BALTIMORE -- Rather than put just one person in charge, the Baltimore Orioles hired Jim Beattie and Mike Flanagan to turn around a franchise mired in a record run of five consecutive losing seasons.

Beattie on Wednesday was picked as executive vice president of baseball operations. He will work with Flanagan, who was tabbed as successor to Syd Thrift as vice president of baseball operations.

The former pitchers will fill the job commonly known as general manager, a post that most teams trust to only one man.

"The belief is that the job has grown to be very large, very complex, very diverse,'' said Joe Foss, the Orioles' chief operating officer. "You really need at least two people at the most senior levels of a baseball organization to be able to meet all the challenges of the job.''

And if an opposing GM wants to talk to one or the other about a trade, "he just may ask for the right-hander or the left-hander,'' Flanagan said.

Beattie, 48, pitched nine years in the majors with the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners. He was director of player development with the Mariners from 1989-94, then served as vice president and general manager of the Montreal Expos from 1995-2001.

Flanagan, 50, is a former Orioles left-hander who served as a TV broadcaster for the team over the past four years. He doesn't have the front-office knowledge that Beattie does, but has a much better grasp of the Orioles and their minor league system.

"His experience is very different from mine, and our knowledge is different, but at the same time we come from similar backgrounds as ex-players,'' Beattie said. "I think all of that meshing together will make people feel comfortable with the way we approach what we're going to do.''

Beattie and Flanagan were among several men interviewed by owner Peter Angelos to take over for Thrift, who joined the organization in 1995 as director of player personnel.

After assessing the strengths of the two former pitchers, Angelos opted to hire them both.

"I know that Jim and Mike are eagerly looking forward to this partnership, drawing on each other's strengths and experience to better the organization,'' Angelos said. "Meeting with them made it clear this is a unique team with a wealth of what it takes to win.''

Introduced at a news conference at Camden Yards, Beattie and Flanagan sat side by side, which is exactly how they expect to handle the day-to-day operations of the team.

"I sort of see us being almost attached,'' Flanagan said. "There are no egos involved, and we're not looking for credit. We want to be a part of something. There will be plenty of credit to spread around if we get this organization back where it belongs.''

According to the framework of their jobs, neither man has the final word. The idea is gather information, discuss the situation and work together to arrive at a definitive decision.

"In discussing this, we really felt comfortable with a partnership. I don't think either of us has veto power, one way or the other,'' Beattie said. "I'm strong-minded, Mike is strong-minded ... but I think in the end we will try to do what is best for the organization.''

Flanagan went 167-143 over his 18-year career. Beattie, a right-hander, was 52-87. In this union, however, the only difference is their title.

"I am pleased that the Orioles will have the benefit of two highly respected baseball professionals to guide our destiny,'' Angelos said.

Thrift, whose contract expired at the end of the season, no longer has a job with the club but offered to give advice if needed.

"It took two of them to replace me, didn't it?'' he said with a laugh.