Baseball Has USOC’s Schiller on Short List

In response to a published report, George Steinbrenner, U.S. Olympic Committee vice president and owner of the New York Yankees, told fellow officers Thursday that the USOC’s executive director, Harvey Schiller, is under consideration to become baseball commissioner.

The officers, meeting here during the U.S. Olympic Congress, asked Steinbrenner whether he could confirm a report in Thursday’s Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph that Schiller was among three to five candidates.

Steinbrenner later told reporters that Schiller’s name has emerged on a “short to medium-short” list compiled by a search committee consisting of eight owners.

Angel owner Jackie Autry, a member of the search committee, would neither confirm nor deny the report.

“Harvey Schiller is a tremendously capable guy in any position he’s ever been in,” Steinbrenner said. “He’s a get-things-done guy. He has been a tremendous executive director.”

Schiller would not comment, but a USOC source said the executive director has been told that he is among the final three candidates.

Others who have been mentioned include former U.S. Labor Secretary Lynn Martin, former U.S. Attorney General Richard Thornburgh, former Democratic National Chairman Paul Kirk, ESPN Executive Vice President Ed Durso, and major league baseball’s executive director of licensing operations and president of promotions, Richard White.

Also, Milwaukee Brewer owner Bud Selig, chairman of baseball’s governing executive council, said Thursday that some owners have tried to persuade him to remain at least through next season in the role he has played as de facto commissioner since Fay Vincent was fired on Sept. 7, 1992. But Selig said he is not interested.

“My goal is to get the search concluded as quickly as possible and move on,” Selig said.

Schiller, 53, became the USOC’s executive director in December of 1989 after four years as commissioner of the Southeastern Conference. His name previously had been mentioned in connection with openings as NCAA executive director and NFL commissioner.

“We’ve all known for some time he might be someone that baseball would be interested in,” USOC Treasurer Sandra Baldwin said.

Times staff writer Ross Newhan contributed to this story from Los Angeles.