Padres Lose; McKeon Wants Out of Dugout

Jack McKeon notified Padre chairman Tom Werner on Monday that he would like to relinquish his job as Padre manager and remain solely as the club’s vice president/baseball operations.

“I told him my desire is to do just one job,” McKeon said. “Managing was never a longtime goal of mine, anyway. I think a lot of people realized I wouldn’t be managing here after this season.

“I was happy to help out, and I always said when a time came that I didn’t feel like managing, I’d let them know.”

It’s unknown when McKeon actually will step down as manager. A change likely will not take place before the All-Star break, and, who knows, it’s even possible that McKeon might stay on the field through the end of the season.

But sources in the organization said Monday that McKeon made it clear in his meeting with Werner and his three vice chairmen that he’d like to make the move as quickly as possible.

“It was evident by the way he was talking that this wasn’t a thing where he’d like to step down at the end of the season,” one source said, “but that he wants to come upstairs as soon as he can.”

Werner did not make any promises to McKeon, but said Monday that he’d evaluate the situation and consider McKeon’s request.

“I’m absorbing and evaluating everything,” Werner said. “Obviously, things are not going like we want, but we don’t want to be forced into making a decision, either. We’ll see what happens and go from there.”

McKeon’s decision, which he has contemplated the past few weeks, comes on the heels of the Padres’ worst slump of the season. They lost Monday night to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3 in 14 innings in front of 13,842 at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. The Padres (35-39) have lost a season-high six consecutive games and 14 of their past 19. They trail the division-leading Cincinnati Reds by a season-high 11 1/2 games.

“I really enjoy being here with my players,” McKeon said, “but the difficult thing is that it’s so time-consuming.

“And both jobs are suffering because of it.”

The original game plan drawn up by McKeon was to continue throughout this season as manager, take the team to the National League West title, and possibly the World Series, and then step aside on top of his profession.

“That would have been the ideal way . . . “ McKeon said, his voice trailing off.

But now, midway through an ugly season, McKeon has decided that if Werner and the ownership group want him upstairs to direct the team, he’s ready. He has had enough of the 14-hour days. He has had enough of the everyday pressure of getting his team to perform up to expectations. He has had enough of the daily frustration and disappointment.

“Just because we hit the skids doesn’t mean I have to get out,” McKeon said, “I just think it’s time. It’s still going to be tough leaving this office. I’ve got a great bunch of guys here, and have great rapport with them.

“There’s no reason we still can’t win here. It’s a good club. It’s a damn good club. I know I’m not ready to give up on it.”

But yet, McKeon said that he is not doing the club any good by staying, and it has become obvious the team is not responding.

This was a team that for the second consecutive year was heavily favored to win the National League West. Now, once again, they find themselves almost out of the race before the All-Star break.

“Things just aren’t going like we expected,” McKeon said. “The injuries (to catcher Benito Santiago and first baseman Jack Clark) have hurt us. The pitching’s gone sour. Everything’s seemed to gone wrong at once.

“When it rains, it pours. And when it gets its darkest, like now, you just hope there will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

For McKeon, the future is the general manager’s office, where he is most comfortable, and also believes he can best lend his expertise.

“I came down originally to help the club out,” said McKeon, who replaced Larry Bowa on May 28, 1988. “I never thought I’d manage again, and certainly, I never had the intention of being a long-term manager.”

But when the Padres went 67-48 under McKeon, he was rewarded with a three-year, $1.2 million contract that extends though the 1991 season. If McKeon relinquishes his managerial duties, the Padres still will be required to pay him throughout this season, and $400,000 next year.

It’s possible, of course, that the Padres might be willing to extend McKeon’s contract past the 1991 season, particularly in light of the probable general manager vacancy with the Atlanta Braves, and the two expansion clubs entering the National League.

“I’d like to stay in San Diego,” McKeon said, “and that’s my preference. But I’m always open to new opportunities.”

It’s still possible, of course, that McKeon will remain manager throughout the season. The decision likely will rest with Werner and the ownership group, whether they think it’s time for a change, and if it is, who will take the job.

“We haven’t even begun thinking along those lines yet,” Werner said. “Jack just told us today what he’d like to do.”

The Padres have two managerial candidates on the staff in pitching coach Pat Dobson, who manages the Ft. Myers, Fla. club in the Senior League, and bench coach Greg Riddoch. Each have expressed a desire to manage one day, and they likely would be among those interviewed.

McKeon also figures to have a say in selecting his successor, but like Werner, has not even begun to consider managerial candidates.

“Whoever it is, I think I can help them,” McKeon said. “Certainly, by being down here, I’ve got a better idea what I have. I can pick out the winners and losers on this club, and go from there.

“Sometimes, it comes down to re-evaluating the club, and it might be that time to do it.”

McKeon might want to first address the fact that his team has this bad habit of blowing leads. Once again Monday they blew a lead, this time it being 3-0 in the first inning. After a four-hit first inning, including three consecutive hits for extra bases, the Padres managed to reach base just five times the next nine innings.

Padre starter Bruce Hurst, who has won just once in his past nine starts since May 18, cruised along through the first five innings without allowing a baserunner to second. But again he faltered in the late innings, and by the time the sixth inning was over, the game was tied, 3-3.

The Padres escaped a bases-loaded jam in the 11th inning when Mark Grant came in for relief, striking out Jeff King on three pitches. Grant then gave up a leadoff double to Mike LaValliere in the 12th, but left him stranded.

Padre Notes

Padre first baseman Joe Carter, trying to snap out of his six-for-52 slump, brought in Bobby Bonds, his former hitting coach at Cleveland. Carter took early hitting, and watched game tapes with Bonds before the game. “I even broke out a new hat and new belt,” Carter said, “anything to get out of this.” So what happens? Carter went three for six with an RBI single. It was his first three-hit game since May 13. He doubled to right field in his first at-bat, lined out to left field, hit a towering fly ball to center field that was caught against the wall by Andy Van Slyke, and singled in each of his last two at-bats. Carter: “It’s a start.” . . . The Padres have now played extra-innings four times in their past 11 games, and seven times in their past 21 games. . . . First baseman Jack Clark was kept out of the lineup because of a bruised right heel, and struck out as a pinch-hitter in the 11th inning with runners on first and second. . . . McKeon said that he plans on addressing the possibility of tearing down the inner fence at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. The Padres have yielded a major league-leading 84 home runs this season, including 53 at home. “People talk about Atlanta being “The Launching Pad,’ ” said pitching coach Pat Dobson, “but how about our place. It’s a damn band box.” . . . Contrary to popular belief, the velocity on Eric Show’s fastball still is 88-89 mph, according to scouts who have clocked him in his past two outings. . . . Outfielder Darrin Jackson, who was optioned Friday to triple-A Las Vegas, accepted the assignment instead of opting for free agency, and reported Monday to Las Vegas. . . . The Padre players were raving about the team party Sunday night at the La Jolla home of general partner Leon Parma. “That place was so nice,” one Padre said, “that his guest house was nicer than my home. The place must be worth $4 million.” . . . The Padres will play the fourth game of their 10-game home stand at at 7:35 p.m. tonight against the Padres. The Padres’ Ed Whitson (6-5) and the Pirates’ Doug Drabek (8-4) are the scheduled starters.