LA Angels: Jerry DiPoto Must Make Immediate Splash as New GM

With the Rangers in their second consecutive World Series and the Oakland A's centered in Moneyball in theaters, it's easy to forget that the Angels were the American League West's dominant team for most of the last decade. 

That's something that Jerry DiPoto, their reported new general manager, will look to change immediately.

Since the A's won the World Series in 1989, the Angels are the only American League West team to win a World Series, which they did in 2002. A Game 7 win from the Rangers tonight would obviously change that.

The Angels won that as a Wild Card, but won the American League West title in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. That seems a long way away now.

The Angels have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, posting a very plain record of 166-156.

Friday, October 28 at 11:29 a.m. EDT

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Angels have hired DiPoto as their general manager.

The opportunity is there to compete in the American League West. Texas looks to be a good team again in 2012, but the Mariners and Athletics both have some glaring holes to fill before they are real contenders.

DiPoto was the senior vice president of scouting and player development for the Arizona Diamondbacks. When you consider how much talent the Diamondbacks have and the kind of season they just enjoyed, DiPoto seems like a great fit.

The fans in Anaheim have rightfully come to expect big things from the Angels. The American League West can clearly compete with the rest of the league. If they couldn't, the Rangers wouldn't be in their second straight World Series.

In the market that the Angels are in, their fans have the right to expect big things. This is a franchise that's won a World Series and five division crowns since the start of the 21st century.

They clearly have what it takes to win in Anaheim.

DiPoto has the tools to put a winning team on the field, he'll just need to do so immediately. Modern fans are not patient, particularly those whose teams have enjoyed success in recent years, and a lot of it.

Patience doesn't really work in big markets that have enjoyed success. DiPoto's job will be to bring the same success that he enjoyed in Arizona in 2011 to Anaheim in 2012.

The potential is there.