While the Dodgers and Joe Torre continue discussions regarding a contract for the latter, the LA Daily News’ Tony Jackson reports LA has been excused from conducting a interview with Tony Pena.
Camille Johnston, the Dodgers’ senior vice president for communications, confirmed that a request by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to commissioner Bud Selig that Selig exempt the club from his long-standing edict that minority candidates must be interviewed for high-profile positions has been granted.
Selig’s approval, according to a New York Times report, was based on two factors: that the Dodgers already have enough high-ranking minorities in their front office to put them at the forefront of the industry when it comes to diversity; and that it is so obvious Torre is the club’s choice as manager that to interview minority candidates just to satisfy Selig’s mandate would be a waste of those candidates’ time.
Unless of course, one of the candidates did particularly well in the interview, thus giving them a better shot at a job with the Dodgers or another ballclub. There’s nothing racist about the Dodgers wishing to hire Joe Torre, but there’s all sorts of legit reasons for MLB to apply the minority interview rule to every club.