los Angeles Dodgers, 2006-14

What do you suppose was Ned Colletti’s relationship with Brian Sabean? They worked side-by-side for nearly a decade, Sabean as GM of the Giants, Colletti as his top assistant. Then Colletti moved to the Dodgers, of all teams. The result? Between 2008 and 2014, either Colletti’s Dodgers or Sabean’s Giants won six of the seven contested NL West championships.

And by the way, they both rank among the 20 best all-time general managers.

Of the two, Colletti’s average scores are slightly better, while Sabean’s greater seniority gives him an edge in longevity-dependent categories. Colletti’s +2.24 average short-term impact is 1.23 standard deviations above average. His long-term average, +9.88, is 1.52 standard deviations above the mean.

A graduate of Northern Illinois, Colletti started out in the 1980s doing public relations for the Cubs, eventually gravitating to mediation/arbitration cases.

Hired by the Giants in 1994, he was within two years assistant to Sabean, leaving in 2006 to straighten out the mess in Los Angeles created by nearly of decade of mismanagement first by Rupert Murdoch and then Frank McCourt.

Where Colletti consistently stood out was in his farm system callups. Only six general managers in history produced more total short-term value from their farm systems than Colletti, and only four — Aaron Stern, Charles Webb Murphy, Bob Howsam and Syd Thrift — exceeded Colletti in average short-term farm yield. The reasons are as familiar as Yasiel Puig, Kenley Jansen, Dee Gordon and Clayton Kershaw.

Between 2006 and 2009, Colletti was the National League’s dominant force. Three times the Dodgers qualified for post-season play, and all three times it was Colletti’s maneuverings that got them there. Prior to the 2006 season, veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal plugged an obvious defensive shortcoming. In mid-season 2008, the addition of Manny Ramirez juiced the offense.

Colletti remained Dodger GM until being named a senior advisor to ownership following LA’s 2014 post-season collapse.

More from Los Angeles Dodgers

Ned Colletti

In the first six categories, values reflect the standard deviation of the GM’s performance above or below the historical mean for that category. Category 7 awards or deducts points for seasons in which the GM’s short-term impact exceeded the margin by which his team either reached post-season or failed to do so. Category 8 represents post-season appearances; in categories 7 and 8 indicated points are based on numbers of teams and post-season berths.

  1. Short-term average: +1.27
  2. Short-term total: +0.92
  3. Long-term average: +1.48
  4. Long-term total: +0.50
  5. Residual average: +1.87
  6. Residual total: +0.10
  7. GM’s post-season shares:
  • 2006 award +0.50: Colletti aided the Dodgers by +11.1; they qualified for post-season by 3 games. Key moves: Acquired Greg Maddux +1.1; signed Rafael Furcal +4.7; signed Takashi Saito +3.1; promoted rookie Russell Martin +1.8.
  • 2008 award +0.50: Colletti aided the Dodgers by +6.2 games; they qualified for post-season by 2 games. Key moves: Promoted rookie Blake DeWitt +1.9; acquired Manny Ramirez +3.3.
  • 2009 award +0.50: Colletti aided the Dodgers by +14.6 games; they qualified for post-season by 8 games. Key moves: Signed Casey Blake +2.8; re-signed Manny Ramirez +2.2; signed Randy Wolf +1.8; signed Orlando Hudson +1.4.

Category 7 total: +1.50

8. Credit for post-season appearances (2006, +0.50; 2008, +0.50; 2009, +0.50; 2013, +0.38;            2014, +0.38): +2.26

Grand total: +9.90

Next. Best all-time GMs #20: John Mozeliak. dark

That’s our #14 in the best all-time general managers, Ned Colletti. His imprint on the Los Angeles Dodgers is still notable in the current team!

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