Angels Expand Port’s Authority

A significant restructuring of the Angels’ front office began Tuesday when owner Gene Autry expanded Mike Port’s role and opened the door to the hiring of a baseball administrator and personnel director who will work under Port.

Port, formerly senior vice president and general manager, will now be executive vice president, chief operating officer and general manager. He was previously in charge of the baseball operation and now will also supervise the marketing and finance departments headed by senior vice presidents John Hays and James Wilson.

Port said the restructuring has been discussed since September and is not a response to Autry’s recent comments in which he suggested that Port needed to alter his hard-line style of negotiating.

Autry could not be reached Tuesday because of a business commitment. His wife, Jackie, implied that Port is not being phased out.

“Gene feels that Mike has done a very good job and that this is deserved recognition,” she said.

“The ball is in his court. He has full authority and the financial resources to take whatever steps he determines are necessary to right the ship, providing he determines the ship is listing.”

She added that Port’s new role represents the first of several restructuring steps and insisted that the plan has been discussed since last season and did not stem from any recent development.

Port said he was gratified by the Autrys’ display of support.

“Was there confusion in the three divisions?” he said, alluding to baseball, finance and marketing.

“No, but this gives us better definition and eliminates the tendency to move in different directions.”

He added that his involvement in the baseball end will eventually be reduced some and that the possibility of hiring or promoting a person to serve in a general manager’s capacity has not been ruled out.

Whether that person would be given the general manager’s portion of Port’s title or be called a personnel director or baseball administrator has apparently not been determined. It is believed, however, the role will include a responsibility for dealing with the media, leaving Port to handle the overall administrative functions.

Port said it is hoped the restructuring can be completed in 1 to 2 months.

A club source who requested anonymity was more definitive, saying that the goal is to have the restructured office in place by the start of spring training in mid-February and that the appointment of a general manager or personnel director to supervise the baseball end is a likely option.

The source said that the Angels had taken a hard look at the structure of other clubs and concluded that their own baseball operation was understaffed and Port shouldered too much of the burden. Port has handled contracts, trades and all aspects of the major league operation, assisted only by Preston Gomez.

Scouting director Bob Fontaine and minor league director Bill Bavasi, now candidates to move up, have been tied to their own departments.