Going...Going...Gone

Kevin Malone marched into Dodger Stadium 2 1/2 years ago full of bravado, enthralled by the spotlight, declaring that, with his hiring as general manager, “there’s a new sheriff in town.”

Thursday, after reading a resignation statement he was forced to offer, he fled Dodger Stadium as if the law was pursuing him.

Malone bolted out the door of the Stadium Club with reporters and photographers behind, but declined further comment, something he rarely did during his tumultuous tenure at Chavez Ravine.

Outside, his wife, son and daughter waited in a car.

Malone paused by the door for farewell photos, saying, “Get one of me smiling for the Los Angeles Times,” got in the car and was gone.

The Dodgers agreed to pay Malone about $800,000 to terminate his contract.

His final embarrassing act, challenging a San Diego Padre season-ticket holder to a fight at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium last weekend for heckling Gary Sheffield, triggered his ouster, but it was ultimately caused by “an accumulation of things,” Chairman Bob Daly said.

“Throughout my career,” Malone said in his statement, “I have played with passion, both on the field and in the front office.

“That passion has, I’m sure, annoyed some, been misunderstood by others, but respected by those who know me best. . . . I believe I leave this organization better than it was when I joined it.”

Although Daly, who appointed Dave Wallace interim general manager, agreed Malone helped in some areas, he said the former executive’s questionable behavior cast too big a shadow over the club.

“The San Diego thing was the reason to have a meeting and discuss a lot of things that [have occurred],” Daly said in a conference call with reporters covering the team in San Francisco. “It’s tough to deal with the distractions [Malone caused]. I don’t criticize people for writing about them because they happened, but that isn’t what we’re looking for. We’re looking for an organization that concentrates on baseball, winning baseball, and no person, even though they don’t mean to be, can be bigger than the organization as far as being a lighting rod.

“And Kevin, just because of his passion, and because of some of the things that he does, does have a tendency to put his foot in his mouth. The most important thing is what goes on on the field, and Kevin sort of dug himself in a little bit of a hole. I thought that I could help him get out of that hole, but every time we would start to climb up the hole, something would take place and we would start to slide back down. He would take three steps forward and then five back.”

President Bob Graziano and Wallace, a special assistant in charge of the farm system, will direct the search for Malone’s permanent successor.

“The immediate need is to address the club,” said Wallace, who plans to return to his former position as soon as possible. “The other part of it is to just try to have a plan in place, see what we’re going to do and where we go from here, and try to do some damage control.

“Speaking from the heart, things will improve and things will get better. The seas are a little rough and we have to adjust the sails.”

Players took the news in stride.

“It’s just one of those things that’s unfortunate, but that’s the nature of this business,” Sheffield said. “If you don’t win, somebody’s got to take the fall, and we’ve made a lot of changes in the four years that I’ve been here.”

The club informed the commissioner’s office that the search process will begin next week, and minorities must be interviewed under baseball’s hiring guidelines.

“I would prefer to have the person here this afternoon, but we’re going to take as much time as we have to,” Daly said. “Whether the person is a general manager at the present time, is a former general manager or an assistant general manager, we’re going to try to get the best person.

“Whether we hire someone before the All-Star break or after the All-Star break, we’ll decide when we find the right candidate. This was not something that was planned, so it’s not like we have a list of candidates.”

But baseball sources said that John Hart, general manager of the Cleveland Indians, is the top candidate on the Dodgers’ list.

Oakland Athletic General Manager Billy Beane, former Angel general manager Bill Bavasi and former Dodger pitcher Dave Stewart, an assistant general manager with the Toronto Blue Jays, are also among those being considered.

Hart recently announced he would step down after the season, but remain with the Indians as a consultant.

American League executives familiar with the Indians’ thinking said the club might seek compensation (cash or minor leaguers) from the Dodgers if they were to hire Hart during the season.

“I don’t think they would stop him cold, but I don’t think they would just let him go,” an executive said of the Indians, who as of Thursday had not received a request from the Dodgers to speak with Hart. “I think they would want some compensation for him.”

The Baltimore Orioles are also expected to pursue Hart, whose contract runs through October, and the Atlanta Braves might want to interview him if General Manager John Schuerholz retires at the end of the season.

Hart would not remain in Cleveland as a consultant if he is offered an opportunity to run another franchise, sources said.

“John’s not the consultant type,” another executive said. “He’s a go-getter. The press conference [in which Hart announced his plans] was almost a commercial regarding his availability.”

*

Staff Writers Ross Newhan in Los Angeles and Paul Gutierrez in San Francisco contributed to this story.

*

STOPGAP

DAVE WALLACE

He’ll fill the void until a replacement is found but doesn’t want the job permanently.

LONG TERM

JOHN HART

After turning Cleveland from perennial doormat to perennial playoff contender, he’s ready for a new challenge.

BILLY BEANE

He turned the A’s around by building from within but is signed through 2005. Can he find an out clause?