The Los Angeles Dodgers have experienced a plethora of turnover this offseason in the coaching and front office departments. Among the departures include former assistant hitting coach Tim Hyers, who joined the Boston Red Sox as their hitting coach, and former vice president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, who received an opportunity to become the Atlanta Braves’ new executive vice president and general manager.
The Dodgers could potentially be on the verge of losing another member of their 2017 coaching staff, as third base coach Chris Woodward is among the many candidates to interview for the New York Yankees’ managerial opening.
The Covina, Calif. native joined Dave Roberts’ coaching staff at the end of 2015 and has served as the Dodgers’ third base coach for the previous two seasons.
In the wake of his interview with the Yankees, Woodward has discovered many similarities between the two clubs, per Peter Botte of the New York Daily News:
“It’s very similar to L.A. actually,” Woodward said Saturday on a conference call. “There’s a lot of parallel, big-market team, a lot of expectations, young. You have a bunch of ingrown guys coming up through the minor leagues that are making impacts. You have (Aaron) Judge, and in L.A. you’ve got (Cody) Bellinger.
“I was really proud of our guys in L.A., and this New York team, they play with a ton of energy. I love that they have fun on the field. They seem to really kind of ignite a passion in the Stadium, and obviously I would feed off of that. I love that about the game. I love the diversity of the team. The group is from all over the place and I think that’s something that’s pretty special about this.”
As Woodward noted, both Los Angeles and New York are comparable for the fact that they play in the two biggest markets with rabid fanbases. Each club ranks near the top in annual attendance and are two of the most recognizable brands in the sport.
The Dodgers and Yankees are also naturally compared to each other for their financial might around the league. Both clubs consistently rank near the top in payroll and have shown a willingness to spend both domestically and internationally.
What’s more, the Dodgers and Yankees boast two of the best farm systems in the Majors. Each organization relied heavily on its young players during the 2017 season and produced a pair of 2017 Rookies of the Year in Bellinger and Judge.
Both the Dodgers and Yankees can also relate for being one game away from eliminating the Houston Astros from postseason contention. The Yankees couldn’t capitalize on a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series while the Dodgers suffered a heartbreaking Game 7 loss in the World Series.
