Dodgers Weigh Giant Executive

After all his talk about restoring Dodger tradition, would Frank McCourt hire a key member of his team’s most reviled rival as general manager?

In the case of Ned Colletti, it might be a shrewd move.

Colletti, assistant GM of the San Francisco Giants the last nine years, is one of a small group of candidates the Dodgers have seriously considered since Paul DePodesta was fired 17 days ago. His interview was impressive, according to a highly placed source, and McCourt might want a GM in place before departing for the owners’ meetings Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The painstaking process has been riddled with missteps, but several baseball sources who know Colletti said the long search could be worthwhile if he trades his Giant black for Dodger blue.

Colletti, 50, has benefited from Giant General Manager Brian Sabean’s willingness to delegate authority. He negotiates most player contracts and for years was an effective liaison between three enigmatic elements in the organization: team owner Peter Magowan, Manager Dusty Baker and outfielder Barry Bonds.

Even agents who have had contentious dealings with Colletti respect him.

“He’s the real deal, tough, smart and experienced,” said a high-level baseball executive. “He’s an interesting mix of old school and new school.

“The most impressive part of Ned is his knowledge of baseball and of people. So many people in this profession possess style over substance. He gives you substance over style.”

Colletti began his career in the early 1980s as a public relations executive with the Chicago Cubs and has written several sports-related, nonfiction books. He soon moved into baseball operations, presenting the team’s position in arbitration hearings and eventually negotiating contracts, including those of Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson and Greg Maddux.

He moved to the Giants in 1995 and became assistant general manager in 1997, the year the team began a run of successful seasons that ended with last season’s third-place finish. From 1997 to 2004, only Atlanta had a better record among National League teams than the Giants, who won four division titles and went to the World Series in 2002.

Despite Colletti’s growing reputation, the only GM opening he has interviewed for other than the Dodgers was with Cincinnati in 2003, although Pittsburgh talked to him before hiring Dave Littlefield in 2001. The Reds hired Dan O’Brien, saying Colletti lacked a strong enough background in player development.

If hired by the Dodgers, Colletti could lean on key talent evaluators in the organization such as Kim Ng, Roy Smith, Terry Collins and Logan White. Based on his comments in a 2003 interview with Baseball Prospectus, he values a traditional approach over statistical analysis.

“[Statistics] are part of what we take into consideration, along with scouting reports, and how someone uses their ability,” Colletti said. “How a player approaches the game, how he approaches life, far outweighs what the stat line looks like.”

Besides Colletti, McCourt has interviewed Ng -- who would become the first female GM if hired -- and has had discussions with former Cleveland and Texas GM John Hart. He also has had telephone discussions with White Sox executive Dennis Gilbert.

It is unclear whether former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein expressed interest when he spoke to McCourt last week. Two other assistant GMs -- Dayton Moore of Atlanta and Ruben Amaro Jr. of Philadelphia -- said Sunday they have not heard from the Dodgers.

Ng and Smith, the Dodger vice president of player development, are pressing forward in the absence of a GM. They shopped outfielder Milton Bradley and pitcher Odalis Perez at the GM meetings and talked to nearly every agent for a free agent, expressing interest in third basemen Nomar Garciaparra, Bill Mueller and Joe Randa, and in outfielders Brian Giles, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.