Malone Makes Manager Contact

Apparently ignoring team policy, General Manager Kevin Malone recently contacted baseball analyst Kevin Kennedy about becoming the next Dodger manager, The Times has learned.

Malone has spoken with Kennedy--a respected commentator for Fox Sports and former major league manager--frequently about succeeding Manager Davey Johnson, who is expected to be fired after the season.

Although Malone has not offered the job to his longtime friend, with whom he worked in the Montreal Expo organization, sources said he plans to strongly support Kennedy, a finalist for the position that Johnson filled in 1998.

Yet the overtures from Malone go directly against the edicts of Chairman Bob Daly and President Bob Graziano, who have instructed Dodger officials to wait until baseball-operations decisions have been made before contacting prospective candidates.

Daly and Graziano say they have not reached a conclusion on Johnson’s future, and in August, to quell escalating rumors of the Dodger manager’s pending ouster, they instructed Malone to announce that Johnson would finish out the season in his job.

But the courting of Kennedy has undermined Johnson again, stirring questions about Malone’s role in helping Daly and Graziano evaluate Johnson.

Contacted Monday at Fox studios, Kennedy declined comment about the position and his discussions with Malone.

Malone acknowledged he had spoken with Kennedy, but insisted that managing the Dodgers has not been among their discussion topics.

“I talk to plenty of people in the media all the time, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Malone said. “I talk to Peter Gammons and Harold Reynolds [of ESPN], I talk to writers and TV people every day, but I’ve had no discussions with anyone about, as far as job opportunities are concerned, our baseball operations.

“I’ve known Kevin Kennedy since 1992, and he’s a friend of mine. But like I said, I have a lot of friends in the media. We have a manager, and it would not be appropriate for me to discuss that job. If you follow this logic, Peter Gammons might be up for a position in our baseball operations.”

Malone seeks opinions from many outsiders about the club’s problems, but sources said his conversations with Kennedy have focused on the manager’s job. Malone has sought Kennedy’s evaluation of players, asking how Kennedy would improve the disappointing club. He regularly calls Kennedy at Fox and has consulted with him at games while in luxury suites.

Malone said he is not concerned about appearances.

“I don’t know what anyone’s job aspirations are, but I like to get a lot of opinions,” Malone said. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Daly and Graziano might.

They had hoped to handle Johnson’s difficult situation as professionally as possible, waiting until after the season had ended before making a decision.

Daly and Malone instructed Derrick Hall, senior vice president, to comment for the club.

“We have not discussed candidates for any position in our organization, especially those positions that are currently filled,” Hall said. “Naturally, Bob D. and Bob G. would be part of that decision-making process [regarding changes], they would be the ones to make those decisions, and I know for a fact that they haven’t initiated that process.

“Nor have they condoned anyone initiating such a process. They would not accept any employee discussing personnel changes for any position we have filled.”

But that hasn’t deterred Malone, sources said.

San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker would be Malone’s top choice to replace Johnson, but Kennedy is high on his list.

Kennedy, 534-373 from 1984-91 as a manager in the Dodger farm system, led the Texas Rangers to first place in the American League West in the strike-shortened ’94 season, and the Boston Red Sox to the ’95 AL East division championship.

“At some point, we’re going to have a decision to make,” Hall said. “But not until the organization sits down with Davey after the year is over. Davey is our manager.”

Someone should remind Malone.

*

DODGERS 2

ARIZONA 1

Kevin Elster’s pinch-hit home run to left off Greg Swindell with two out in the ninth inning salvaged the victory over Arizona.D4

NL: D5

AL: D6

NOTES: D4