McKeon Loses the Battle to Keep His Job : Padres: Divisiveness in front office causes ownership to fire him. He says it’s just part of baseball.

Jack McKeon stood in front of the Padre board of directors Friday afternoon, pulling out all of his charm, trying to woo them just as he had the fans and media during the past 10 years.

Only this time, it was too late.

Not even Trader Jack could pull off a deal to rescue him this time.

Jack McKeon was fired as Padre vice president/baseball operations, and although he was offered to stay on as a consultant, he said that he would turn down the option and leave the organization.

“I’m not bitter,” said McKeon, who will be paid $400,000 in 1991. “In some industries, it would be a tremendous blow. In this one, it’s just part of the game.

“What are you going to do, shoot everybody because they fired you. I’ll be all right.”

Tom Werner, Padre chairman, said that the decision to fire McKeon was based on a consensus opinion by the board of directors, consisting of the 15 Padre owners and President Dick Freeman.

“It was something we certainly weren’t planning to do when we purchased the club,” Werner said, “but we realized that for the good of the team, this was a move we had to make.”

Although no single flaw was pointed out for the firing of McKeon, it was apparent that the rift in the front office led to his downfall. McKeon and Freeman have been feuding for more than a year since Freeman became president, splitting the front office into sides.

It eventually turned into a battle between both sides, and when Werner and the ownership group were forced to choose sides, they went with Freeman.

“He’s a great baseball man,” said Art Engel, vice chairman, “but we need to look ahead to the ‘90s and part of this is starting with management. There has been a lot of divisiveness, and we hope to eliminate that.”

Said Werner: “We couldn’t go on the way it was.”

Freeman will continue as club president, Werner said, but according to sources close to the ownership group, McKeon’s firing is expected to be just the beginning of a sweep of the front office.

The Padre ownership group is evaluating all phases of the operations. Werner and his partners will make their own firings and hirings in the business and administrative sides of the operation, he said, and McKeon’s replacement will be given authority to make his own hirings in the baseball front office.

The cruel irony of the decision for McKeon was that when he decided to leave his job as Padre manager July 11, he not said that he believed it would benefit the club, but help secure his future with the Padres.

McKeon has told friends that he would be highly interested in joining the Atlanta Braves as their general manager, but according to an American League general manager Friday night who refused to be identified, Larry Himes, formerly of the Chicago White Sox, is expected to fill that vacancy.

The Padres have begun interviewing candidates for McKeon’s job, and according to sources, have talked with three: Roger Jongewaard, Seattle Mariner vice president/scouting and player development; Dan Duquette, Montreal Expo assistant general manager; Gordon Ash, Toronto Blue Jay assistant general manager. It is believed that they also have possible interest in Ralph Nelson, San Francisco Giant vice president/assistant general manager; and Doug Melvin, Baltimore Oriole assistant general manager/player personnel director.

The interviewing process is being led by Tal Smith, a consultant hired by the Padres.

“First and foremost,” Werner said, “we’re looking for an experienced executive. We said we’d find the very best people, and we plan on doing that.”

McKeon, however, still believes that he’s the right man for the job. Sure, he said, he made his mistakes. And when you trade as often as he has in his tenure, making trades involving 169 players during his tenure, you’re bound to make some mistakes. He even joked Friday about trading away Kevin McReynolds and Kevin Mitchell during his presentation.

“I’m just like everyone else, I’m disappointed in this season,” said McKeon, who watched the Padres get mathematically eliminated from the National League West race Friday night, 10-1, by the Cincinnati Reds. “But I still think we have a good team. I think we’ve got a great nucleus.

“If I’m allowed to do my job, you’ll have a team you can be proud of.”

And when McKeon entered the Doubletree Hotel Friday afternoon to meet with the ownership group, he told them just how he could benefit the franchise. He told them all about how he helped turn the Padres from a perennial loser into a winner, finishing .500 or better six times in his tenure. And yes, although there were problems, they certainly were correctable.

When McKeon finished his 1 hour, 15 minute presentation, he said that he actually felt good about his prospects of retaining the job. He returned to his office, began examining his scouting books, and was about to have dinner when he was summoned into Werner’s office.

“When I got called into his office, I thought to myself, now I’m on his turf,” McKeon said. “And then when I saw the four people, I knew it was curtains.”

McKeon, who was fired four times as manager, actually had braced himself for the firing days ago. He had heard the rumors. He was just hoping it all wasn’t true.

“I really thought they’d give me a chance,” he said. “I thought they’d give me longer than a couple of months. I thought I deserved that.”

The Padre ownership group decided earlier this week that it would fire McKeon, but they had planned to wait until finding a successor before making the announcement. But when their decision was reported Thursday in The Times, one of the owners said, “It accelerated our process. It had to be done.”

News of McKeon’s firing was met with mixed emotion throughout the Padre organization, with his most loyal support emerging from the clubhouse.

“You hate to see him go because he’s done a damn good job here,” said Padre shortstop Garry Templeton, perhaps McKeon’s favorite player. “The city of San Diego should be proud of him because he brought in a winning atmosphere here.”

Said Bill Beck, McKeon’s assistant and best friend: “You know, if I was younger, I’d really be bitter about this, but I realize it’s part of the game. And the way I’ve learned that is through Jack. He’s taught me everything.

“To him, he’s never seen a bad game, just some are better than others.”

This is why McKeon, just 90 minutes after being fired, still was in his private booth Friday night, watching the game, smoking his cigar, and talking about trades.

“Hey, what am I doing?” McKeon said. “I’m a fan now. I don’t worry about this stuff.”

He then watched a ground ball getting past one of his infielders, smiled, and yelled out, “Hey, you bum.”

McKeon took a puff of his cigar, and laughed.

THE JACK McKEON FILE QUICK FACTS

* Name: John Aloysius (Jack) McKeon; “Trader Jack”

* Age: 59

* Tenure with Padres: 10 years

CAREER AT A GLANCE

* After accepting from Branch Rickey the managerial job of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ minor-league team in Hutchinson, Kan., in 1954, McKeon arrives in town, picks up the paper and reads banner headline: “Larry Dorton named manager.” McKeon leaves town.

* After an undistinguished career as a minor-league catcher, McKeon gets first job as manager in 1955 at Fayetteville, N.C, an independent club. In 17 minor-league seasons, McKeon won four championships and four Manager of the Year awards.

* After working his way up the Kansas City organization, McKeon gets his first chance to manage in the major leagues when the Royals beckoned before the 1973 season. McKeon takes the Royals, in only their fifth season in existence, to a second-place finish, 88-72. He gets fired midway through the 1975 season when the Royals are in second place with a 50-46 record.

* In 1977 Charlie Finley hires McKeon to manage the Oakland A’s. But he fires McKeon before the season is over, then rehires McKeon again for the 1978 season, only to fire him for a second time in as many years.

* While managing at AAA Denver in 1979, McKeon receives a call from the Padres. They want an assistant to General Manager Bob Fontaine. McKeon accepts, and, eight months later, Fontaine is fired. After team President Ballard Smith goes through a long interview process, McKeon is named Fontaine’s replacement in September of 1980.

* Trader Jack makes his first big deal Dec. 8, 1980 when he sends catcher Gene Tenace and pitchers Bob Shirley and Rollie Fingers to St. Louis for catcher Terry Kennedy and six other players.

* During the winter meetings before the 1981 season, McKeon drafts Alan Wiggins, a player from a California Angels’ Class-A club. Along with Kennedy, Wiggins is one of the first of McKeon’s acquisitions who later became main cogs on the 1984 National League championship team.

* After the 1981 season, McKeon hires Dick Williams to manage the Padres. Later, at the winter meetings, McKeon begins talks with the St. Louis Cardinals. A month later, they trade shortstops, Ozzie Smith for Garry Templeton.

* After the 1982 season, McKeon adds another piece, Steve Garvey, via free-agency from the Dodgers.

* After the 1983 season, McKeon is again active, trading pitcher Scott Sanderson to the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Carmelo Martinez and reliever Craig Lefferts. A month later, in January, McKeon signs another reliever, free-agent Goose Gossage. Just days before the 1984 season begins, McKeon puts the finishing touches on the eventual pennant-winner by trading pitcher Dennis Rasmussen to the Yankees for Graig Nettles.

* In June 1987, Padres owner Joan Kroc hires Chub Feeney to replace son-in-law Ballard Smith as team president. Feeney and McKeon soon begin a power struggle.

* On May 28, 1988, it appears that Feeney wins the front-office tug-of-war when he named McKeon to replace field manager Larry Bowa. McKeon inherits a record of 16-30, and it is expected the club would end the season with its third-consecutive losing record at which time, it is rumored, Feeney would fire McKeon for failing to turn around a team he built.

* The Padres go 67-48 under McKeon and finish the year in third place at 83-78. He is rehired.

* On July 11, McKeon steps aside as field manager (with a record of 37-43) in favor of Greg Riddoch.

* On Friday, McKeon is fired by Tom Werner, team chairman.