Giants boss Zaidi vows to gun for World Series-winning Dodgers
Nov. 19—Farhan Zaidi wanted no part of the question, but he knew it was coming.
As the Giants’ boss who previously served as the Dodgers’ general manager for four years, his reaction undoubtedly was going to be sought on the World Series championship celebrated by his former employers.
So, Farhan, to borrow lingo from the
Brooklyn days, how ‘bout Dem Bums?
“The official statute of limitations for asking me about the Dodgers’ World Series ended yesterday,” Zaidi quipped during a Zoom session with reporters, “so I don’t know if you got that memo.”
It’s no secret in the industry that Zaidi, as the right-hand man to Andrew Friedman, was instrumental in acquiring players who were 2020 difference-makers. During Zaidi’s time in L.A, the Dodgers drafted Walker Buehler, Will Smith, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin, traded for Kiké Hernandez, Chris Taylor and Austin Barnes and signed Max Muncy.
“As an organization,” Zaidi said, speaking as the Giants’ president of baseball operations, “we should define success by our own accomplishments and not by other team’s shortcomings or failures. I don’t think it affects us at all.
“On a personal level, I’m happy for a
lot of the guys over there. You look at a guy like Clayton Kershaw, who’s a Hall of Famer, I share the sentiment with a lot of people in the industry. It was great seeing him finally winning a World Series.”
In a year the Giants finished 29-31, their fourth straight losing record, the Dodgers won it all for the first time since 1988, and it happened in a pandemic season that didn’t start until late July and ended at a neutral site in Texas with the third baseman pulled from the clincher after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Zaidi didn’t minimize the accomplishment one bit. Instead, he applauded the Giants’ most bitter rivals.
“I have personal relationships with a lot of people over there,” Zaidi said. “I’m happy for lot of people in the front office that I worked with, people that maybe joined the Dodgers’ organization right after 1988 and had a long road before they finally got this ring. It’s been a long year for the entire country. It’s a good thing that people have a chance to celebrate.”
Manager Dave Roberts has Giants roots. He played in San Francisco in 2007 and 2008, his final years as a player.
“Dave Roberts, who has done a great job as the manager over there, for him to get a ring, it’s great,” Zaidi said.
At the same time ... “It’s not going to make us want us to beat them any less when we play them next year,” he said. “They set a high standard for the division, and we’re going to continue to be gunning for them like every other team in the division.”
John Shea covers the Giants for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: jshea@ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ Johnsheahey