Ken Macha will walk away from the Oakland Athletics after seven years with fresh memories of another winning season, despite a young and injury-depleted lineup.

He hopes potential employers appreciate that, too.

Macha was out of a job as A's manager yesterday after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, which he called one of several "massive disappointments" in his tenure.

"Who knows how the rest of baseball views you?" Macha said hours after general manager Billy Beane announced there would be no further negotiations to keep the third-year skipper.

"I can go home and sleep and know that we used tremendous character to get through this season," Macha said.

Macha led the A's to the AL West title in his first year as manager in 2003, the club's fourth straight playoff berth. But Oakland failed to reach the postseason the past two years despite a 91-win season in 2004 and 88 victories this year.

The A's offered Macha a three-year, $2.625 million contract with a $1.2 million club option for a fourth season.

Macha's agent, Alan Nero, countered with a three-year deal for $4 million — without an option.

When Beane balked, Nero presented him a counteroffer worth $3.1 million over three years.

"I don't think we were ever going to be able to bridge the gap," Beane said. "It was a significant gap. ... There are no hard feelings whatsoever. This is part of the business."

Macha hopes teams will take into account how the A's performed with such a young roster.

Macha was 275-211 in three seasons with the A's. He came to Oakland in 1999 and was promoted from bench coach when Art Howe left for the New York Mets after the 2002 season.

Notes

• Baseball and its players are still negotiating over a tougher drug-testing agreement, commissioner Bud Selig said, one week after union head Donald Fehr testified a new agreement could be in place before the end of the World Series.

• A's right-hander Rich Harden had surgery on his nonpitching shoulder to reattach the labrum. He is expected to be ready for spring training.

• Jim Tracy, back on the managerial market after he and the Los Angeles Dodgers parted ways earlier this week, was interviewed for two hours by phone by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

• The contracts of pitching coach Mark Davis and first-base coach Brett Butler will not be renewed by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

• Larry Rodriguez, the television cameraman hospitalized after a tirade by Texas' Kenny Rogers in June, has sued the pitcher and the Rangers.