One concept that’s always baffled me is how casual observers associate players, coaches and even executives with a certain team.
For example — and I’ve seen this written quite a bit lately — Ned Colletti is a “Giants guy.” Can’t have a Giants guy running the Dodgers, right?
The problem with this narrative is that Colletti was a “Chicago guy” before he was a “San Francisco guy.” He grew up there and collected as many stories from his time working for the Cubs as he has from his time working for the Giants.
What about Kirk Gibson? Dodgers guy, or a guy who was born in Michigan, attended high school and college in Michigan, was a first-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers and played 12 of his 17 seasons in a Tigers uniform?
All of this is a long-winded way of saying the Arizona Diamondbacks hired a man who appeared in 14 games with the 1997 Dodgers to replace Gibson as their manager.
Before you go burn your Chip Hale jersey in mourning, keep in mind hat Hale managed or coached in the Diamondbacks organization from 2000-09. He’d been on the New York Mets and Oakland A’s staffs more recently.
Hale, 49, also hit a ball once in the minor leagues that resulted in a very telegenic non-catch.
Diamondbacks executive Tony La Russa said Monday that Dodgers third base coach Lorenzo Bundy was not his final list of managerial candidates.