These Are Days of Dodger Lives

The soap opera that has become the Dodgers continued Wednesday with new story lines and plot twists, but the central theme was unchanged: turmoil.

Fred Claire, executive vice president, again was compelled to clarify his status, and that of Manager Bill Russell, in response to a published report regarding their supposed pending dismissals.

Bob Graziano, team president, spent part of his day reassuring his player-personnel chief and manager they are secure in their positions while wondering when the Dodgers became tabloid fodder.

Russell--as if he doesn’t have enough on-field problems--faced another round of questions about the week’s tumultuous events, which was almost as pleasant for him as watching outgoing pitcher Hideo Nomo work with runners on base.

And Derrick Hall, media relations director, was busy coordinating additional impromptu news conferences for his bosses while trying to prevent fights among the throng of reporters, photographers and television cameramen who suddenly are spending more time at Dodger Stadium than at home.

This isn’t what the Fox Group envisioned when it bought the formerly staid franchise, but this is the way things are.

Just business as usual in the New Dodger Order, which is getting weirder by the day. The principals are learning to expect the unexpected--but that isn’t making life easier.

“Every day it’s something else right now,” said Russell, whose team ended a four-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

“We keep talking about the same things over and over, we keep talking about rumors and things that are said and written out there. We just have to accept that there’s nothing we can do about it, and just concentrate on doing our jobs. At this point, that’s all you can do.”

Said Claire: “We’re trying to get things settled down around here, and that has not been easy.”

On Wednesday, the New York Post reported that Claire and Russell would be replaced--at some point--by Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland, respectively, of the Florida Marlins. The Post is owned by News Corp., which is also the Fox Group’s parent company, so one could read something into the report.

But a Fox Group official advised against that.

“There is no truth to this report,” said Vince Wladika, a Fox Group spokesman.

“This is obviously just speculation on the part of anyone who knows the situation in Florida, and Jim Leyland’s recent comments. But there’s still nothing to it.”

The Marlins gutted their roster after winning the 1997 World Series, and Leyland is expected to leave in frustration when the season ends. On May 15, the Dodgers and Marlins completed a blockbuster, seven-player transaction that sent former franchise player Mike Piazza, who has since been traded to the New York Mets, to the Marlins.

Leyland was upset about Wednesday’s report, which his wife learned about while watching TV.

“She was watching [“Live With Regis and Kathie Lee”], and she called me when they started talking about it,” Leyland said before the Marlins’ 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

“Bill Russell is a good friend of mine, and Bill Russell knows that I’m not looking for his job. This is an insult to a good manager, and it annoys me because it doesn’t look good.

“Anyone who knows me knows that this is not my style. I have never talked to anybody about this [managing the Dodgers], and I don’t plan to talk to anybody about this. I don’t know who started this, or whose fault this is, but it’s wrong.”

Dombrowski was equally troubled by the report.

“My position remains the same,” he said from Florida.

This sort of thing wouldn’t have stirred discussion at Chavez Ravine if former owner Peter O’Malley was still at the Dodgers’ helm. But this is Fox’s show, and it has canceled programming before.

That’s why Graziano moved quickly to allay concern. He spoke with Claire when word of the story emerged, and provided encouragement for Russell during a phone conversation before batting practice.

Graziano said the Dodgers have not requested permission from Wayne Huizenga, Marlin owner, to speak with Dombrowski and Leyland--or any other team about their management personnel.

“It does concern me that these rumors are out there, but this is not anything that’s new,” Graziano said. “If you recall, during the time of the sale-approval process, there were a lot of rumors going around at that time about who was coming in to run the ballclub, and who was coming in to be the general manager.

“It’s an environment created by the change in ownership, and it’s just something we have to deal with and not allow to become a distraction. I told Fred and Bill that there is no truth to it, and to go about their business. They are professionals, and they were already doing that.”

And with the way things have been going for those two lately, this won’t be the last time their professionalism is tested.