Gillick Says He’s Interested in Dodger GM Job

The Dodgers have been granted permission by the Seattle Mariners to interview veteran executive Pat Gillick for their general manager job, a development that probably will slow Oakland assistant GM Paul DePodesta’s fast track to the Dodger front office.

Since a report Wednesday on ESPN.com that DePodesta was “expected to be named the new GM of the Dodgers this weekend,” industry executives have assumed the 31-year-old A’s assistant would replace Dan Evans as the Dodger general manager.

But that was before Gillick, one of the game’s most accomplished and respected general managers, an executive with 40 years of experience and two World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays on his resume, became an official candidate for the Dodger job Friday.

Gillick, who lives in Toronto during the off-season and is vacationing in British Columbia this weekend, said he had a “preliminary” phone discussion with new Dodger owner Frank McCourt on Friday and planned to “talk to him further” in the coming days.

Though he initially balked at the Dodger job two weeks ago, when McCourt said he would begin a GM search, Gillick said he would now pursue the position.

“Based on the conversations I had with [McCourt] this afternoon,” Gillick said, “it would be something I’d consider.”

McCourt, whose $430-million purchase of the Dodgers became official Friday when escrow on the sale closed and control of the team was transferred to him from News Corp., would not confirm his interest in Gillick.

“If it’s not going to be Dan Evans, I have no doubt that Pat Gillick would be the best guy for that job,” San Francisco assistant general manager Ned Colletti said.

“His experience and his results in Toronto are tough to beat.”

McCourt also wouldn’t reveal how many candidates he has spoken to -- DePodesta and Philadelphia assistant GM Ruben Amaro Jr. are the only executives known to have officially interviewed -- but he maintained that Evans remains a “legitimate” candidate to retain his job.

No matter whom McCourt hires -- whether it’s an up-and-comer with no GM experience, such as DePodesta, or an established veteran such as Gillick -- he said the Dodger general manager will run the team’s baseball operations with complete autonomy.

“I’m not going to meddle in baseball affairs,” McCourt said. “I’m going to put my faith and confidence in the person I hire, but I’ll also hold him accountable. Of course, there will be decisions the GM will want my input on. There will be those rare decisions where I’ll be a consultant. But 99.9% of what’s done on the baseball side will be handled by baseball professionals.”

Gillick, 66, is comfortable with such control and has a long track record of success. He spent the last four seasons as Seattle’s executive vice president and GM before stepping down at the end of 2003 to become a consultant to new Mariner General Manager Bill Bavasi.

Seattle advanced to the American League championship series in Gillick’s first two years, and Gillick, a 1958 graduate of USC, was named executive of the year by the Sporting News and Baseball America in 2001, when the Mariners won 116 games.

In Gillick’s three years as Baltimore’s general manager, the Orioles advanced to the AL championship series twice, in 1996 and ‘97, and in his 20 years with Toronto, including 12 as executive vice president and general manager, the Blue Jays won five AL East titles and two World Series championships.

“The key characteristics of the GM, to me, are a high, high level of baseball knowledge, the ability to field a crackerjack team that can win year after year after year, leadership skills and management skills,” McCourt said.

“He also needs to be a great evaluator of talent, not just for individual skills or specialized positions, but he needs to be a chemist, to understand how to get the right group of people in uniform, in the clubhouse and on the field so that the team plays as a whole.

“I watched the [New England] Patriots be underdogs in every game they played this season, except for the Super Bowl, and they won, even though they didn’t have a bunch of marquee players.”

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Dating Game

When major league teams report for spring training:

*--* Team Pitchers and Catchers Position Players Report/Work out Report/Work out DODGERS Feb. 18/19 Feb. 23/24 ANGELS Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS Feb. 21/22 Feb. 26/27 ATLANTA BRAVES Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 BALTIMORE ORIOLES Feb. 20/21 Feb. 24/25 BOSTON RED SOX Feb. 20/21 Feb. 24/25 CHICAGO CUBS Feb. 18/19 Feb. 23/24 CHICAGO WHITE SOX Feb. 20/20 Feb. 25/25 CINCINNATI REDS Feb. 17/19 Feb. 23/25 CLEVELAND INDIANS Feb. 20/22 Feb. 25/27 COLORADO ROCKIES Feb. 19/21 Feb. 24/26 DETROIT TIGERS Feb. 18/19 Feb. 23/24 FLORIDA MARLINS Feb. 21/23 Feb. 24/26 HOUSTON ASTROS Feb. 21/22 Feb. 24/25 KANSAS CITY ROYALS Feb. 20/21 Feb. 25/26 MILWAUKEE BREWERS Feb. 21/23 Feb. 27/28 MINNESOTA TWINS Feb. 22/23 Feb. 27/28 MONTREAL EXPOS Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 NEW YORK METS Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 NEW YORK YANKEES Feb. 17/19 Feb. 22/23 OAKLAND ATHLETICS Feb. 21/22 Feb. 25/26 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES Feb. 19/19 Feb. 24/24 PITTSBURGH PIRATES Feb. 20/21 Feb. 25/26 ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Feb. 20/21 Feb. 24/25 SAN DIEGO PADRES Feb. 20/21 Feb. 25/26 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 SEATTLE MARINERS Feb. 20/21 Feb. 25/26 TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS Feb. 14/15 Feb. 19/20 TEXAS RANGERS Feb. 19/20 Feb. 24/25 TORONTO BLUE JAYS Feb. 21/22 Feb. 25/26

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