Dodgers Are in Need of GM Who Can Restore Credibility

The Dodgers began their second search for a general manager in less than three years Monday, hoping this process produces better results than the previous one.

Chairman Bob Daly and President Bob Graziano acknowledged last week that Kevin Malone embarrassed the franchise and forced him to resign after two-plus tumultuous seasons.

The next top baseball executive must help restore the Dodgers’ credibility and fan confidence while solving problems Malone created in his brief tenure.

Baseball is watching and wondering whether the Dodgers will get it right this time.

“Whoever [the Dodgers hire] has to understand that there’s a heck of a lot to this job,� said interim General Manager Dave Wallace, who is assisting in the search.

“And you’re coming into a situation that’s . . not easy. It really isn’t.�

The Dodgers are not commenting on candidates to become their eighth general manager in Los Angeles, or about when they will request permission to interview people under contract, but American and National league executives said many respected officials are expected to visit Chavez Ravine during the next few weeks.

“Naturally, there is a vacancy to fill,� said Derrick Hall, senior vice president. “However, we have not begun contacting teams, nor have we complied a list of candidates.�

John Hart and Billy Beane, general managers of the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics, respectively, are atop the club’s wish list but face problems getting out of their contracts this season, let alone before the all-star break as the Dodgers would prefer.

Moreover, the Dodgers might face a bidding war for Hart, whom the Baltimore Orioles and others are expected to pursue, and would have to offer a major compensation package (money and top minor league prospects) to Oakland to release Beane from his deal.

Jim Duquette, senior assistant general manager of the New York Mets, is considered an early front-runner because of his strong ties to Wallace, with whom he worked when Wallace was a senior advisor to Met General Manager Steve Phillips.

Duquette has a reputation as a good administrator and negotiator, skills the Dodgers could use.

Former Angel general manager Bill Bavasi and former Dodger pitcher Dave Stewart, an assistant general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays, also are among those being considered.

The stakes are high for Daly and Graziano, who many in the organization believe supported Malone too long, because the Dodgers have wasted time and money under Fox.

Graziano and Peter Chernin, Rupert Murdoch’s top lieutenant, hired Malone in September 1998 after Dave Dombrowski, general manager of the Florida Marlins, rejected their offer.

The public perception then was that the Dodgers had slipped in stature, and they are determined to get their top choice this time.

“There are some good people out there,� San Diego Padre General Manager Kevin Towers said. “And some of the names mentioned so far are very good baseball men who would do a good job.�

But what is the next Dodger general manager getting himself into?

The Dodgers have a $110-million payroll--the major leagues’ highest opening-day total--and limited roster flexibility because many players are considered difficult to trade.

Scouts said there are few prospects at triple-A Las Vegas and double-A Jacksonville, meaning the Dodgers might remain dependent on free agents for a while.

Although the situation appears bleak, many general managers said things are not that bad.

“Yeah, you may have to tweak it a little bit, but they could be a real force,� Towers said. “They have power in the middle of the lineup, and the rotation and the bullpen are intact. All you have to do is look at their rotation. When you’ve got a guy like Eric Gagne as your fifth starter, and he’s as good as a lot of club’s No. 1’s or 2’s, you’re in good shape there.

“[Gary] Sheffield and [Shawn] Green are guys in the middle of the lineup who can win games with one swing, and at the end of the game you’ve got [Mike] Fetters, [Terry] Adams, [Matt] Herges and [Jeff] Shaw. Looking at our scouting reports, they’ve got some very good young players coming along in the minor leagues, so they’re starting to restock the farm system.

“If you bring in somebody with a little bit of a creative mind you can get it going, somebody to do kind of what [Colorado Rocky General Manager] Dan O’Dowd did. He came in there and they had a lot of big contracts that were kind of hard to move. But he moved them, brought some new faces in and it really made a difference.�

And the Dodgers’ resources should help spur a turnaround.

“In today’s game, they offer what you’re looking for,� Dombrowski said. “They not only have prestige, but they’re also well connected throughout the world, they will spend in development, scouting and at the big-league level.�

But what about the Daly factor?

The former Warner Bros. studio boss took an active role in baseball operations in his first season as chairman, and plans to remain involved in the future.

That might alarm some candidates used to hands-off owners, but Daly is not concerned.

“I’m not looking to be involved in day-to-day operations on the baseball side,� Daly said. “I believe you surround yourself with the best-qualified people. Give me a good person, and if that person comes into my office for 15 minutes a day and tells me what’s going on, I’ll be very happy.

“I didn’t want to be involved in a lot of things [but had to because of Malone’s missteps]. I found myself always in the middle of trying to explain certain things that I shouldn’t have had to explain.�