LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers today officially fired manager Davey Johnson.

The Los Angeles Times reported earlier in the week that Johnson was informed of the change by chairman Bob Daly and president Bob Graziano during a meeting last Friday before the start of the final weekend series against the San Diego Padres.

The announcement was delayed since Johnson returned from a fishing trip on Thursday night.

Johnson still has a year to run on his contract and will be paid $1.5 million for the 2001 season.

Johnson's dismissal comes as no surprise. Although he is baseball's winningest active manager, the team underachieved under his two-year leadership. Despite a payroll over $90 million, the team finished a distant second behind San Francisco in the National League West this season with an 86-76 record and needed an 11-4 finish to achieve that.

Johnson was resigned to his departure. Following the Dodgers final game of the season he told reporters, "The dye has been cast . . . when you have the payroll that we have here and you don't win, someone is going to take the brunt of it."

The fact that Johnson had a stormy relationship with general manager Kevin Malone no doubt contributed to the Dodgers' failures. The two clashed repeatedly over the makeup of the team, stirring frustration in the executive offices and creating clubhouse concern and confusion as to how the club's top baseball officials could be at such polar extremes.

Ironically, Johnson was fired even though the team made significant improvement while overcoming glaring holes in the rotation, bullpen and everyday lineup.

Johnson is the fifth manager to be fired, all in the National League, since the season ended on Sunday. Terry Francona of Philadelphia, Gene Lamont of Pittsburgh, Buck Showalter of Arizona and Jack McKeon of Cincinnati also were dismissed.