A team president by any other name …

The Dodgers just announced that Jamie McCourt has gone from being the team president to being the chief executive offiers, while chief operating officer Dennis Mannion is now the team president in addition to his COO title. What this means isn’t exactly clear. But here is the official release from the club:

LOS ANGELES, CA – Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today announced that Dodgers President Jamie McCourt has been named Chief Executive Officer and Dennis Mannion has been named President/COO of the club.
“Jamie has done an outstanding job of assembling a talented management team, fostering a positive culture, and building a first-class business operation,” said McCourt. “We all now look forward to Jamie and Dennis taking the organization to new heights.”
As CEO, Jamie will oversee the strategic direction and decisions of the organization, focusing on the development of relationships throughout the Dodgers community and Major League Baseball, and with corporate partners and public officials. Jamie will also lead business development initiatives in order to grow the global Dodgers brand across all platforms. She will remain responsible for driving the organizational culture within the Dodgers family.
“I am honored to assume this new leadership role,” Jamie said. “It allows me to promote a strategic mindset and build long-term relationships that strengthen our brand. The most important of those relationships is with our fans. So I will invest even more heavily in how we connect with them in every imaginable way.
“We are very optimistic about the future of this franchise – on the field, in the stands, and in our neighborhoods. Baseball is tied to family values; it is classic Americana, and it is the National Pastime for a reason. We are focused on strengthening our ties to families…and families need baseball now more than ever.”
Jamie was named President of the club August 12, 2005. She has since recruited a strong leadership team, including Mannion, to help her reshape the culture of the organization and solidly position the enterprise as it begins its next 50 years in Los Angeles.
“Dennis has done an excellent job of implementing our strategy with his disciplined approach and innovative ideas,” Jamie said. “Having worked with him during this past year and a half, Dennis has demonstrated that he is ready to take the reigns of the day-to-day operations as President/COO of this ballclub.”
Mannion joined the Dodgers in November, 2007, after 27 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and Baltimore Ravens.
“I want to thank the McCourts,” said Mannion. “I could not be more proud. All of us inside and outside the organization sense the potential this organization has to elevate its prominence and increase its relevance in sports and world culture.”