Former Padre Assistant Polley Dies at 65

Hours after listening to a radio account of the Padres’ 1-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday night, Rhoda Polley, longtime administrative assistant for the team, died in her San Diego home early Wednesday of complications from cancer and a stroke. She was 65.

Polley had managed the Padre front office since 1979 and was known as a mother figure to many of the players. Her battle with cancer, which was discovered this winter in her hip, became a source of inspiration to several Padre veterans. She threw out the first ball at both spring training in Yuma, Ariz., and on opening night in San Diego April 3.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at the Garden Chapel at Greenwood Mortuary. Infielder Tim Flannery’s father, the Rev. Ragon Flannery, will preside. Representing the Padre team will be Manager Jack McKeon and pitcher Ed Whitson, who will fly to San Diego after Whitson pitches against the Pirates in Pittsburgh tonight. Both will miss Friday’s afternoon game in Chicago.

There is talk of a commemorative armband being added to the Padre uniforms, such as the one the Padres wore in 1984 in memory of late owner Ray Kroc.

“I don’t know what I want to say,” said McKeon, who was Polley’s immediate boss when he was general manager from 1980 to 1988. “I am deeply saddened. We have lost a loyal friend. She was always my guiding light. It makes you realize, this game doesn’t mean as much.”

Said backup catcher Mark Parent, who earlier dedicated his season to Polley: “She suffered so much, in a way it’s better like this. I didn’t want her in so much pain, and because she went so fast, maybe it wasn’t so bad for her. At least I’m not worried about her anymore. I’m sure we’ll hook up again somewhere.”

Polley bought season tickets even while working for the club, just to ensure herself a place where she could watch every game. Her final memo to the organization, sent before she retired after her opening night appearance, encouraged employees to be loyal to the organization.

“It’s so hard in our baseball life style--all of this stuff happens around us, but we live in a vacuum where we can’t see anything but the next game,” Tim Flannery said. “Something like this, it makes us realize why we are here on earth--and it’s not to see how many base hits we can get. We’re here to touch people, the way Rhoda touched us. We’re all going to miss her very much.”

Polley is survived by her brother, Bill Valentine. Donations should be sent to the San Diego Hospice Corps., 3840 Calle Fortunada, Suite 1, San Diego, 92123.