Baylor Is Fired by Rockies

For the first time in their history, the Colorado Rockies won’t have Don Baylor in the dugout next season.

The Rockies on Monday fired the only manager they have had in their six years of existence.

They finished fourth in the National League West with a 77-85 record, 21 games behind the first-place San Diego Padres.

Baylor, who had a 440-469 record with the Rockies and was under contract through the 1999 season, was offered a job in the front office.

*

General Manager Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics said that Manager Art Howe had met with team executives and that his future as manager “is something that obviously is the No. 1 issue” for the club.

Beane made his comments at a news conference called to announce the resignation of team President Sandy Alderson, who is leaving the A’s after 17 years to become a vice president in the commissioner’s office.

Howe has a 217-269 record in three years in Oakland. The A’s 74-88 record this season was a nine-game improvement over 1997. Howe’s contract is up for renewal and he has said he would like to stay with the team.

*

The Montreal Expos’ ownership group has set a Thursday deadline to decide whether sufficient financing will be available to proceed with the construction of a new $165-million baseball stadium in downtown Montreal.

If the stadium plan is scrapped, which is expected by most observers because of the provincial government’s refusal to provide $50 million in public funding, the team will be sold and moved, possibly as soon as next season.