MILWAUKEE (Ticker) -- The Milwaukee Brewers' protracted search for a new manager apparently will end today with the selection of Davey Lopes.

The Brewers have called a news conference for today at 2 p.m. EST amid reports that Lopes, the first base coach of the San Diego Padres the last five seasons, will be named manager and receive a multi-year contract at undisclosed terms.

The hiring of Lopes, who is part black, fits Commissioner Bud Selig's directive that teams consider minorities for their managerial posts. Selig gave up his role as chief executive officer of the Brewers when he became commissioner and the club is run by his daughter, Wendy Selig-Prieb.

Lopes would become baseball's fifth minority manager and second hired this week. Don Baylor of the Chicago Cubs was hired Monday, joining Felipe Alou of Montreal, Dusty Baker of San Francisco and Jerry Manuel of the Chicago White Sox.

The Journal Sentinel reported that Lopes beat out another minority, New York Yankees third base coach Willie Randolph, for the job.

The Brewers have been searching for a manager since Phil Garner was fired on August 11 and replaced him on an intermin basis with Jim Lefebvre. Milwaukee finished with a 74-87 record, its seventh straight losing season, and has not been to the postseason since 1982.

It would be the first major league managerial job for Lopes, who served as a coach for the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles after his playing career ended in 1987. He managed the Sun Cities Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall league following the 1996 season.

The 53-year-old Lopes played 16 years with Los Angeles, Oakland, the Chicago Cubs and Houston. He was a four-time All-Star at second base and played in four World Series with the Dodgers.

The job in Milwaukee will not be an easy one. The Brewers began the season with just a $41 million payroll and lost a potential revenue stream for next season due to the construction delays at Miller Park. The future home of the Brewers will not open until 2001 instead of next season, as originally planned.

The new manager inherits a thin pitching staff that was 14th in the National League last season with a 5.09 ERA.

The hiring of a manager is the first major decision made by Dean Taylor, who was named general manager on September 21.