Vin Scully ranks No. 5 on list of L.A.’s most powerful in sports.

Vin Scully Avenue

Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully smiles as he makes his way to the stage during the Dodgers’ fourth annual FanFest in January. (Keith Birmingham/Staff photographer)

Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully ranks fifth on our annual list of the 50 Most Powerful in Southern California Sports. Scully moved up from sixth on our 2015 list.

The other Dodger folks on our list (last year’s rank in parentheses):
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How do the Dodgers rank among the 50 Most Powerful in L.A. Sports?

Andrew Friedman and Josh Byrnes. #Dodgers

A photo posted by J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) on

Today, the Los Angeles News Group launched its list of the “50 Most Powerful in L.A. Sports.” The list includes Magic Johnson, Mark Walter, Vin Scully, Clayton Kershaw, Stan Kasten, Mike Scioscia, Yasiel Puig and Andrew Friedman. Dodgers advisor Ned Colletti ranks among the “fallen five.

The full list is here. Check out a photo gallery of the entire Top 50 here.

Dodgers hire GM Farhan Zaidi, senior vice president, baseball operations Josh Byrnes.

The Dodgers formally announced the hires of Farhan Zaidi (general manager) and Josh Byrnes (senior vice president, baseball operations) on Thursday.

The announcement, which had been in the works for days, provides some clarity as to how the front office under Stan Kasten and Andrew Friedman will work.

“Farhan’s primary focus will be the Major League team and player acquisitions while Josh will concentrate on the oversight of scouting and player development,” Friedman said in a statement released by the team. “However, they will both work closely with me on all aspects of baseball operations in our efforts to make the Dodgers’ front office and team the best it can possibly be.”

Zaidi, 37, was previously the Oakland A’s assistant general manager.

Byrnes, 44, had been without a job since he was fired as the San Diego Padres’ general manager in June.

Zaidi will meet with the media tomorrow at Dodger Stadium.

More to follow.

Front office hot stove: Josh Byrnes is hanging out with Stan Kasten in Arizona.

Several Dodgers prospects are playing in the Arizona Fall League this month for the Glendale Desert Dogs. So it’s no surprise that team president and CEO Stan Kasten would be in Arizona this week.

What might raise an eyebrow — we’re qualifying this as news with about 45 minutes left before the World Series begins — is that Kasten is reportedly hanging out with former Diamondbacks and Padres general manager Josh Byrnes:

Byrnes has been mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Ned Colletti as the Dodgers’ general manager. The team hasn’t made an official announcement since Andrew Friedman announced Friday that he intended to hire someone to fill the position.

Dodgers hire Andrew Friedman: The view from Tampa Bay.

Andrew Friedman

The Dodgers named Andrew Friedman their President, Baseball Operations on Tuesday. (Associated Press photo)


The Dodgers’ poaching of Andrew Friedman from the Tampa Bay Rays’ front office produced a predictable ripple effect in Florida. Call it somewhere between a minor tsunami and a major tidal wave.

How big is losing Friedman to the Rays? “It’s a huge loss,” said the man who’s replacing Friedman, Matt Silverman. Silverman also called the announcement “difficult and emotional.”

Tampa Tribune columnist Martin Fennelly writes that owner Stuart Sternberg — not Friedman, not manager Joe Maddon — is the linchpin to the Rays’ small-market success. Yet another local scribe called Friedman “the Rays’ MVP.”

Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times compiled a list of Friedman’s best and worst transactions as the Rays’ GM.