Baer, Giants must restore public’s trust

When the San Francisco Giants host their home opener Friday, one prominent face will be absent.

Team President and CEO Larry Baer, who usually sits in the front row near the Giants dugout, has been suspended by Major League Baseball, after a public, physical altercation with his wife, Pam.

So we won’t see Baer on April 5 — just the first in a series of strange and difficult dates on the Giants’ calendar this year.

On July 2, Baer is expected to return from his suspension. But who knows what role he will play? Will he remain the public face of the franchise?

Then there’s Sept. 15. That’s the day the Giants are scheduled to host their annual Strike Out Violence event. One of the team’s long-standing

community outreach efforts, it’s held to raise awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence.

What will the Giants organization look like by mid-September? Is it possible Baer could take the microphone at a pregame ceremony honoring victims, as he has in the past? Such a scene could be particularly awkward.

These uncomfortable questions permeate the organization in the wake of last week’s suspension, handed down by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

At this point, no one is sure whether Baer, who had a hand in virtually every aspect of the franchise’s dealings, will be able to resume his previous role. His days as the Giants’ primary force and face could be over forever.

“People make mistakes, and there is redemption,” said Debbie Mesloh, president of the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. “I think what happens next depends on what he does and how he shows up. Now comes the hard work.”

Baer referred requests for comment for this article to the Giants. Behind the scenes at Giants headquarters, the future remains uncertain. But the March 1 incident, when Baer lunged for a phone in his wife’s hand, causing her to fall to the ground, has already resulted in the Giants changing the team’s internal structure.

Rob Dean, part of the ownership group, has become the acting CEO and interim control person with Major League Baseball, meaning he will represent the team in discussions with the league and other owners. That’s a very prominent, powerful position. At some point, a new permanent MLB control person, probably Dean, will be designated by ownership, removing a significant responsibility from Baer’s job duties.

“That was a strong sign that change was needed,” Mesloh said.

Mesloh, who called Baer’s initial comments about the incident “tone deaf,” was one of the community leaders who signed an open letter to Major League Baseball urging the

league to take “firm and appropriate action” in the Baer case. The letter was posted after two weeks of waiting to see what the response from the league and the team would be.

After an initial statement from the Giants that Baer was taking a leave of absence, there was mostly silence, an odd stance from an organization that is usually proactive and image-conscious.

“The irony is that Larry has always been the Giants’ fixer, the one who makes difficult things go away,” said Sam Singer, a San Francisco public relations executive who specializes in crisis communications.

“In this case, the fixer needs

a fix. But he’s smart enough and has enough goodwill built up that, though it won’t be easy, I think he can come back.”

Singer has seen that happen before. He consulted with the parties involved in the scandal that rocked Gavin Newsom’s career, when the then-mayor of San Francisco’s affair with a city employee became public. The employee was married to Newsom’s campaign manager at the time.

Newsom apologized, entered rehabilitation for alcohol abuse, won a second term as mayor a few months later, remarried and started a family. Last fall, he was elected governor of California.

“Again, there was a reserve of goodwill built up,” Singer said. “Everyone involved responded in a personal and thoughtful manner.”

The situations aren’t parallel, but Newsom’s case does show that there can be forgiveness for personal missteps.

“I think people are wired to forgive,” said Kathy Black, executive director of La Casa de las Madres, a domestic violence support group in San Francisco that the Giants have supported. Black also signed the open letter to the MLB commissioner.

“When you’re really authentic and humble, I do think it’s possible to earn the trust back.”

Baer appears to be taking steps toward rehabilitating his image. In a statement after his suspension, Baer said: “I will now immediately begin the significant work ahead of me to listen and learn from my mistakes and to seek professional advice.”

Pam and Larry Baer attended a recent fundraiser for the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation. Many community leaders across the city owe a debt to the Giants and their leadership, having benefited from the team’s community outreach, programs largely orchestrated by Larry Baer’s vision.

“The Giants have an awesome

brand, built around respect and community values,” Black said. “They started partnering with a tiny program like La Casa that allows us to be in front of 42,000 fans and get our message out.”

As the Giants sort out what’s next, their community outreach programs will continue. The Mission Rock development, a joint venture between the Giants and developer Tishman Speyer, remains on track to break ground in November. The Giants’ executive team will continue to manage the club. That all those processes are functioning is a testament to the well-oiled operation that Baer built.

But this is a team, and an organization, in transition, one that needs to maintain community favor and sell tickets, even as the product on the field struggles. Can Baer return to his seat in the front row near the Giants’ dugout, walking down the steps through the crowd at every game? Can he resume his position as the public face of the Giants?

It really depends on how the next three months play out, both in public and behind the scenes.

Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion