PADRES: McKEON STEPS ASIDE, RIDDOCH STEPS IN : Riddoch’s Prospects? Depends on Players

While the men in suits were upstairs Wednesday, announcing that Jack McKeon had decided to step down as Padre manager in favor of dugout coach Greg Riddoch, Jack Clark was putting it all in perspective in the clubhouse below.

“You can’t fire every player,” Clark said. “So it’s a step in the right direction.”

The point was that the Padres were just about bad enough during the first half of this season to justify a mass dismissal. Fans were supposed to be able to look at the standings by now and have an easy time locating the Padres atop the NL West. Instead, they can be found keeping a low profile, stuck in fourth place between the Dodgers and Atlanta, 13 1/2 games out.

So McKeon has decided to remain as vice president of baseball operations and leave Riddoch, known for his aggressive style and ability to communicate, to restore a bit of order on the field. And, sure, it might work. But the feeling among many of the Padres is that it will have a lot more to do with what they do with their bats and gloves than what Riddoch does with his vocal chords.

“We just changed managers, we didn’t change players,” said center fielder Joe Carter. “We’ve still got to go out there and play.

“Some people say ‘I can’t play for this guy, I can’t play for that guy.’ That’s a bunch of baloney. The manager can only put you out there. He can’t tell you when to swing, when not to swing, what pitch to throw, how to catch the ball. It doesn’t matter who’s the manager, whether it’s your son or your daughter or whatever.”

Still, a number of the Padres have been through managerial changes in the past and it has often been a positive experience. After Larry Bowa was fired in May, 1988, McKeon took over and led the team to a 67-48 record and third-place finish. Few Padres are willing to speculate as to whether a replay of that lies ahead.

“I don’t know,” pitcher Bruce Hurst said. “Who knows? It’s just up to us to play better baseball. Greg is certainly qualified to be manager. Now it’s up to the players. Hopefully we can right this ship up and get going.”

That is exactly what happened when Hurst was in a similar situation with the Boston Red Sox in 1988. John McNamara was fired in July and replaced by Joe Morgan. Under Morgan, the Red Sox went 46-31, including 24 consecutive home victories, and won the American League East.

“I’m not saying that’s going to happen here,” Hurst said. “And I don’t know how much a manager has a play in that, but it did happen, and hopefully we can do something like that here.”

Players were mildly surprised but generally supportive of the move to Riddoch. This is his fourth season as a Padre coach, and he is well-liked and respected for his knowledge of the game.

“Greg is the type of guy who has gotten us through some tough times,” outfielder Shawn Abner said. “He’s more of a talk-to-you guy (than McKeon).”

Said left fielder Bip Roberts: “He’s like a psychologist. He’s got a lot of experience. Any time I’ve had problems, he’s always come and talked to me and helped me straighten them out.”

The Padres may be playing a snappier brand of baseball under Riddoch, who favors aggressiveness in all areas of the game.

“I think having Riddoch in there is a plus, because now you have a different attitude as far as the way he wants to play the game,” shortstop Garry Templeton said. “I look for us to be a little bit more aggressive on the base paths, at the plate and in the field.”

And good for McKeon, who up until now has been in the office all day and in the dugout all night. Players couldn’t help but take notice of his hectic schedule.

“He leaves late and gets here early,” Templeton said. “He’s at the ballpark all day. I think handling two jobs put a little stress on him. This gives him a better chance to evaluate the team.”

Said Clark: “I think it’s a tough position to be in doing two jobs. It’s like trying to be a pitcher and a hitter. It’s tough enough to try to do one good let alone both of them good. I think this will just make the organization better, and that’s the bottom line.”

Really, though, the bottom line is that the Padres have an awfully long climb back to first. Whether a fresh start under a new manager will set a fire remains to be seen.

“It’s a new beginning for us,” Roberts said. “But we’re still 14 games out, so it’s not really a new beginning.”

PADRE MANAGERIAL HISTORY

Year Manager Record Pct. Finish GB 1969 Preston Gomez 52-110 .321 Sixth 41 1970 Preston Gomez 63-99 .389 Sixth 39 1971 Preston Gomez 61-100 .379 Sixth 28 1/2 1972 Preston Gomez 4-7 .364 -- -- Don Zimmer 54-88 .380 Sixth 36 1/2 1973 Don Zimmer 60-102 .370 Sixth 39 1974 John McNamara 60-102 .370 Sixth 42 1975 John McNamara 71-91 .438 Fourth 37 1976 John McNamara 73-89 .451 Fifth 29 1977 John McNamara 20-28 .417 -- -- Bob Skinner 1-0 1.000 -- -- Alvin Dark 49-65 .430 Fifth 29 1978 Roger Craig 84-78 .519 Fourth 11 1979 Roger Craig 68-93 .422 Fifth 22 1980 Jerry Coleman 73-89 .451 Sixth 19 1/2 1981 Frank Howard (Half 1) 23-33 .411 Sixth 12 1/2 Frank Howard (Half 2) 18-36 .333 Sixth 15 1/2 1982 Dick Williams 81-81 .500 Fourth 8 1983 Dick Williams 81-81 .500 Fourth 10 1984 Dick Williams 92-70 .568 First -- 1985 Dick Williams 83-79 .512 Third (tie) 12 1986 Steve Boros 74-88 .457 Fourth 22 1987 Larry Bowa 65-97 .401 Sixth 25 1988 Larry Bowa 16-30 .348 -- -- Jack McKeon 67-48 .583 Third 11 1989 Jack McKeon 89-73 .549 Second 3 1990 Jack McKeon 37-43 .463 Fourth 13 1/2