A big story in LA, there are four articles about DePodesta in today's LA Times. The first is the basic news story. It's interesting that Paul is trying to allay the Moneyball fears.

"I'm not looking to make changes in scouting, I'm looking to change the way we do business," DePodesta said. "I'm open to new ideas — that's how we became successful in Oakland…. What we'll try to do is take everything into account when we make a decision. We're not going to only rely on statistics or only rely on scouting reports. It's all going to play a part in the process….

"The games are not played by computers. It comes down to whether players can perform in critical situations. There's a human element to this that is not measurable. You have to mesh everything into the decision-making process."

"A part in the process." Notice he doesn't say how big each part will be. He's being a good politician, ambiguous enough that everyone can think what they want to think.

Ross Newhan looks at the way DePodesta might be unconventional, comparing him to Beane and Ricciardi. When he talks about Dan Evans stocking the Dodgers farm system, Beane gives him a great quote:

Under the deposed Dan Evans and scouting director Logan White, a long-fallow Dodger farm system improved from 28th to 14th to fourth among the 30 teams in annual rankings by Baseball America. DePodesta saluted the work of Evans and White in that regard and said there are now some "real studs" in the system.

However, it was Evans' refusal to trade any of his elite prospects for the needed power hitter that may have contributed to his firing, and DePodesta seemed to be making a point in that regard when he said a farm system serves two purposes: restocking the major league club and providing trade fodder.

From Oakland, DePodesta's former boss was even more pointed.

"The object is to win games at the major league level," Beane said by phone, "and not to run around waving a flag and saying how great your farm system is and how much it has improved."

Bill Plaschke is somewhat dismissive of DePodesta, based on his age and his mathematical accumen.

The Dodgers have a new voice, and it speaks in megabytes.

Meet General Manager.Com, otherwise known as Paul DePodesta, a 31-year-old computer nerd who was hired Monday to rid the Dodgers of their, um, virus.

"I'll admit, there's some boldness to this," said owner Frank McCourt. "But that's exactly what we need to do to change things around here."

Change it they have, from Branch Rickey to Little Rickey, from Buzzie Bavasi to Bill Gates, from wise old men who trusted effort to a kid who relies on … equations?

Finally, T.J. Simers is downright hostile. He seems to be dismayed that the Dodgers only got the 4th best GM prospect as rated by Baseball America.

BEYOND THAT, I know the Dodgers called a news conference Monday to tell everyone they had just hired the fourth-best GM prospect available in baseball to run their storied franchise. "We got No. 4, We got No. 4, We got No. 4."

I found it interesting the Dodgers would quote such a thing from Baseball America in their own Paul DePodesta news release, so I asked the Boston parking lot attendant who borrowed everything to buy the Dodgers if there was a reason why he hadn't hired Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on Baseball America's list of top GM prospects.

And there was. He had no idea who they were. Some exhaustive search.

However, if you look at the list, DePodesta is at the top in terms of people who use statistical analysis as the basis for their decisions. So if you believe in that, Paul would be your #1 choice.

I think he's going to be great, just as Theo has been great for Boston and Ricciardi has been great for the Blue Jays. Paul will find a way to keep the Tommy Lasorda wing of the Dodgers happy, while building the team his own way. LA fans should be very excited about this move.