Malone Named Dodgers New GM

The Los Angeles Dodgers hired Kevin Malone as general manager today to get a proven franchise-builder.

Malone has been general manager at Montreal, and then assistant general manager at Baltimore the past two years.

Malone took over immediately.

Former Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda had been interim general manager of the Dodgers since the June 21 firing of Fred Claire. Lasorda will become senior vice president.

When Claire was ousted by the new owners of the Dodgers, the Fox Group, the 71-year-old Lasorda was assigned to find a successor.

Malone, 41, was among the leading candidates along with Florida GM Dave Dombrowski, who decided last week to remain with the Marlins with a new five-year contract.

As

The first duty for the new Dodgers general manager is to decide the fate of manager Glenn Hoffman. (Reuters)

Since buying the Dodgers from the O'Malley family in March, the Fox Group's moves included trading All-Star catcher Mike Piazza, pitcher Hideo Nomo and third-baseman Todd Zeile -- and the firing of manager Bill Russell and most of his coaching staff.

Added were two key players from Florida's World Series champions, catcher Charles Johnson and outfielder Gary Sheffield.

But the player moves, and bringing Glenn Hoffman from Triple-A Albuquerque to manage the Dodgers, have yet to pay off.

Entering tonight's game at San Diego, the Dodgers have a 75-72 record, seven games behind the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, battling for the NL wild-card spot in the playoffs. The Dodgers missed the playffs in 1997, the previous two years were ousted 3-0 in the first round of postseason, and last won a World Championship in 1988.

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