NL NOTEBOOK: SOAP OPERA DEVELOPS IN FLORIDA.

Byline: TONY JACKSON Staff Writer

The truth about what happened in the Florida Marlins' clubhouse after last Sunday's loss to the Dodgers might never come out. But there are indications that owner Jeffrey Loria might have actually fired manager Joe Girardi during the 83 minutes that passed before the media was allowed in, only to be talked out of it by some combination of team president David Samson, general manager Larry Beinfest and Girardi himself.

What is clear is what took place in the seventh inning of that game.

The Marlins were leading 3-1, but the Dodgers had the bases loaded with one out. Girardi brought in reliever Logan Kensing to face Julio Lugo, who worked a 2-2 count before Kensing was forced from the game with a sore elbow. Taylor Tankersley then threw two pitches that appeared to be strikes, but were called balls by plate umpire Larry Vanover, forcing in a run.

At that point, Loria came unglued in his customary seat next to the Marlins dugout and began yelling at Vanover. Girardi, who had been ejected the previous night for leaving the dugout to argue balls and strikes, asked Loria to stop.

That mild show of insubordination allegedly infuriated Loria, who stormed into Girardi's office immediately after the game with Samson and Beinfest in tow. Meanwhile, when a handful of team employees were seen walking away from the clubhouse and down the service tunnel, a curious reporter from the Palm Beach (Fla.) Post followed them and discovered them setting up the interview room for a news conference.

That news conference, which might or might not have been for the purpose of announcing Girardi's firing, never happened.

Firing Girardi would have meant Loria would be paying him through the end of 2008. Still, there are rumors of friction that has existed between the two for several weeks. When he met with reporters before the Marlins' game at Washington on Tuesday, Girardi did his best to diffuse the situation.

``Jeffrey has talked to me many times in the dugout (during games),'' Girardi said. ``He is the owner. Jeffrey likes to talk about baseball. He loves to know why things are done.''

More hijinks: Washington GM Jim Bowden found himself in the middle of yet another controversy last week when the Cincinnati Reds discovered reliever Gary Majewski, whom they acquired from the Nationals on July 13, had a cortisone injection in his shoulder shortly before the deal.

Reds GM Wayne Krivsky said he wasn't told of the shot before the trade, to which Bowden responded with a written release.

``It was disappointing to read Wayne Krivsky's remarks ... about the trade of Gary Majewski,'' Bowden's statement read. ``I never received either a call or a message from Wayne, but when I read his comment ... I called him and reminded him that the Cincinnati Reds had received all of the medical information they requested.''

After speaking with Bowden, Krivsky told the Cincinnati Post the matter wasn't over, but he wouldn't say whether he planned to file a grievance with Major League Baseball.

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