LA’s MOVERS AND SHAKERS : You Don’t Have to Be a Star to Wield Power in the Southern California Sports Scene, but It Helps if Your Team Has Some . . .or You Are the Agent for One . . .or You Organized an Olympics With a Bunch of Them

Power comes in degrees. There is power that overwhelms and subdues. There is power that nudges ever so gently. Power can be inherited, earned, bought, taken, saved. It can be a most volatile possession.

Los Angeles, of course, has its own hierarchy of sports movers and shakers, a given considering the area’s strong tradition of amateur athletics, pro franchises and college programs. Some of the members wield their clout more often than others, but few wield it more effectively than the 75 power brokers listed below.

Inclusion on this highly subjective list isn’t based strictly on money. You don’t need to own a major league team or oversee a financial sports empire to earn a place among the Select 75, but it helps. High television ratings don’t necessarily guarantee an appearance on the list--sorry, Fred Roggin--nor do NBA records--our apologies, Kareem. Power isn’t always measured by numbers.

Nor is it determined by streaks or titles. Track star Edwin Moses is a no-show. So is Clipper General Manager Elgin Baylor. The what-have-you-done-for-me-lately rule comes into effect here.

About the criteria for selection: There were none, at least none that were written in stone. But as a basic rule of thumb, the nominee somehow had to affect change, to make a difference, however infrequent. Good intentions didn’t count; results did.

And now, a tour of the stars, beginning with . . .

1. Peter O’Malley, president of the Dodgers.

O’Malley is patriarch of one of the most valuable sports franchises in America and one of the most recognized worldwide. His Dodger organization is worth an estimated $120 million, to say nothing of pristine Dodger Stadium and the adjoining land, together worth another $100 million or so. And did we mention the vast Florida acreage owned by the Dodgers at their spring training facility in Vero Beach?

O’Malley’s influence within the power structure of major league baseball is considerable, if not understated. Appointed president of the franchise in 1970, he is one of only a few owners whose baseball team is a sole vocation and source of income.

“We care a lot and it is a full-time responsibility,” said O’Malley, whose Dodger Stadium office overlooks the playing field. “It’s not a hobby. It’s not a part-time responsibility. It is truly full time, every day of the week, every day of the year.

Added O’Malley: “Unfortunately, a lot of people who own sports franchises have other interests that occupy a large part of their time. That’s not the case with my dad (the late Walter O’Malley) or with myself. I think that’s the only way to do it.

“I don’t mean to be critical of others, but if you look at the success of the teams, generally speaking, the owners or CEOs who put in the most time . . . will get the best results, rather than if they look at it as a second or third activity on their plate, or a hobby or a part-time responsibility.”

It isn’t uncommon for O’Malley to be among the first Dodger employees to arrive for work at the stadium and among the last to leave. Asked when he last worked a 40-hour week, O’Malley looked amused.

“Thirty years ago,” he said.

Considered a shrewd and selective businessman, O’Malley runs the Dodgers not so much as a family, but as an extremely well-tended garden. Harvest aplenty, too.

For instance, Dodger Stadium turnstiles turn often--2,944,653 times in 1989--because of the O’Malley philosophy of providing family entertainment at prices a family can afford. His father began that practice.

No other Los Angeles sports figure has better political connections than O’Malley, who learned the ways of local power from the grand master himself. Walter O’Malley introduced him to the city’s inner circle and tutored him on the rules of coexistence.

“More by example than by saying this or that,” Peter O’Malley said. “He really didn’t give much advice, specifically. It was definitely more by example.”

O’Malley observed well. He is on the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and one of his most ardent allies is none other than Mayor Tom Bradley.

And talk about acquaintances in high places! When the Pope visited Los Angeles in 1987, it was no coincidence that the public Mass was said in Dodger Stadium, made available, of course, by O’Malley, who persuaded the National League to revise the Dodgers’ schedule--a game against the Cincinnati Reds was originally planned--for that day.

But unlike his more flamboyant father, O’Malley prefers to remain in the background. The day O’Malley unleashes a Steinbrenner-type series of public comments is the day the Dodgers move back to Brooklyn. O’Malley’s use of power is much more discreet, more efficient, but no less impressive.

“Being a power broker doesn’t appeal to me,” he said. “I’m active on various boards, Chamber of Commerce, others, but to be a power broker has never appealed to me. The only subject that matters to me is this franchise, running this franchise the best possible way.

“I’m not trying to run politics or City Hall or the county government or anything else--Chamber of Commerce, or any other organization. My plate is full right here.”

Maybe so, but when it comes to movers and shakers, O’Malley is doing the Watusi, and everyone else is slow-dancing.

2. Jerry Buss, owner of California Sports, Inc.

In 1979, Buss paid $67.5 million for the Lakers, Kings, Forum and a 13,000-acre ranch. Accountants swooned. Buss celebrated. He had pulled off a purchase for the ages.

Even after selling the Kings in 1988, Buss remains a major player in the business of Los Angeles sports. His Lakers have enjoyed unparalleled success--five NBA championships in 10 years--and with it a wealth of local popularity, surpassing that of the traditional favorite, the Dodgers.

He helped bankroll the Prime Ticket Network, which often features his team or Forum tenants. He also has given his blessing to an ambitious strategy that calls for a title fight each month at the Inglewood facility.

As for the Fab Forum, it now answers to another name because of a marketing agreement with an area bank. The name change didn’t come cheap, either. And just think if he owned O’Malley’s team. Buss: “Tradition be damned, from now on , it’s Farmer John Stadium.”

3. Bruce McNall, president of the Kings.

In two years, McNall has managed to do the improbable--revitalize hockey in a town that previously thought icing was something you put on a birthday cake. He brought Wayne Gretzky to L.A., a deal that surely ranks among the most stunning in sports history.

The move gave the franchise instant credibility and confirmed McNall’s reputation as an owner who backs his dreams from the depths of his wallet.

Already, McNall has become a formidable force in the NHL hierarchy and makes little secret of his desire to own another professional franchise. His integration into the politics of L.A. sports is well under way. A man to watch in the 1990s.

4. Anita DeFrantz, president of the Amateur Athletic Foundation and member of the International Olympic Committee.

Who, you say?

DeFrantz, a former Olympian, is this close to becoming the most influential woman in amateur sports. She is the first black woman to serve on the all-powerful IOC and already commands respect among her peers. Even given how slowly the IOC bureaucracy changes, it isn’t inconceivable that DeFrantz could become the first woman president of the organization.

Besides attending to her IOC duties, DeFrantz stays busy running the Amateur Athletic Foundation. Remember all that surplus money made available to Los Angeles from the 1984 Games profits? Yes, well, DeFrantz’s Los Angeles-based AAF decides where it is spent.

5. Gene Autry, president of Golden West Baseball Co.

At 82, Autry still isn’t afraid to pull the financial trigger when it comes to the free-agent market. The Cowboy spent $16 million to acquire pitcher Mark Langston, but then, Autry pioneered the practice of emptying his saddlebags for expensive little baseball dogies.

Autry wields his influence quietly, sparingly. He brought baseball to Orange County in 1966 and his is a stable, if not underachieving, franchise that always finds heartbreaking ways to fall short of a World Series appearance. Still, there is something to be said for Autry’s persistence.

His ownership of KMPC Radio is noteworthy, as is his $54-million Western Heritage Museum. As for his standing in Los Angeles, recall that Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. were the entertainment at a $1,000-a-plate fund-raiser for Autry’s museum several years ago. And when the museum opened in 1988, Mayor Bradley helped cut the ceremonial lariat.

One other note: Autry’s wife, Jackie, is no longer an owner-in-training. She helps oversee much of the Angel business operation. She is fast becoming a force in her own right.

6. Peter Ueberroth, business executive.

Ueberroth’s legacy is secure, primarily because of his management of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, a memorable event punctuated by grand athletic performances and the ability of the L.A. Olympic Organizing Committee to use gallons of black ink in its ledger. He helped create a blueprint for Olympic financial success, a formula so popular that the city of Atlanta is now using parts of it in its quest to secure the next available Olympic opening.

The ambitious Ueberroth was still running the Olympic show when he was appointed baseball commissioner, a position he held until April 1989, when he returned to the private sector as co-chairman of HAL, parent company of Hawaiian Airlines.

Ueberroth, an Angel season-ticket owner, moves easily within the confines of L.A. sports royalty. His resume assures him almost instant access to decision makers, a handy option should he choose to venture back into the public spotlight. Rumors of a run at governor, senator or mayor are rife.

7. Tom Bradley, mayor of Los Angeles.

A sports solicitor extraordinaire. Bradley played a pivotal role, from start to finish, in bringing the 1984 Olympics to L.A. He most recently traveled to Orlando, Fla., in hopes of persuading NFL owners to award Los Angeles the 1993 Super Bowl. That attempt failed, but it’s the thought that counts.

Bradley also is active in the continuing effort to keep the Raiders within the city limits and serves on the board of directors of the Amateur Athletic Foundation.

8. Earvin Johnson, Laker guard.

Powerful enough to get a coach fired, talented enough to win a handful of MVP awards and league championships, and rich enough to talk openly of one day buying an NBA franchise, Johnson is a city treasure. No other local athlete rivals his popularity or charisma--not Bo, not Wayne, not Orel. He helped create a basketball dynasty of sorts and spawned a decade’s worth of “Beat L.A.” cries by opposing fans. The day he retires, Laker followers will go into immediate mourning.

9. John Argue, attorney.

Consultant to city fathers and resident voice of reason. Argue’s father was instrumental in getting the 1932 Olympics for L.A. John Argue did likewise with the 1984 Games. His opinion is sometimes sought by Coliseum Commission members, as well as by Mayor Bradley.

It was Argue who helped form the Los Angeles Sports Council, the private organization that now tries to persuade various leagues and international sporting bodies to bring their major events to the city’s facilities. A most influential man.

10. Charles Young, chancellor of UCLA.

A member of the powerful NCAA Presidents Commission, Young has helped spearhead a variety of reforms that require the student-athlete to be more student and less athlete. Included among the recent changes made by the commission are a reduction in spring football practice days, a reduction in the number of basketball games and the release of student-athlete graduation rates by member schools.

Young, who oversees a $1.5-billion university budget, also has given his blessing to a comprehensive and controversial UCLA drug-testing program that calls for the school’s athletes to submit to annual and random examinations.

You will also find Young’s name on the executive board of the L.A. 2000 Committee, a blue-ribbon panel formed by Bradley to ease the city into the 21st Century.

11. David Simon, president of the Los Angeles Sports Council.

It was Simon who turned a heretofore volunteer organization into an actual budgeted, incorporated council with growing clout. The 39-year-old Simon is constantly courting the various professional and amateur organizations.

12. Stan Thomas, Southern Section commissioner of the California Interscholastic Federation.

To the 62 high school leagues that make up the CIF Southern Section, Thomas is all-powerful. Only the sixth commissioner in the 77-year history of the section, Thomas has been praised for his thoroughness, fairness and disciplinary nature. In 1989, the Southern Section was faced with three court cases in a 10-day span. The issue was player eligibility, and the section and Thomas won all three.

Thomas also recognized the benefits of making corporate sponsorship of high school athletic events a priority, thus easing financial burdens. It was a controversial but innovative move.

13. John Shaw, executive vice president of the Rams.

Georgia Frontiere may own the team, but Shaw runs it. He represents Frontiere at almost all league meetings and functions and is fast becoming one of the most powerful people in the league. Shaw is on the NFL’s prestigious Management Council and is also part of a committee formed to resolve the many labor disputes between the league and its players. A slick negotiator, Shaw now handles only the most important Ram contracts.

14. Wayne Gretzky, King center.

The Great One transformed the franchise from an NHL wanna-be to a can-be with the stroke of a pen. Along the way, Gretzky has become the de facto general manager of the Kings, providing owner Bruce McNall with all sorts of hockey insight, including recommendations on trades.

Gretzky’s influence isn’t confined to the city limits, either. When Gretzky talks, the NHL listens, and now he has become a goodwill ambassador for the West Coast, supporting league expansion.

15. Al Davis, managing general partner of the Raiders.

Mostly a mover these days rather than a shaker. Davis cuts a wide swath within the NFL because of his personality, time of service and, of course, some landmark court victories.

If nothing else, Davis’ acceptance of an invitation from Oakland to move his team has caused a much needed and overdue reassessment of the Coliseum as an athletic facility. Anyone who causes the bureaucracy to lurch into action can’t be all bad. In the process, Davis has exposed himself as a master manipulator and a lover of high drama.

And who knows, maybe Davis will stay put. Whoopee.

16. John Wooden, former UCLA basketball coach.

A calm, soothing and constructive voice for college athletics. If the NCAA were smart, it would enlist Wooden’s considerable experience as a consultant. His John Wooden Award, which is given annually to the college player who best combines superior athletic skills with an appropriate mixture of academic responsibility, is one to be treasured.

17. Richard Riordan, Coliseum commissioner.

Riordan, a member of the city’s negotiating committee, is the commissioner most active in the effort to keep the Raiders in Los Angeles--a thankless job if there has ever been one.

18. Georgia Frontiere, owner of the Rams.

Frontiere, the only woman who owns an NFL franchise, is a strong advocate of international play and helped start this annual rush overseas by NFL teams in search of exhibition games and exposure.

You’ll find Frontiere--she will be starting her 12th season--on the sideline during most Ram games, hugging and smooching a player or two. In the negotiating room, her management style is altogether different. Frontiere’s front office has developed a reputation as a hard, sometimes ruthless bargainer. Put it this way: The team doesn’t part with its money easily.

Shielded from the media by protective staff members, interview requests are dismissed outright or simply ignored. Still, Frontiere remains active in community charities and causes, including a wellpublicized anti-drug campaign.

19. Bill Daniels, owner of Daniels & Associates.

Generally regarded as the father of the cable television industry, Daniels owns the Prime Ticket network, among others. He has single-handedly help shape the way viewers receive their sports programming. Among his predictions: All major sporting events--Super Bowl, World Series, etc.--eventually will be shown exclusively on a pay-per-view basis. Trust him.

20. Jim Murray, sports columnist.

Only four sportswriters have won the coveted Pulitzer Prize in the commentary category. Murray, a 29-year veteran of The Times, is one of them.

21. Ed Snider, an owner of the Spectacor Management Group.

Snider is in charge of restoring the Coliseum to past glory. Also oversees the operation of the Sports Arena. He has plenty of practice in such duties. His Spectacor Group, based in Philadelphia, is the world’s largest private management firm for arenas and stadiums. Snider also is involved in the proposal for a Santa Ana arena.

22. Vin Scully, television and radio broadcaster.

He isn’t listed on the organizational masthead, but Scully, the voice of the Dodgers, is as much a part of the franchise’s storied history as Sandy Koufax or the late Walter Alston. Not surprisingly, Dodger management types occasionally consult Scully about the team. Listeners consult him daily.

23. Marvin Demoff and Leigh Steinberg, agents.

Rivals in the same city, Demoff and Steinberg are two of the best sports agents in the business. Demoff’s client list includes, among others, John Elway and Jim Everett. Steinberg can claim Troy Aikman and Warren Moon and, now, Jeff George. In many ways, Demoff and Steinberg have helped determine the market value of NFL players, present and future.

24. Noboru Watanabe, senior managing director of the Marukin Corp.

The man behind the acquisition of historic Riviera Country Club. Immediately closed memberships, improved the condition of the course and recently signed a five-year deal that ensures the Los Angeles Open will remain at Riviera.

25. Jim Healy, radio sports commentator.

Brash, noisy, irreverent and always topical, Healy is reason enough to click your radio on at 5:30 each afternoon.

26. Harry Usher, chairman of the 1991 Olympic Festival.

Usher, who rode shotgun for Ueberroth at the 1984 Games, is the man in charge of Los Angeles’ Olympic Festival. The event is in good hands.

27. Mike McGee, USC athletic director.

Decisive, successful and an excellent fund-raiser, a must at USC. Can pick up a phone and get things done. Restructured and revitalized the USC athletic department, steering it carefully into the 1990s.

28. Bill Robertson, Los Angeles County AFL-CIO director.

Former chairman of the Coliseum Commission is still a power broker.

29. Don Andersen, executive director of Orange County Sports Assn.

In charge of not one, but two bowl games--the Disneyland Pigskin Classic and the Freedom Bowl. Depending on the availability of an Orange County sports arena, Andersen wants to bid on Davis Cup events, national high school all-star games and collegiate tournaments. First needs to find a corporate sponsor for the Freedom Bowl.

30. Tom Lasorda, Dodger manager.

Thin or fat, Lasorda is an L.A. institution.

31. Peter Dalis, UCLA athletic director.

Member of the Pacific 10 television committee and an accomplished administrator.

32. Barbara Hedges, USC senior associate athletic director.

Hers is a career to watch. Hedges not only oversees all women’s athletics at USC, but also directs all men’s sports except football, basketball and baseball. Past president of the Council of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators. Also served on the NCAA Television Committee.

Built USC women’s program from a nonentity to a powerhouse, collecting 13 national championships since arriving on campus in 1974.

33. Bill Russell, Dodger assistant coach.

The next Tommy Lasorda . . . without the diet.

34. Wayne Lukas, thoroughbred trainer.

Horseman extraordinaire.

35. Jerry West, general manger of the Lakers.

As good a general manager as he was a player? Some say so.

36. Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, player personnel.

The man who decides who wears Dodger blue. He answers only to O’Malley.

37. Pat Riley, Laker coach.

Snappy dresser, elegant coach.

38. John Robinson, Ram coach.

His players like his style, his owner likes his record. Now if he can just figure out a way to dispose of the San Francisco 49ers.

39. Lou Cvijanovich, Oxnard Santa Clara High School basketball coach.

Santa Clara should retire his whistle. A coaching legend. Won more Southern Section championships than any other coach and has more victories than any active coach.

40. Marje Everett, race track owner.

The power at Hollywood Park.

41. Robert Kerlan and Frank Jobe, physicians.

Surgeons to the sports stars, especially Jobe, whose client list includes the top names in the business. His most recent patient: Orel Hershiser and his injured right shoulder.

42. Donald Sterling, owner of the Clippers.

A real estate magnate, an NBA sideshow. His is the only franchise with reserved seats at the league’s annual draft lottery.

43. Robert Strub, president of the Los Angeles Turf Club.

Since 1960, the man in charge of Santa Anita Park.

44. Orel Hershiser, Dodger pitcher.

The smartest pitcher in the game today. Thoughtful, decent and actually cares about the fans. If he wanted to, Hershiser could run a team one day. But right now, his first priority is to get his shoulder back in shape.

45. Ken Solky, general manager of Murray’s Tickets

Who knows how Murray’s gets the sweetest seats in the house, but it does. Murray’s did about $20 million worth of business in 1989 and remains the place to go for tickets, from World Cup soccer to Laker playoffs.

46. Chick Hearn, radio and television announcer for the Lakers.

Knows the game, perhaps better than any other broadcaster. And he even lets Stu Lantz talk once in a while.

47. Dr. Donald Catlin, UCLA School of Pharmacology.

A member of the IOC’s medical commission, Catlin is the director of the UCLA laboratory. One of the top half-dozen drug-testing specialists in the world.

48. Larry Smith, USC football coach.

Three consecutive Rose Bowl appearances and a 27-8-1 record have everyone convinced: The man knows how to coach. He is, however, 0-1 in pregame warm-ups at Notre Dame. Restored discipline and fundamentals to a program sorely in need of some.

49. Terry Donahue, UCLA football coach.

A 3-7-1 record in 1989 doesn’t disminish Donahue’s sparkling resume.

50. John French, executive director of the Rose Bowl.

Overseer of the grandaddy of them all.

51. George Raveling, USC basketball coach.

Hasn’t quite turned the Trojan program around but is well respected within the coaching profession. Opinionated and diverse.

52. Lloyd Arnold, owner of Los Alamitos Racing Assn.

Attendance is up 28.5%, and overall handle is up 24% since Arnold, a nationally recognized harness racing executive, took over last fall.

53. Charlie Pasarell, entrepreneur.

Still a force in the tennis world. The former player plans to build a 20,000-seat tennis stadium at La Quinta.

54. Mike Port, executive vice president, general manager and chief operating officer of the Angels.

Leads the league in front-office titles but trails in pennants. Studious, efficient and desperate to give the Autrys a World Series appearance.

55. Alan Rothenberg, general counsel of the Clippers.

Memo to Donald Sterling: Switch places with Rothenberg. Trust us.

56. Christopher Pook, president of Grand Prix Assn. of Long Beach.

The brains behind the Long Beach Grand Prix.

57. Sonny Vaccaro, promoter and Nike national representative.

Mr. College-High School Basketball. Knows where all the bodies are buried.

58. Ed Hookstratten, agent.

Client list includes Pat Riley, John Robinson, Vin Scully and Dick Enberg. If you want a chance at a network TV job, then you want Hookstratten.

59. Neal Papiano, attorney.

Represents Hollywood Park’s Marje Everett and also is involved in efforts to build a sports arena in Anaheim.

60. Tony Guanci, partner in King-Guanci Development Inc.

Lead negotiator to build a sports arena in Santa Ana.

61. Paul and Gloria Griffin, boosters.

Major financial contributors to the UCLA athletic program. The Griffins made the key donation for the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame and have committed a sizable sum for UCLA’s new commons building.

62. Al Franken, promoter.

As the popularity of track and field dwindles, so does Franken’s power. Still, he has enough contacts to make an impact.

63. Jim Everett, Ram quarterback.

What Al Davis wouldn’t do to have Everett.

64. Gary McKnight, Santa Ana Mater Dei High School basketball coach.

The man who performs the lube-and-oil jobs for the Monarch machine. Won two state titles and six Southern Section titles in seven years. McKnight’s teams have lost only 18 games since his arrival.

65. Bill Dwyre, sports editor.

Directs The Times’ coverage of sporting events near and far.

66. John Jackson, assistant to the owner of California Sports, Inc.

One of Jerry Buss’ worker bees. Jackson handles the scheduling of fights at the Forum, negotiates the TV contracts for the bouts and helps determine the purses.

67. Dick Moss, agent.

One of the most influential baseball agents in the West.

68. Bob Mathias, former Olympic champion.

Involved heavily in nonprofit ventures that feature amateur sports. His latest project is Sports Kids, an organization formed to aid development of children through sports, fitness and friendship.

69. Roy Firestone, television commentator.

The best sports interviewer on cable TV. Sooner or later, every big sports figure sits in his studio.

70. Mark Carrier and Junior Seau, former USC football players.

By declaring themselves eligible for the NFL draft, Carrier and Seau, both juniors, helped put another nail in the league’s antiquated seniors-only policy.

71. David Wolper, television producer.

Active in bringing the Olympic Festival to Los Angeles. Voluntary chairman of the Amateur Athletic Foundation.

72. Mark Whicker, sports columnist.

The place to start when reading the Orange County Register.

73. Joel Meyers, broadcaster.

A local guy (SportsChannel) makes good. NBC has tabbed him as its next star.

74. Pat Haden, broadcaster, attorney.

Television and radio give him a national forum. He doesn’t abuse it.

75. Jack Nicholson, full-time basketball fan.

Reputed to be an actor of some renown, too.