Quinn In, so Craig’s Out : Baseball: The new Giant owners name their new general manager and fire the manager after seven years.

The new owners of the San Francisco Giants began an anticipated shake-up Tuesday by hiring Bob Quinn as general manager and firing Roger Craig as manager. Former Dodger outfielder Dusty Baker, a member of Craig’s coaching staff for the last five seasons, is considered the leading candidate to replace him.

Craig, 62, was signed through 1993 and will be offered another position in the organization, said Peter Magowan, head of the group that is buying the team from Bob Lurie for $100 million, a deal expected to be approved at next week’s baseball meetings in Louisville, Ky.

Reached at his log cabin home in Warner Springs, Calif., Craig said: “I had seven great years (in San Francisco), seven of the greatest years of my life. I have no regrets and no bitterness.”

Craig said he wasn’t sure his firing had sunk in yet, but that he had been prepped for it by Al Rosen, who resigned as general manager last week to allow the Magowan group to select its own management team.

“Al had told me that if the team stayed in San Francisco with new owners we’d all be gone,” Craig said. “That’s their prerogative. I understand and accept it. I thank Al and Bob Lurie for giving me the seven years. I had the opportunity to manage in a World Series and All-Star game. We won two division titles and a National League pennant. We had five straight winning seasons after losing 100 games. And besides all of that, I had the opportunity to manage in a great city with great fans. That’s the part of it I’ll miss most.”

Craig, hired by Rosen in September of 1985, led the Giants to an 807-804 record. In 1992, amid the distracting possibility that the club would move to Florida, the Giants were 72-90, finishing 26 games behind in the National League West.

For the present, Craig said, he planned to work on his golf handicap, tend his seven horses and enjoy the leisure life with Carolyn, his wife of 41 years.

“It’s a possibility,” he said, when asked about managing again, “but I won’t lobby for it. I don’t want to even think about it right now. Bob Quinn said he would have another job for me in the organization, but I told him we’d talk later. I want to kick back and enjoy the spring and summer. I want to see if I can handle it.”

Would Craig have gone to Florida with the Giants if National League owners hadn’t rejected that sale and transfer?

“Al told me that the people there wanted me to come as manager, but I don’t know,” Craig said. “It would have been another challenge, a chance to recharge my batteries, but it’s hypothetical now. All I can tell you is that until the last week (before the owners’ decision), almost until the end, I thought the team was moving.

“But I think what happened is that the National League owners realized they couldn’t leave the Bay Area without a team. There’s just too many good restaurants.”

Magowan cited Craig’s success and the respect in which he is held and said the managerial decision was a difficult one.

“Roger was extremely gracious,” he said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better response from someone who has been in a difficult position, not knowing what his future would be.”

Quinn, whose contract as general manager of the Cincinnati Reds was not renewed in October, received a three-year contract from the Giants. He said he would put an emphasis on farm-system development, “finding the best personnel available to help restructure our scouting and player development department.” He said he would like to have a manager selected by next week’s winter meetings but would not set a timetable.

Baker will be interviewed today. Among other possible candidates are Chicago Cub coach and former Milwaukee Brewer manager Tom Trebelhorn, Oakland Athletic pitching coach Dave Duncan and Baltimore Oriole coach Davey Lopes, another former Dodger.