L.A. Opening Not to Leyland’s Interest

Jim Leyland is not interested in becoming the next manager of the Dodgers, several baseball sources said Friday.

Leyland, considered among the major leagues’ best managers, resigned from the Florida Marlins on Thursday. The Colorado Rockies hope to hire him, and several other clubs are also expected to pursue Leyland, who guided the Marlins to last season’s World Series championship.

But Leyland has told friends that the Dodger position isn’t attractive to him. Leyland doesn’t love L.A., and his wife wants to remain close to her family in Pennsylvania.

Felipe Alou remains the No. 1 candidate to succeed Glenn Hoffman at the Dodgers’ helm. Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone is awaiting permission from the Montreal Expos to interview Alou.

The Expos launched a preemptive attack Wednesday, offering Alou, who is under contract for the 1999 season, a multiyear extension to remain with the team. Alou is helping his family rebuild their homes in his native Dominican Republic, which has been battered by Hurricane Georges.

Alou is expected to return to his off-season home in Miami at the end of next week. At that time, he will either accept the Expos’ offer to stay with the club, or speak with Malone about the Dodger job.