Hargrove and Orioles Meet; Dempsey Next

Dodger coach Rick Dempsey will interview soon for the vacant Baltimore Oriole managerial position, industry sources said Wednesday.

But he isn’t the only one.

Former Cleveland Indian Manager Mike Hargrove met with Oriole officials Wednesday regarding the position and he said the meeting went well.

“I came away very impressed with their commitment to winning, and I felt like I answered all their questions honestly and directly,” Hargrove said Wednesday night in a telephone interview from his home in Richfield, Ohio.

Hargrove, who also has expressed interest in the Angel vacancy at manager, met with Oriole officials for nearly three hours. Owner Peter Angelos was not present.

Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone granted permission this week for the Orioles to speak with Dempsey, who just completed his first season on Manager Davey Johnson’s staff. Dempsey might interview with Angelos as soon as today.

Dempsey was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

The Orioles also have interviewed third base coach Sam Perlozzo and are believed to be considering Tom Trebelhorn, the Orioles’ director of player development and former manager of the Brewers and Chicago Cubs.

Former Oriole Don Baylor, who earned his managerial experience with the Colorado Rockies, is also a possibility.

Malone declined comment regarding the Orioles’ inquiry about Dempsey, but team sources said Malone recently had a lengthy conversation about Dempsey with Oriole official Syd Thrift.

Dempsey is considered to be on the Orioles’ short list because of his ties to the organization. The former catcher played 10-plus seasons in Baltimore, participating in two World Series.

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The improvement of the New York Met pitching staff under Dave Wallace has made the respected coach the subject of speculation again.

Many teams would like to add Wallace to their staffs next season. Not surprisingly, the Mets plan to retain Wallace for a long time.

During the National League championship series, Met General Manager Steve Phillips reiterated that he won’t grant permission for Wallace to interview for other coaching positions.

“He’s our major league pitching coach, and I’m not going to grant permission for anyone to speak with Dave,” said Phillips, who hired Wallace from the Dodgers in 1997. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that other teams are interested in Dave because he’s one of the best.

“Becoming the pitching coach for another team would be a lateral move for Dave. I’m not going to grant permission for that to happen. Clear?”