Giants manager leaves World Series team

SAN FRANCISCO -- Manager Dusty Baker is leaving the San Francisco Giants less than two weeks after leading them to the World Series.\nGeneral manager Brian Sabean made the announcement Wednesday, the day Baker's contract expired.\n"It has become increasingly apparent that Dusty's interest in exploring opportunities elsewhere is paramount in his mind," Sabean said. "There remained non-compensation issues that he seemed reluctant to embrace."\nSabean said he recommended to owner Peter Magowan that negotiations end.\nA three-time NL Manager of the Year, Baker has had differences with Magowan, mainly on who deserves the most credit for the franchise's recent success.\nBaker becomes the first manager in nearly three decades to leave a team right after guiding it to the World Series. Dick Williams led Oakland to the 1973 championship and then retired -- he was hired by the California Angels during the 1974 season.\nThe Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners are likely to express interest in Baker.\nSabean said he will have a short list of candidates immediately.\nAt 53, Baker just completed his 10th year with the Giants. He led San Francisco to its first World Series since 1989 before losing in seven games to the Anaheim Angels.\nBut Baker apparently felt slighted because Magowan always pointed out everybody else's contributions when asked what he thought of Baker's role in the team's success.\nBaker also became angry when Magowan said in spring training that this was the best team the Giants had fielded in his 10 years of ownership. Baker thought that put too much pressure on the players.\nBeginning Thursday, he is free to talk to other teams, and has expressed interest in the Cubs' vacancy. The Cubs were waiting until after Baker's contract had expired -- officially at midnight Wednesday -- before contacting him.\nCubs general manager Jim Hendry hasn't interviewed anyone to replace the fired Bruce Kimm, and is in Arizona for the team's organizational meetings.\nThe Mariners identified four finalists for their job Tuesday and Baker was not on the list. But general manager Pat Gillick has said he has a "mystery candidate" to replace Lou Piniella, who left for Tampa Bay.\nBaker said during the playoffs that he did not intend to "break the bank" -- meaning the $6 million a year Joe Torre got from the Yankees -- "but I want to be near the bank" on a new contract.\nBaker has expressed his frustration that the Giants waited so long to discuss the possibility of him coming back -- making him feel unwanted.\nIn spring training, Magowan said he would wait until after the season to address new contracts with Baker and Sabean.\nSabean agreed to a multiyear deal Oct. 31, and Baker left the next day for a weekend trip to Indiana with his father.\nWhile Magowan wouldn't say after the World Series whether he wanted Baker back, the owner did congratulate Baker on a fine year.\nBaker has become one of the most respected managers in the game, and a fan favorite.\n"I don't really know the ins and outs of the political environment in San Francisco," Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia said. "I'm sure it's going to come down to that, to some extent. I don't think there's anybody that can dispute Dusty's talent. He takes whatever the talent is and maximizes it. There's no argument he's one of the premier managers in baseball."\nSt. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday after winning the NL Manager of the Year award, "I hope Dusty returns there"