Jerry Dipoto says nice things about Mike Scioscia, reminds us that Josh Hamilton signing was all Arte Moreno's fault

In case you haven't heard, Jerry Dipoto, our former General Manager extraordinaire and wearer of red polos, has found himself a new job in baseball. Unlike his little consultant stint in Boston, this one gives him the keys to a baseball kingdom once again, this time in Seattle. Yes, Dipoto is the new GM of the Mariners, and today it was made official in a press conference attended by Seattle front office personnel and media alike.

Part of the presser included being asked about his former club, and to clear up any of the animosity or acrimony that was rumored to be swirling around Anaheim in late June/early July. Dipoto is ever the professional, though, and had nothing but kind words to say about his former, supposed nemesis and Angels manager, Mike Scioscia.

"I think the general narrative, the popular narrative, is that Mike and I were constantly at war during my time with the Angels — that’s the furthest thing from the truth, and I think Mike would share that belief as well,"...

...Like many managers and general managers, we had disagreements in certain areas, and we agreed on a lot of things along the way as well. And we had some success. We grew together, we learned together. Every day I’m in this seat, I’m learning something new. And I hope that’s true of the people around me."

What a swell guy. No hidden jabs or veiled barbs, just pure class. Of course, that's sort of the type of corporate speak that you have to master if you're going to be the face of a front office. Would we ever get a real, honest, hot take from Dipoto regarding Scioscia or his time with the Angels? Probably not, because again, he's smart and he likes having high profile jobs in baseball. But, one can dream of a day when he drops the overly kind and sweep-it-under-the-rug tone, and just rips into Mike Scioscia. All in all, he came off as a guy who is happy for his ex and doesn't want to disparage them, because he's found a new love himself.  Living well is, after all, the best revenge. I'll keep my Dipoto shade-throwing fantasies going strong in my imagination, though.

He also took time to remind us of what could have been his biggest blunder in Anaheim...the signing of Josh Hamilton...if only it was him who mandated Hamilton get that Brinks truck of cash. No, Jerry is the head of an AL West franchise today, and he can hang his head high and proud and tell the media "Hey, that one really, really crappy signing? That was all Arte Moreno." And it's true! Thanks, Arte!

Asked on Tuesday why he was not successful in convincing Angels Owner Arte Moreno to not sign Hamilton, Dipoto said, "As Arte told me at the time, it was his decision to make. … In Josh’s free-agent year, I met with Josh, met with his wife, and we talked through it.

"Obviously, Arte and the Angels’ upper management was heavily involved in what we were doing, and rightfully so. He’s the owner of the club. It’s his decision to make. My position is to manage what I’ve been given the ability to manage, and that’s what I do."

Any other GM would have that scarlet letter until the day he called it quits, but luckily for Dipoto(and unluckily for the Angels and their fans), that one was all on Arte Moreno and the bulging hard on he had for a guy that every other team was staying far, far away from. Still, he did what his owner told him to do, and seems to have completely wiped his hands clean of the Halos and their baggage.

Good luck, Jerry. The Mariners got themselves a good GM at the helm, and the Angels are stringing together a special end to a tumultuous season. For now, both teams are happy. For now.