I couldn't be more excited for Gabe when I heard the news he was going into the Dodgers front office. I wasn't surprised at all that he moved into such a prominent position so quickly. His passion, intelligence and drive told me he'd be moving on at some point and without a doubt he is hardly done. I won't be the least surprised when he is leading an organization as either a GM or field manager.
Selfishly I hate to see him go. He will be sorely missed here at JABO and at FOX Sports 1. I thought the MLB WhipAround shows that he and I did together were some of our best.
Gabe and I were teammates in 1999 in Detroit. To see him go from that rookie season to who he is now is nothing short of inspiring. So many things impressed me about him this year. His passion for the work he did sticks out more than anything. I constantly felt challenged by him, in a good way, to be better. I was forced to see things from all angles and to never be lazy or content doing something one way because that's how it has always been done. It's easy to fall in that trap. He wouldn't allow it.
We hashed things out in conversation. Constantly bouncing ideas and theories off each other and trying to bring readers and viewers something better. I loved that as a goal. How can we be better? How can we distinguish ourselves from what everyone else is doing? It's a fun challenge if you're driven and not content with the status quo.
What made that all work was that Gabe is both strong and open minded. He has no problem admitting he might be wrong on something, a character trait that I admire more in people these days than ever. Few can bring so much to the table while admitting they may have gotten one wrong once in a while. Humility is refreshing.
Gabe's example should be one for all current and former players. This game is moving in a new direction and has been for some time now. If you want to be involved in any other role besides playing you need to embrace that, at least to some degree, and educate yourself. Fight it and you'll find yourself on the outside looking in.
This is a great hire by the Dodgers. I couldn't be more excited for my former teammate and co-worker.
