Colletti's all about L.A. now

Ned Colletti has always bled blue.

The difference now is it's Dodgers blue and not Cubs blue.

Colletti, the 53-year-old Franklin Park native, Northern Illinois University graduate and former Cubs front-office executive, is now general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and brings his club into Wrigley Field tonight to try to beat the team that has been such a big part of his life.

"My personal history with this city and my personal history with this franchise makes it interesting," Colletti said Tuesday. "It will be interesting for my family that still lives here and the great friends I grew up with to sort through their emotions. I know where my emotions are; I don't have any doubt about that.

"It's one of those sweet ironies of life that I had the opportunity to grow up here and work here at this ballpark and the opportunity I have now as GM of another franchise to be here at this point in time."

Colletti understands that some of his family members won't be cheering for the Dodgers.

"I think some will root for the Dodgers and think some will be quiet," Colletti said. "Those who will be quiet, I think I know who they will be, but that's all right. Some of them have been Cubs fans for 50, 60, 70 years."

This is Colletti's third season as Dodgers general manager. He was assistant GM with the San Francisco Giants for nine years before that. He realized a dream when he began working for the Cubs in 1982, starting in media relations and moving up to baseball operations.

"I can honestly say I was not a Sox fan one day of my life," Colletti said.