Stoneman’s New Job Is a Difficult One

They did not hand new General Manager Bill Stoneman an Angel cap Monday at his introductory news conference at Edison Field.

Maybe that’s because a haz-mat team outfit and protective goggles awaited Stoneman in his new office, where the former Montreal Expo executive is about to embark on the treacherous task of taming one of the most combustible teams in recent baseball history.

In addition to hiring a new manager, signing free-agent pitcher Chuck Finley, filling key front-office posts and hiring a dozen scouts within the next two weeks or so, Stoneman must find a way to fix what ails a team that staged a mutiny against its manager last June, brought bickering, backbiting and finger-pointing to stomach-turning levels, and essentially self-destructed on its way to one of the worst seasons in franchise history.

For those first few tasks, Angel President Tony Tavares gave Stoneman full authority to hire a manager from a list of six candidates Stoneman has compiled, provided a budget that should be ample to retain the Angels’ best pitcher, and put no restrictions or requirements on the hiring or retaining front-office employees.

For the last task, Tavares gave Stoneman a hammer. A sledgehammer.

“One thing is going to change--come hell or high water, we will not go through that situation again in the locker room,” Tavares said. “If anything like that happens again, I will--and Bill will--get to the bottom of it, find out who did it, and they’ll be gone the day after we find out who they are.”

The key to eliminating clubhouse upheaval is hiring a manager who is a strong disciplinarian, a consensus-builder who can pull this fractured team together and keep it together through trying times.

To that end, Stoneman has been granted permission to interview Yankee third-base coach Willie Randolph, a finalist for the Milwaukee job, and Yankee hitting instructor Chris Chambliss, who also interviewed with the Brewers.

Recently fired Cleveland manager Mike Hargrove, who has interviewed twice in Baltimore, remains interested in the Angels, but as of Monday night, he had not been contacted. San Diego first base coach Davey Lopes, Angel bench coach Joe Maddon, former Toronto manager Cito Gaston and Boston bench coach Grady Little are possibilities.

Stoneman said he will not seek permission to interview highly regarded Montreal Manager Felipe Alou and added that a big league playing background is not a prerequisite for the job.

“I want to go in with an open mind,” Stoneman said. “When we hired Felipe Alou, he was managing the Class A West Palm Beach Expos. I’m sure there were questions about him, but everyone would agree he was a good choice. I don’t want to exclude anyone for the wrong reasons.

“I want someone who can manage people. A lot of guys know when to bunt, hit-and-run, steal, but I’m looking for someone who is a team player, who communicates well, who can bring the coaches and players together.”

Next on Stoneman’s priority list is Finley, the left-hander with whom the Angels hold exclusive negotiating rights until Nov. 11. If a deal can’t be reached by then--it is believed a two-year contract in the $14-million range will suffice--Finley will go on the free-agent market, where several cash-rich, pitching-poor teams could drive his price up considerably.

Tavares said he tried to call Finley last week, but Finley, who is acting as his own representative, could not be reached.

As for the roster, Stoneman said he is looking into the possibility of a major overhaul. There has been speculation that all players, even Mo Vaughn, Tim Salmon and and Troy Percival, are available.

One report claimed the Dodgers were interested in acquiring Vaughn and Edmonds for pitcher Ismael Valdes, first baseman Eric Karros and second baseman Eric Young, but Vaughn has a no-trade clause through 2000, and his agent, Mark Gillam, said that Vaughn, who has lost 15 pounds since the end of the season, “has no intention of waiving” the clause.

This much seems certain: Unlike his predecessor, Bill Bavasi, who did not want to break up the core of the team, Stoneman won’t be afraid to pull the trigger on major trades.

“Bill Bavasi suffered from one issue,” Tavares said. “When you grow up with something and it’s part of you, it’s difficult to cut ties. Is it easier for someone from the outside [to make sweeping changes]? Yes, because he’s not as attached to it.”

Though Stoneman has limited experience in personnel moves, he does not seem intimidated by the responsibilities of his position.

“If you’re afraid of making wrong decisions, it will inhibit you from being as good as you can be,” Stoneman said. “You have to be willing to take risks.”