Dodger Search Looks to Past

The Dodgers will expand their search for a manager beyond the five candidates interviewed last week, and names familiar to longtime followers of the team will get consideration.

Although General Manager Paul DePodesta would not provide names, a highly placed source said former Dodgers Bobby Valentine, Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser are expected to be contacted.

“We’ll continue to do research into other candidates,” DePodesta said. “We are having conversations with former Dodgers out there.”

The only new candidate for certain is Terry Pendleton, hitting coach for the Atlanta Braves, who is scheduled to interview Wednesday. The Dodgers are expected to request permission from other teams today to talk to at least two additional candidates.

DePodesta did not deny that the Dodgers are waiting for a candidate employed by a team still in the playoffs. That could include the Japanese League playoffs, where Valentine is coaching the Chiba Lotte Marines.

“There are certainly guys we continue to consider and talk about, but I wouldn’t venture to say whether they would be candidates or not,” DePodesta said.

Widening the search does not mean the next manager won’t be one of the leading candidates so far -- Terry Collins or Alan Trammell -- or one of the other men already interviewed -- Jerry Royster, Ron Wotus and Torey Lovullo.

“We were very impressed with all five,” DePodesta said. “They lived up to our expectations.”

Collins, the Dodger farm director, and Royster, manager of the Dodgers’ triple-A Las Vegas team, remain the only internal candidates, DePodesta said. Trammell, recently fired as Detroit Tiger manager, interviewed Friday for the Tampa Bay Devil Ray opening. His bench coach was Gibson, who a source close to the Tigers said has expressed interest in the Dodger job.

DePodesta said he had not contacted anyone who was lined up to interview for the Oakland Athletic opening before Ken Macha agreed to return as manager. That would mean he has not talked to Hershiser, the Texas Ranger pitching coach and former Dodger great.

However, a faction within the Dodgers has pushed for candidates with ties to the organization, and it appears DePodesta is moving in that direction.

Hershiser said he would be interested in either the managerial opening or becoming part of the front-office team.

“Just as I was excited in the Oakland job, I’m even more excited about the Dodger job,” Hershiser said. “I have a special affinity for the Dodgers. I’m also excited about remaining the Texas Ranger pitching coach and finishing the job we started.”

Pendleton, the Brave hitting coach of four seasons, has never managed but he made a strong impression during an interview for the Philadelphia Phillies’ opening a year ago.

“He certainly was on the original list,” DePodesta said. “He was in the playoffs and we waited until they were done playing. We think very highly of him and very highly of the Braves.”

DePodesta would like to make a hire before the World Series, which begins Saturday. Dodger organization meetings will be held Oct. 25-27.

“It’d be nice to have the manager involved,” he said. “Our goal is to have something done before the World Series. We don’t want this to drag on. But we are more concerned with doing full due diligence.”