Padres Promote Beck to Replace Siegle

The Padres, trying to shore up their front-office inadequacies that have plagued the club in recent months, promoted Bill Beck on Tuesday to become Jack McKeon’s administrative assistant as vice president/baseball operations.

Beck, 49, formerly the director of media relations, replaces Tony Siegle, who was fired last Thursday as vice president/personnel.

Mike Swanson, the Padres’ assistant director of media relations for the past six years, is expected to fill Beck’s vacated job.

“I think it will be a great partnership,” said McKeon, who has known Beck since 1968. “He comes from a pretty impressive background in baseball, and we’re delighted to have a guy of his talent.

“We’re going to roll up our sleeves now and are confident we can get this thing right.”

Beck brings to the Padre front-office a wealth of experience from the ground level. His baseball background began in 1968 when he was hired as business manager of the Kansas City Royals’ triple-A team in Omaha, Neb. He spent six years at the minor-league level before becoming the Royals’ traveling secretary and season-ticket coordinator in 1974. He stayed with the Royals for 10 years, also assisting in the public relations department, when the Padres lured him away in 1984.

“I appreciate Jack’s confidence in me,” Beck said. “It came as a surprise, but I know we’re on the same page, and understand what we’re trying to do.”

Beck’s loyalty and dedication to the organization perhaps was best-evidenced during the winter meetings earlier this month.

Beck spent several days with his critically ill father in Kansas City before taking a flight Dec. 2 to Nashville, Tenn., for the winter meetings. Doctors told Beck that his father could die within a day, or a week.

He died of cancer just hours after Beck arrived in Nashville.

Yet, Beck remained in Nashville handling public-relations duties all day Sunday, and did not leave until mid-day Monday when Swanson arrived.

Beck took a flight to Kansas City on Monday afternoon to help make funeral arrangements. The funeral was Wednesday. He was back at work Friday.

“We’re talking about a special-type person here,” McKeon said.

Padre owner Joan Kroc, who became exasperated by blunders made in recent months by the Padre front-office, began the front-office shakeup Dec. 3 when she informed McKeon that he would be in charge of all baseball operations as well as manager. McKeon immediately took charge, and traded for center fielder Joe Carter of the Cleveland Indians, and signed free-agent reliever Craig Lefferts and free-agent outfielder Fred Lynn. In all, Kroc spent $15 million for the acquisitions--$3 million more than her late husband, Ray Kroc, paid for the team in 1974.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more than Mrs. Kroc provided,” McKeon said.

While negotiations to sell the franchise are progressing, and are expected to be completed by the end of the month, the sweep of the front-office is anticipated to continue before Kroc’s reign ends. President Dick Freeman is expected to soon be fired, and other administrative positions currently are being evaluated.

Kroc, who put the franchise up for sale after the 1989 season, officially will remain owner of the team until next spring. The sale of the franchise can not be finalized until next year when the National League owners convene and vote on approval of the sale, which must pass by three-quarters majority vote.