Lefebvre Joins List of Fired : Baseball: The only manager to have a winning season with the Mariners becomes 12th to be let go this season.

Baseball’s contribution to the nation’s unemployment rolls continued Thursday when the Seattle Mariners dismissed Jim Lefebvre, the man who guided them to their first winning season.

Lefebvre, 49, became the fourth manager to be fired in four days and the 12th since the season began. The New York Yankees fired Stump Merrill on Monday, Joe Morgan was fired by Boston Tuesday and Tom Trebelhorn was let go by Milwaukee on Wednesday.

There was speculation Lefebvre could be in line to manage the Chicago White Sox. Jeff Torborg resigned there Thursday and reportedly will become manager of the New York Mets next season.

Bucky Dent, who managed the Yankees from Aug. 18, 1989, through June 6, 1990, is considered a leading candidate to succeed Lefebvre in Seattle. Dent, 39, was the third base coach of the St. Louis Cardinals under Manager Joe Torre this past season.

Mariner General Manager Woody Woodward, who hired Lefebvre and failed to renew his contract, was the general manager of the Yankees when Dent managed in New York.

Neither the Mariners nor Lefebvre would say why Lefebvre was fired. Woodward said Lefebvre requested the reasons not be made public.

The Associated Press could not reach Lefebvre at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home for comment.

“Jimmy and I go a long way back to when we were players,” Woodward said. “I feel that he worked very hard for us and was very enthusiastic. We just agreed it was time to go in a different direction.”

Lefebvre issued a statement through the Mariners.

“I came to Seattle with a mission to make the M’s a winner and build fan support,” Lefebvre said. “I feel that we’ve accomplished these goals. I leave with sorrow, but we part with mutual respect and best wishes.”

Lefebvre managed the Mariners to an 83-79 record this year, their first winning record in 15 seasons. They became a hot ticket in Seattle, setting a season attendance record of 2,147,905, breaking the club mark of 1,509,727 set in 1990.