Orioles Interview Girardi

Scarcely 24 hours after the Baltimore Orioles fired Manager Sam Perlozzo, a contingent of front-office personnel led by incoming Chief Operating Officer Andy MacPhail interviewed former Florida Marlins manager Joe Girardi for the opening yesterday, a clear sign that Girardi is the organization's top choice and MacPhail is its new general.

The interview, which took place in a hotel near O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, lasted for nearly three hours. Girardi was accompanied by his agent, while the Orioles contingent included MacPhail, Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations Mike Flanagan and General Counsel H. Russell Smouse, as well as Louis Angelos, son of Orioles owner Peter Angelos.

"It was a productive meeting," Girardi, 42, said in a telephone interview. "There is a process you have to go through when you're trying to pick a new manager, and I understand that. We'll see what happens."

Flanagan confirmed the details of the interview, but declined to characterize it or the organization's impression of Girardi. Asked if there would be subsequent interviews with additional candidates, Flanagan said, "We plan to continue." He would not elaborate.

The Orioles have yet to confirm the hiring of MacPhail, 54, as chief operating officer -- a potentially momentous move that would centralize oversight of the team's baseball operations in his hands and theoretically reduce Peter Angelos's involvement -- but a team source said an announcement is expected as soon as today.

MacPhail's presence yesterday appears to have been a central component of the effort to land Girardi, who last winter decided against pursuing managerial openings -- including the Washington Nationals' -- and instead took a job as a television analyst with the New York Yankees. Girardi cited MacPhail's involvement with the Orioles as a reason for his interest in the position.

"Andy was the one who approached me about this," Girardi said. "I know him pretty well. I have the utmost respect for Andy MacPhail."

MacPhail was president of the Chicago Cubs from 1994 to 2006, and Girardi was a catcher on the team for three of those seasons. Girardi went on to become manager of the Marlins in 2006, earning National League manager of the year honors, but was fired following a series of clashes with the front office and ownership. In one widely reported incident, Girardi told owner Jeffrey Loria to shut up after Loria yelled at the home plate umpire from his seats near the Marlins' dugout.

MacPhail, meantime, left the Cubs after 2006 and was serving as an adviser to Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig when Angelos contacted him about joining the Orioles. He is frequently cited as a leading candidate to replace Selig as commissioner when Selig is scheduled to step down at the end of 2009.

One of MacPhail's former Chicago managers, current ESPN analyst Dusty Baker, could be another leading candidate for the Orioles' job. It is expected that the Orioles will interview at least one other candidate before making an announcement; Major League Baseball rules require teams to interview at least one minority candidate for managerial openings.

Although Girardi presumably made a case for himself during yesterday's interview, it is likely the Orioles worked just as hard to sell Girardi on their franchise.

Mired in what would be a 10th consecutive losing season, hit with declining attendance and threatened since 2005 by the presence of the Nationals, the Orioles have ceased being the jewel franchise it was in prior years. The Orioles carried an eight-game losing streak and a 29-40 record, good for last place in the AL East, into last night's game in San Diego at the start of a six-game trip. Dave Trembley, formerly the team's bullpen coach, is serving as interim manager.

Asked what makes the Orioles job an attractive one, Girardi said: "I think the people, number one. Andy and Mike [Flanagan], it starts right there. Number two, the city and the tradition. And the challenge. That's what competition is all about, right?"

Last winter, Girardi was considered the front-runner for the Nationals' vacant managerial job, but eventually took his name out of consideration -- a move interpreted throughout the baseball industry as a signal Girardi was content to wait for a more desirable job to open.

At the time he withdrew from the Nationals' search, Girardi cited his young family as a concern. He instead took the Yankees' TV job and has been mentioned as a possible replacement for New York Manager Joe Torre should Torre be fired or let go after the season.

"I've enjoyed my time with my family, with my kids and my wife," Girardi said yesterday. "I've gone to my son's Little League [games] and been able to see my daughter crawl for the first time. Those are days you don't get back. But I've made it known I want to manage again. I've been pretty fortunate to see the things I've seen, but I want the challenge of managing again."