• The Big Chair

  • The Smooth Hops and Bad Bounces from the Inside World of the Acclaimed Los Angeles Dodgers General Manager
  • By: Ned Colletti, Joseph A. Reaves
  • Narrated by: Ned Colletti
  • Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (143 ratings)

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The Big Chair  By  cover art

The Big Chair

By: Ned Colletti,Joseph A. Reaves
Narrated by: Ned Colletti
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Publisher's summary

An unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the career of famed former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager (a position also known as "The Big Chair"), whose tenure spanned nine of the most exciting and turbulent years in the franchise's history.

During his tenure with the Dodgers, Colletti had the highest winning percentage of any general manager in the National League. In The Big Chair (coauthored by Joseph A. Reaves), he lets listeners in on the real GM experience - something no one in the position has ever done before - sharing the inner workings of three of the top franchises in the sport, revealing the out-of-the-headlines machinations behind the trades, the hires and the deals; how the money really works; how the decision making really works; how much power the players really have and why - the real brass tacks of some of the most pivotal decisions made in baseball history that led to great success along with heartbreak and failure on the field. Baseball fans will come for the grit and insight, stay for the heart, and pass it on for the wisdom.

Ned Colletti began his MLB career with his beloved hometown team, the Chicago Cubs, more than 35 years ago. He worked in Chicago for a dozen years and was in the front office when the Cubs won the National League East in 1984 and 1989, after which he moved on as director of baseball operations for the SF Giants. By 1996 he became the assistant GM for the Giants before being hired as the GM in Los Angeles in 2006. There he oversaw the Dodgers through the highly publicized and acrimonious divorce battle between Frank and Jamie McCourt that culminated in the equally highly publicized sale of the team. He was present at the press conference where Don Mattingly, having just watched his team eliminated from the playoffs, used the postseason conference to vehemently discuss his lack of a contract extension. He brought marquee names like Greg Maddux and Clayton Kershaw to LA as well as marquee drama with the likes of Manny Ramirez and Yasiel Puig; hired future Hall of Famer Joe Torre as manager; and oversaw 14 Dodgers playoff wins. And these are just a few of the highlights.

Colletti serves up a huge dish of firsthand experiences with some of the biggest names in baseball history (Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Don Mattingly, Don Zimmer, Tommy Lasorda, Scott Boras, Vin Scully, and more). From his humble early years living in a Chicago garage to his path to one of the most prestigious positions in professional sports, his very public and illustrious career has left a permanent handprint in the history of America's sport - and now he's ready to share the insight only those who have sat in The Big Chair have ever seen.

©2017 Ned Colletti (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Ned Colletti is the best kind of baseball lifer. With a storyteller’s eye, he expertly pulls back the curtain on the games, the people, the days that made his journey unforgettable. The Big Chair is the worthy product of that life. Ultimately, it is a reminder that baseball - and the people in it - is not all about the numbers.” (Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports writer and New York Times best-selling co-author of Imperfect and The Phenomenon)

“Former Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti saw the team through a sale, 14 playoff wins, and the acquisitions of Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig. The Big Chair offers inside-baseball insight thanks to his decades-long career in the major leagues.” (Los Angeles Magazine)

“Alternating among declarations of his unabashed love for baseball, neutral reportage, and score-settling (usually with a smile and a subsequent peace offering), Colletti provides a variety of insights [and] offers unforgettable, candid profiles of hundreds of players...A treasure trove of characterizations and insights bound to entertain any MLB fan.” (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about The Big Chair

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Great Story about a Great Man

I decided to listen to Ned Colletti’s Book “The Big Chair” and I’m glad I did.
It gives a good description of his Blue Collar parents and Ned’s Blue Collar start where he basically worked 2 jobs to make ends meet, he seemed to feel it was worth it to be in an industry he was interested in (Chicago Hockey and Cubs Baseball). The book then goes into his days with The Chicago Cubs (the team he rooted for as a young boy), then to The San Fransisco Giants and finally to The Los Angeles Dodgers. Throughout the book Ned is very appreciative of the people that helped him during his career. There are probably only about 3 or 4 people in the entire book that Ned has negative words for. All in all, it’s a great book that gives good backstage access and insight to the decision making process of a major market GM.
I’ve always liked Ned and this book made me appreciate him even more. There are some parts of the book that even got me a little misty eyed, mostly stuff about Ned’s Father and other Family members.
I will say that if you’re looking for a book that is going to be negative and stir up controversy about other people you might want to look elsewhere, he has positive words for the SF Giants, Brian Sabian (who I personally don’t like because he’s the GM of the SF Giants and helped them win 3 World Series in a 5 year run), Barry Bonds and Frank McCourt.
I would recommend this book to any long time Dodger fans or any baseball fan for that matter.
Go Blue.

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Great book

Really enjoy this book a must read for any baseball enthusiast for those of you who enjoy hearing back stories her famous players trades and what it really is like to be a general manager it’s a must read I become a super big fan of Ned Colletti

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A great story…. But,

Ned reads his book like he is reading it for the first time. Little emotion. A machine gun like narration… take a breath, read as much as you can, repeat- over and over again.

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Great story about a better man

This is a great read/listen for any dodger fan or baseball fan who wants a glimpse into the life of a baseball executive.

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My era dodgers

Loved hearing the backstories to the headlines that were making the news in years past. An inside perspective, plus its Ned reading it!

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A great story. Coletti is the last of a breed.

This is a real-life tale of what made America great: family, faith and hard work. Passion for baseball and people. The art of the deal. The non-stop, lonely and sacrificial life of a GM. Baseball had better be your life because outside of that—you don’t have one. A very humble account of a long successful career. To overuse a cliche—Ned is a rare class act in today’s world of sports.

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Amazing Insight

Fantastic information on the day to day life of an MLB front office executive. Great resource.

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If you love baseball & the Dodgers, listen!

Ned Colletti is a wonderful communicator and loves the game. This was a great book. I love that he is the narrator. I loved the stories. I loved the inside information. It was fantastic.

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A must listen!!!

This book is amazing!! Ned reading the book makes you feel like you are sitting next to him talking baseball. The stories and behind the scenes situations, we all desire to know, makes this book a must have!! Simply great!!

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Nick Colletti Rebuilt the Tarnished Dodger Brand

This book is similar to other recent biographies of General Managers and owners of successful, albeit previously underperforming baseball franchises, i.e., Bill Veeck in "Veeck the Wreak" (Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox) Theo Epstien in Destiny (Boston Red Sox), and Theo Smith again in the "Cubs Way."

Likewise, Ned Colletti rebuilt the tarnished Dodgers for nine successful years from 2006 to 2015 during the Joe Torre and Don Mattingly Era. Collette revitalized the Dodger post season brand by bringing Clay Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez, Manny Rameriz, Greg Maddox, Zack Grinke and Yasiel Puig to Los Angeles.

As a former sports writer Collette shares his unbelievable journey with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and LA Dodgers. Three teams and many memorable post season playoffs resulting in appearing in two World Series:

Narrated by Collette himself as he passionately describes his wonderful career beginning in the front office for the 1984 and 1989 Division winning Chicago Cubs. Collette shares his admiration for MVP awardee Andre Dawson in this time period and it was a favorite passage for me.

Then in 1996 he worked as assistant General Manager for the Barry Bond's San Francisco Giants. His HOF views regarding Bonds are fair minded. In 2006, he took over as General Manager of the fabled Los Angeles Dodgers, where he added Mark McGuire as a successful hitting coach.

Supports lifetime ban on cheaters.

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