Dombrowski is Favorite of Fox Officials for GM

Fox Group officials are intent on hiring Dave Dombrowski of the Florida Marlins as the next Dodger general manager, baseball sources said Tuesday.

Chase Carey and Peter Chernin--co-chief operating officers of Fox Group’s parent company News Corp.--are scheduled to meet with Dombrowski today as a second round of interviews begin with four finalists for the position. If all goes well with Rupert Murdoch’s top lieutenants, Dombrowski is expected to be offered a lucrative package to assume control of baseball operations.

Fox Group officials are eager to hire Dombrowski because they believe he would help restore credibility to the organization. The Dodgers have been a laughingstock since Carey traded all-star catcher Mike Piazza to the Marlins on May 15, and Carey and Chernin have been embarrassed by the negative image of the organization in its first year under the Fox Group.

But how much are Fox Group officials willing to spend to get their man?

Dombrowski makes $750,000 annually as the Marlin general manager. He also holds stock options in Republic Industries, the parent company of team owner H. Wayne Huizenga’s largest holdings.

Dombrowski is also being courted by the Marlins’ prospective new owner to remain with the team. John Henry, a Boca Raton commodities broker, is close to purchasing the ballclub from Huizenga, and he has already spoken with Dombrowski about remaining in South Florida, Marlin sources said.

Henry, who has said he would significantly increase the team’s payroll, would elevate Dombrowski to the president of baseball operations, and raise his salary. Dombrowski’s wife, Karie, doesn’t want to leave the area, and Henry’s comments have piqued Dombrowski’s interest.

But the Dodger job is attractive to Dombrowski, who appears to be holding a great hand.

Support is also growing within the Dodger organization for Kevin Malone, the assistant general manager of the Baltimore Orioles.

Malone is the No. 2 candidate on the list of Bob Graziano, the team president. Graziano appointed his closest advisors to a search committee for the position, and the members of that group were equally impressed by Dombrowski and Malone.

Graziano would be comfortable with either, baseball sources said. Malone could be hired for considerably less than Dombrowski.

General Manager Jim Bowden of the Cincinnati Reds and Bob Watson, former general manager of the New York Yankees, are the other finalists. But they won’t receive offers unless the Dodgers are turned down by Dombrowski and Malone this week.

Graziano hopes to introduce the new general manager at the beginning of next week.

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Right-hander Darren Dreifort will miss his scheduled start Friday because of a sore throwing shoulder. . . . Team physician Frank Jobe removed a bone fragment from the throwing elbow of reliever Antonio Osuna during arthroscopic surgery at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood on Tuesday. The right-hander will miss the remainder of the season. . . . Jobe also performed the procedure on the right elbow of minor league outfielder Hiram Bocachica, removing several fragments. Bocachica was acquired in the trade that sent infielder Wilton Guerrero to the Montreal Expos. . . . An MRI exam on the sore left shoulder of reliever Mark Guthrie revealed no ligament damage.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’ CARLOS PEREZ (8-13, 3.95 ERA) vs. DIAMONDBACKS’ AMAURY TELEMACO (6-8, 3.67 ERA)

Bank One Ballpark, 7:30 p.m.

Radio--AM 1150, KWKW (1330).

* Update--Perez shut out the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-0, in his last start to earn his first victory as a Dodger. Perez was 0-3 with a 5.91 earned-run average in his first six outings with the Dodgers.