The first few months of 2013 were an embarrassing time for the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the first full year under their new ownership, the first year they were spending more than any other team in the National League. And at the end of June they were in last place.
"Smart beats rich, period," the club's president and CEO, Stan Kasten, told me at the time. "We're going to be a rich team. Now it's up to us to do smart things. If you're smart and rich, you're going to have an advantage.