Ties to Malone Earn Creech a Job

Another new day, another new face.

New Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone, continuing to revamp his front-office lineup, announced Thursday that Ed Creech has been hired as his assistant.

“The Dodgers have taken a major step forward,” Malone said. “He is a tremendous evaluator, one of the best scouts in the business.”

If the 45-year-old Creech, who was director of scouting for the St. Louis Cardinals, is given the same title with the Dodgers, where would that leave Terry Reynolds, who currently holds the position?

“Terry and his staff are still being evaluated,” Malone said. “He knows what we are trying to accomplish.”

Malone, a former general manager of the Montreal Expos, seems intent on accomplishing his goals with other former members of that organization. Creech was drafted by the Expos in 1973 and spent time in the organization as a player at the minor league level, a coach, a manager, a scout and, finally, the scouting director.

Wednesday, Malone hired Bill Geivett to replace Charlie Blaney as vice president of minor league operations. Like Creech, Geivett worked under Malone in Montreal.

Malone isn’t through, either.

“We now have two major cogs in place,” he said, “but there are a few more I’d like to add.”

Malone said he hopes to make a decision on his manager “sometime next week.”

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Dodger outfielder Raul Mondesi sat out Thursday’s game because of a sprained finger on his right hand, suffered when he slid into third base in Wednesday’s game against the San Diego Padres.

Mondesi, listed as day to day, will be back in the lineup before Sunday’s season finale if possible, according to Dodger Manager Glenn Hoffman.

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Mark Reiman, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, sang the national anthem before Thursday’s game. Reiman thus accomplished his goal of singing the anthem in all 30 major league parks this season to increase awareness of the disease.

Tonight

DODGERS’ ISMAEL VALDES (10-10, 4.17 ERA) vs. BREWERS’ BRAD WOODALL (7-8, 5.08 ERA)

Dodger Stadium, 7 p.m.

TV--Fox Sports West 2. Radio--AM 1150, KWKW (1330, Spanish).

* Update--Having won four of his last five decisions over his previous seven starts, Valdes can finish the season with his second-highest win total with a victory tonight. He was 13-11 in 1995, his first full year in the majors. Valdes has walked only 13 batters during those seven starts while striking out 36.