AS GENERAL MANAGER, BEINFEST HOLDS FLORIDA KEYS.

Byline: STEVE DILBECK

He was the great unknown. Anonymous as a stadium usher. Another pleasant guy in a suit. Probably overmatched, or worse, someone to continue unloading salaries.

Few had heard of Larry Beinfest when he first was introduced as the Florida Marlins' new general manager. Few knew what to make of him.

Nineteen months later, try this out: Executive of the Year. It could happen, probably should happen.

``It's been a whirlwind,'' said Beinfest, a former Chatsworth High star. ``Not even been a couple of years.

``We took over the team three days before spring training in 2002, my first time as a GM, and it was crazy. I'm not sure there's ever really been a chance to take a deep breath and reflect.''

Not after trading Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca to the Chicago Cubs, a deal that included a minor-leaguer named Dontrelle Willis. Trading Cliff Floyd. Picking up Juan Pierre, Carl Pavano, Juan Encarnacion, Mark Redman and signing Ivan Rodriguez to a one-year deal in the offseason.

Not after firing veteran manager Jeff Torborg in May after a slow start and hiring Jack McKeon. And then trading for closer Ugueth Urbina and outfielder Jeff Conine as the Marlins became a contender.

And not after directing the Marlins back to a stunning World Series appearance against the New York Yankees. Turns out, the unknown was a natural GM.

``You kind of get tunnel vision on this job,'' Beinfest said. ``You're so focused on what you're doing, you never have a chance to think about it personally. How am I doing? Am I cemented as the GM?

``You do what you think is right and just keep moving forward. I'm sure when this is all over and it sinks in, then I'll have time to reflect on the past couple of years and how we got here and what a good time it was. But I haven't had that chance yet.''

You could understand if fans originally were skeptical of getting a third Marlins owner in five years, particularly in the strange swap-a-thon orchestrated by the commissioner's office.

Jeff Loria was bought out as owner of the Montreal Expos by Major League Baseball for $120 million, so he could buy the Marlins from John Henry for $158.5 million, so he could use it toward his group's $700 million purchase of the Boston Red Sox.

When Loria came down from Canada he brought Beinfest, then just 37, who had been the Expos' interim GM.

Who was Beinfest?

He had been an All-City shortstop for Bob Lofrano at Chatsworth in 1983, co-MVP of the West Valley League with a guy named Bret Saberhagen. A real Valley kid, Lofrano said Beinfest covered the Chatsworth football team for the Daily News.

``When you've coached all the years I have, there are just those handful of players you stay in contact with, not because of their baseball skill, but because of who they are,'' said Lofrano, the baseball coach at Pierce College for more than a decade.

``He was one of those guys you build a bond with and you just know it will carry on, and it has in our case.''

Beinfest played two years at Nevada-Reno. He displayed an early recognition of talent, realizing the limit of his own abilities.

``I think I was a decent high school player at Chatsworth,'' Beinfest said. ``I went to college and played a couple years. I think physically, probably in the long run, the game got a little too fast for me. I was not a great runner.''

Beinfest left his playing career behind and transferred to California, where he majored in international business and economics. He then earned a master's in public communications from Syracuse.

He came home and took a job selling ad time at radio station Power 106, while helping Lofrano coach at Pierce. The station was then owned by Jeff Smulyan, who soon purchased the Seattle Mariners and took Beinfest with him in 1989 as an assistant in scouting and player development.

Beinfest followed Jim Beattie to Montreal, then Loria to Miami.

A new GM was born, and quickly tested.

``He's been outstanding,'' the fired Torborg said. ``He's very bright. He knows the game. He also relies on quite a front office. But he's done a tremendous job.

``Our relationship was a little difficult that first spring, because he was a new general manager with an older manager. (Clement-Alfonseca) was an unpopular trade, but it turns out this guy did a heck of a job. It was Dontrelle Willis on the other end. He proved to us he knew what he was doing.''

Despite injuries, Beinfest and Loria felt the team was underachieving and fired Torborg in May, replacing him with the 72-year-old McKeon.

``The way we looked at it at the time, there was still a lot of season left,'' Beinfest said. ``We didn't want to give up at that point, so we made the managerial change. Willis came up. Things started to click for us.''

The same could be said about Beinfest. Which hardly comes as a surprise to Lofrano, who advised Florida sports writers when Beinfest was hired 19 months ago what they were getting.

``A guy who is a low-key individual,'' Lofrano said. ``His ego doesn't get in the way. He's not the flamboyant guy. He's going to make decisions based on what he feels is right, getting information from all the people around him. I mean, that's the same kid I knew 20 years ago.''

The same one with which he has remained in touch throughout the postseason, even when the Marlins were beating the Cubs - a team Lofrano has been a scout with for 21 years.

An extremely busy offseason looms. There might never come a time to catch his breath. Only right now, the Marlins' season continues.

``We're playing the Yankees in the World Series, and it really doesn't get much better than that,'' he said.

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