Frank McCourt knew soon into his lengthy conversation with Ned Colletti that he wanted to hire him as the Dodgers' general manager.
"There was chemistry immediately, and I thought that was a very, very good sign because chemistry is a big piece of building a baseball team," the Dodgers owner said. "This guy is a born leader. He's a baseball guy. We talked and, as a matter of fact, I think I got the whole life story. I mean literally. And it's a great story."
The 50-year-old Colletti, who spent the past nine years as assistant GM for the San Francisco Giants, brings along 24 years of experience as a baseball executive.
"Our strategy will be to improve immediately, via trade or free agency, but not be too shortsighted to forget who's on the horizon," Los Angeles' new GM said Wednesday at a Dodger Stadium news conference. "There's a foundation here, but there are needs to be filled."
Asked if the Dodgers would be capable of fielding a division-championship team if opening day were today, he smiled and simply said, "No."
Then he added, "But ask me that on opening day."
He replaced Paul DePodesta, fired after the Dodgers went 71-91 last season. Coming on the heels of their NL West title in 2004, this year's record was the team's worst since 1992 and second-poorest since they moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1958.
MATSUI SIGNS: Hideki Matsui sat behind a table in Yankee Stadium, happy to know he will be back with New York for the next four seasons. Whether he remains in left field or is moved to center remains to be determined.
"He says, 'Whatever you want me to do,' but he did allow me the fact that center field is probably his most comfortable position," Yankees manager Joe Torre said Wednesday, a day after Matsui agreed to a $52 million, four-year contract. "He gets a jump even though he's not overly fast."
New York knows poor center-field defense by Bernie Williams was a glaring weakness the last few years. With Williams now a free agent, the Yankees say they intend to add an outfielder.
Brian Giles, a free agent who will be 35 next season, is among the players the Yankees are interested in — for center or left.
SOURCE: PADRES CLOSE TO GETTING CAMERON: The San Diego Padres were close to acquiring outfielder Mike Cameron from the New York Mets for utility player Xavier Nady, a baseball official with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Before they finalize the deal, the Padres apparently want to make sure Cameron's vision is OK following a face-to-face collision with Mets teammate Carlos Beltran in the outfield at San Diego's Petco Park on Aug. 11 that ended Cameron's season.
The baseball official spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade had not yet been announced.
Newsday first reported the pending deal on its Web site Wednesday, saying the sides had reached a preliminary agreement on the trade subject to Cameron passing an eye exam.
ALSO: Former Red Sox pitcher Al Nipper was named Boston's bullpen coach on Wednesday . . . The Philadelphia Phillies took another shot at retaining closer Billy Wagner, meeting with the All-Star left-hander in Virginia on Wednesday . . . The Chicago Cubs traded right-hander Jon Leicester to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday for a player to be named.