Padres Hire Rettenmund as Hitting Coach

Merv Rettenmund, the man who blamed himself for the Oakland Athletics’ offensive woes during the World Series, was hired Wednesday as the Padre hitting coach, replacing Jack Maloof.

The move leaves Rob Picciolo, first-base coach, as the only member of the Padre 1990 coaching staff who definitely will be retained, Manager Greg Riddoch said. The fate of bullpen coach Denny Sommers has yet to be determined, Riddoch said, but sources in baseball said that the Padres have contacted other candidates about the position.

The Padres also have hired Tom Gamboa, former director of field operations for the Detroit Tigers, to be their minor league field coordinator. Gamboa, who took over as manager at triple-A Toledo in mid-season, currently is managing in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

Rettenmund, 47, joins the Padres after spending the past five years with the Athletics, three years as their roving hitting instructor in the minor leagues, and the past two seasons as their major league hitting coach.

“This is a job I’ve wanted for a number of years,” said Rettenmund, who played in 1976 and 1977 for the Padres, and lives year-round in Rancho Bernardo. “I said for years this would be the only place I’d leave the A’s for.

“But this has been a tough year for me. There have been times this year when I had to practice smiling. There were times this year when I felt like we lost 100 games, rather than winning 100 games.”

When you happen to be hitting coach of the Athletics, a team filled with such All-Stars as Jose Canseco, Rickey Henderson, Mark McGwire, nothing less than perfection is expected. When the Athletics scored 733 runs (ranked third) and batted .254 (ranked 12th) during the regular season, it just wasn’t good enough. And when they scored only eight runs in five World Series games, Rettenmund knew there might be changes.

“To tell you the truth,” Rettenmund said, “I don’t know whether I’d be brought back or not. When I told Tony (La Russa, Athletic manager) about this opportunity, all he told me was do anything that will make you happy.”

So imagine Rettenmund’s delight when he returned home from the Athletics’ organizational meetings last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., and there was a message on his answering message from Joe McIlvaine, Padre executive vice president/general manager. He asked Rettenmund if he was interested in the job, and, if so, ask the Athletics for permission to leave, and contact Manager Greg Riddoch.

Rettenmund received permission, took a flight Sunday to Denver to meet with Riddoch, arrived back in San Diego on Monday, and was offered the job on Tuesday.

And moments after he accepted, Maloof was receiving a call at his Chandler, Ariz., home, telling him that his services no longer are needed. Maloof, the 29th member of the Padre front-office or coaching staff who has been fired since Sept. 21, was told that he can remain in the organization in 1991, but he would be assigned as hitting coach of their double-A Wichita team. Maloof said that he will remain with the Padres only as a last resort, and is seeking employment elsewhere.

The Padres batted .254 and scored 325 runs after the All-Star break when Maloof was hired, a dropoff from the first half when the Padres batted .262 and scored 348 runs under batting coach Amos Otis.

“It was a very hard situation to work in,” Maloof said, “and I knew that all along. I was given an opportunity, as short-lived as it was, but I sure would have liked to have a full season to show what I could do.

“I would have at least liked to have interviewed for the job with Joe McIlvaine, but I never got the opportunity. I was told the job was mine unless they found someone who they thought was more qualified, and more capable.

“I guess when you have a chance to get someone from the Oakland A’s organization, and have some immediate credibility, you go do it. You can’t blame them for that.

“I just wish I had a chance, that’s all.”