Ned Colletti and the band, Chicago
Over the last few years, Ned Colletti has become very involved in the Guide Dogs of America and about six months ago, he mentioned to KABC’s Peter Tilden in passing that his favorite band was Chicago. Well, KABC stepped up to make a really cool event out of these two seemingly unconnected entities.
On October 22, KABC and Ned Colletti will host a concert at the Saban Theatre and it will serve as a fundraiser for the Guide Dogs of America and The Foundation Fighting Blindness.
Some of our younger readers might not know Chicago or, they think they don’t know Chicago. But given that they’ve sold more than 100 million records, including 21 Top 10 singles, they’re the real deal. Those who know them can affirm that.
And TalkRadio 790 KABC will donate 100% of all ticket sales to Guide Dogs of America and The Foundation Fighting Blindness. It’s really cool that they are doing this and it’s great that Ned has been able to combine a cause close to his heart with a band he really loves.
You can purchase the tickets presale at kabc.com with the password KABC and after that they’ll be available at Ticketmaster.
Inside the Dodgers 
I have one or two LPs by Chicago, they were very popular. Or maybe they still are but I’m more interested in the Dodger offense, Was it the Cards pitching or have they broke out of their long slump?
I guess that’s a question we’ll soon find out. But no matter, I doubt that we won’t win 3 more games. We won’t lose 100 games.
How much more we can expect depends on whether they can continue this surge. It looks like we have the pitching but only time will tell.
Ethier has to turn it around.
GO DODGERS!!!!!
No disrespect to the city of Chicago or the band named after that city’s Transit Authority system, not even addressing dog’s that provide services, but I can’t resist the sling at NED, Does he use the guide dogs to help him make trade or contract decisions, if he does, that might explain the awful trades he has made, these dogs don’t read as far as I know.; BUT if he does use the dogs to make deals while listening to 25 or 6 to 4, “sitting cross-legged on the floor” that explains it, Time to change breeds, time to change the song and time for a new GM and owner.
Over to “Outside the dodgers” as this dribble news is what the Dodgers want the fans to hear about?
I hear the McCourt kids are changing their last names to either Hitler or Manson, either way something less offensive than McCourt.
I would like to respond to koufax1963’s horribly slanderous diatribe regarding Dodger GM Ned Colletti. Mr Colletti has done a remarkable job with our Dodgers and I for one would hate to lose him to the Cubs. However, in the interest of fair play and compassion, I would not stand in his way if he desired to return to his baseball roots.
Ned, please feel free to ask me anytime.
This is just the kind of garbage that I find so trivial and non-MLB newsworthy that has caused me to suggest that Rawitch should turn the whole effort of MLB blogging over to somebody qualified to present some Dodger material that’s worth reading. Rawitch has an all-important and impossible job of spinning Frank’s image to the extent where people don’t puke when they hear the name, and he’s obviously trying to do his best for Ned at the same time. Nice going, you spinfucker, but turn the responsibility for this blog over to somebody with a scintilla of objectivity, and if you understandably can’t find such a person in the current Dodgers front office, let MLB staff that function. Maybe some of the original bloggers will even return.
I saw that band when they were CTA with Jimi Hendrix. They were OK, but Hendrix drove those hippies nuts.
I found a Chicago LP in our closet the other day, not sure which one it was, but I also have one of their 45’s in a tin. Great band, and an odd mashup with the GM… but there have been stranger MCs for a concert, and it’s for a good cause for sure.
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This isn’t the blog for objectivity, it’s the official Dodgers blog, and I don’t think anybody should be surprised what they’re getting here. The people who want a less rose-colored view of things are doing a fine job over at Outside the Dodgers, but I’d never expect to see one bad word written about Frank McCourt on this blog. It’s a McCourt brand blog.
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“Such a pretty house
and such a pretty garden
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surpises
Silence.”
– Radiohead, “No Surprises”
By the way, I heard some fans got a survey in the mail lately, thought I’d send mine in:
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Survey: Grading Frank McCourt’s stewardship of the Dodgers.
On a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being “best” and 1 being “worst”:
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1)Knowledge of baseball: 1.
Comments:
Mr. McCourt is a real-estate guy, so that can’t be helped. But in his stewardship of the franchise, McCourt has proven time and time again that the baseball operations are not his focus in owning the Dodgers, coming up with multiple ways to gerrymander the franchise to the point that the Dodgers, at one time, payed Frank McCourt rent for Dodger Stadium.
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2)Knowledge of Dodgers organization: 2.
Comments:
Mr. McCourt had learned all that he needed to be able to put on a front that he was interested in upholding “Dodger Tradition”, then spent the next seven years destroying Dodger tradition in every way imaginable, from moving the team out of Vero Beach while declaring the world “Dodgertown”, to crippling Dodger Stadium’s reputation as a family environment and “The Best Buy in Town” by raising ticket prices and slapping security offenders on the wrist and throwing them back into the crowd to continue harrassing fans, the unfortunate Bryan Stow incident the only reason the Dodgers have stopped cutting back security over the last 3 years. Not to mention the revolving door of ex-Giants, ex-Red Sox and ex-Yankees that have come and gone over the past seven years.
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3) Objectivity: 3.
Comments:
“Objectivity” is a loaded word. Are we talking “Objectivity vs. Subjectivity”? Frank McCourt’s “Objectives” in the direction of his stewardship? In this case, I’ll just grade him on his treatment of all fans, from the Pavillion to the Dugout Club. Mr. McCourt’s grand plan to renovate all levels of the stadium ended with the Field level, leaving the other levels to fend for themselves in long concession and bathroom lines. He tore out the foul territory that made Dodger Stadium an iconic pitcher’s park, and replaced it with super-expensive seating with horrible sightlines that provided more of a view of your neighbor’s head than the batter’s box. Then, he made the previous front-row owning season ticket holders shell out more cash for what was now at least a 10th row seat. the score of a neutral “3” is given because, apparently, he treats the low-paying and high-paying fans equally bad.
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4) Accuracy: 1.
Comments:
Mr. McCourt can’t even get the names of his current players spelled correctly on court documents. His MPA agreement he had Jamie sign turned into a debacle as it was revealed there were multiple versions of the agreement on record, some signed by Jamie, some not. There have been many times where Mr. McCourt has been caught in a quagmire of his own creation in the media, and it is an embarassment to Dodger fans across the world to be represented by a real estate/litigation guy who won’t dot every “i” and cross every “t”.
5) Storytelling: 5.
Comments:
This is one area in which Mr. McCourt excells. Every account I’ve heard/read of people meeting him in public shows a glowing account of a man who is amiable, friendly, and an open book. When he first stepped in as owner, he promised Dodger fans the world, saying he was bringing family ownership back to the Dodgers, espoused his desire for transperancy regarding Dodgers operations, and would continue Dodger Tradition (see #2 above). He soon envisioned Dodger Stadium renovations that would bring the ballpark into the 21st Century in style. In short, previous to the court cases, he knew all the right things to say, the right ways to say them, and the right times to say them, which effectively kept the eyes of the fandom away from what was really going on behind the curtain.
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6) Focus on the game: 1.
Comments:
This is the one area of the eight questions where I would give a zero if I could. Since I ran long in the previous questions, I’ll be short with this one. 2009, with the Dodgers going into the NLCS for a second consecutive year against a now-hated Phillies squad, Mr. McCourt thought it would be prudent to beat his wife to the divorce announcement by making said announcement within 24 hours of Game 1. Anyone who actually is focused on baseball could see why this would be a problem, though I doubt Mr. McCourt would fall within that realm.
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7) Style: 5.
Comments:
Can’t argue with the man here, he is one stylish guy. From the haircuts that cost as much as a working-class paycheck, to the many, many houses owned by the family (including some a stone’s throw from the Playboy Mansion), to the power-couple image that the couple shared pre-divorce, Mr. McCourt exudes style the way George Clinton exudes funk. Too bad it was on the Dodgers (and their fans’) dime, in bad faith.
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8) Overall Performance: 1.
Comments:
The McCourt Era was one that begain with good intentions and good feelings, but is shaping to be one of failed promise and half-finished projects. It’s a shame, too, because if Mr. McCourt meant every word he said since buying the team in 2004, none of this would have come to pass, regardless of the divorce. If he made the ballclub a priority, he’d be put in the Dr. Buss category, where no one cares what he does, because he makes sure he does what it takes to make his team a winner. Instead, he’s materialized into something closer to Donald Sterling, an owner despised by many, who has no ethical boundary preventing him from watching the team decay in front of a fanbase enjoying occasional promotions with no delusions about their place in the scheme of things.
NSB, this is absolutely CLASSICAL! WTG!!!!
NSB, I could not have said it any better. Great job as always.
Thanks Sparkle and LBirken, could not believe that the organization would survey how fans felt about Vin Scully. Vin Scully and Tommy Lasorda are the glue holding the organization together, image-wise. I felt the organization would be better served with THIS survey, heh.
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It was 45 years ago this week (no, not as good as Sgt. Pepper’s first line), and glad the Dodgers are at least having fun with this promotion. To do my part, I’ll add a Beatles song that is impossible for me to keep still while listening to it. I’m a John Lennon guy as far as the band is concerned, but this Paul song just… POW. (And this is the Mono version, for all you audiophiles)
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I thought I fell asleep at the computer in the 7th inning and just dreamed it all. I still can’t believe it. I’m happy we’ll have Scully back again next year. Long live the King.
Having Vin back is somewhat of a relief. All is not lost… yet.
NSB, not sure if you heard Bob Ewbanks talk about promoting the 1966 Beatles concert. The most interesting thing he said was how disinterested the Beatles were in doing these concerts at that time and how Bob felt the Beatles were tired of each other and the music. He mentioned how much the Beatles were paid ($125,000) and figured with all the expenses they ended up maybe with $4000. The Beatles went to Candlestick Park after the Dodger Stadium concert and that was their last live concert performance. Can you imagine attending a concert today with the main headliner performing only 30 minutes?
Hi ITD.
I was referring to the 7th inning last night. It was hard to believe my eyes what took place after Ethier was out at the plate. At this point I thought “Oh how typical”.
After that it was almost miraculous.
Vin’s a miracle within himself.