Performance Led to Dodger Firings

A day after the Dodgers made the biggest and most intriguing move to date under the Fox Group umbrella, the reverberations were still being felt.

Dodger President Bob Graziano fired Executive Vice President Fred Claire and Manager Bill Russell late Sunday night and replaced them with Tom Lasorda and Glenn Hoffman, respectively.

They were the first officials to be sacrificed because of the team’s mediocre on-field performance. Claire last year signed a three-year personal services contract with former owner Peter O’Malley before the Fox Group purchased the franchise. Russell is owed the remainder of his $350,000 contract this season.

“With the way the team has been playing, I decided that a change was necessary,” Graziano said. “The team just wasn’t performing up to its capability, and I wasn’t comfortable staying with the status quo.”

The Dodgers have struggled this season because of injuries and ineffectiveness, failing to meet the expectations accompanying a $57-million payroll. They occupy third place in the National League West, trailing the division-leading San Diego Padres by 12 1/2 games. C1