Padres Expected to Hire 1st Minority Executive : Baseball: Reggie Waller likely will be named team’s scouting director today.

The Padres, according to a highly-placed source, are hopeful today of hiring what is believed to their first black executive in franchise history.

Reggie Waller of the Seattle Mariners, according to the source, has been offered the vacant scouting director’s job. Waller has undergone two interviewing sessions with Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, and it likely will be determined today whether the Padres will meet his contract demands.

“I think everything will be determined (Wednesday), one way or the other,” Waller said. “We’re still trying to come up with a comfortable fit.”

McIlvaine was unavailable for comment.

If the Padres and Waller reach a financial agreement today, as expected, it will help alleviate the Padres’ dearth of minority executives.

The Padres currently have no minorities among their 17 executive positions in the front office, and according to one top official, never have had a black executive. However, they do have two women employed in executive positions--Lucy Freeman, director of administrative services; and Priscilla Oppenheimer, minor league administrator.

The Padres, in fact, not only are without any minorities on the major league coaching level, but also do not have any black or Latino managers in their minor-league organization. The highest-ranking minority-group member in their minor leagues, coincidentally, is Tye Waller, roving instructor, who is Reggie’s brother.

“Actually, this is the only place I’d leave my job for,” Reggie Waller said, “because it kind of represents a step down.”

Waller, 36, has been the assistant to Woody Woodward, vice president/baseball operations, for the past 14 months. Woodward steadfastly has refused Waller permission to talk with other teams, but yet because of the Mariners’ unsettledness, Woodward granted the Padres permission to interview Waller.

“This is home, it would be great to return here,” said Waller, a graduate of Hoover High School who has lived in San Diego since the age of 4. “They’ve treated me great in Seattle, but in the long run, you’ve got to do things for your family.

“I was a little surprised Woody Woodward gave permission since I’m in the second year of a three-year contract. But he said, ‘Reggie, it’s your home. If you want to do it, go ahead and go for it.’

“I just hope it all works out now.”

Waller would be replacing Randy Smith, who departed to become the assistant general manager of the Colorado Rockies expansion team.

The Padres, according to vice president Bill Adams, will add 456 seats at field-level for the 1992 season. The seats will be on the outfield side of the first- and third-base dugouts, perhaps the most preferable in the stadium. They will be offered to season ticket-holders, and the general public if any remain.

“The whole idea is just to get 456 seats closer to the playing field,” Adams said.

The idea arose two years ago, but at the time, they were designed to be VIP boxes for Padre official guests. The proposal was canceled by Jerry Kapstein, the acting chairman of the Padres. This time, Adams said, they will belong to the fans.

Bruce Bochy, who led the High Desert Mavericks to the California League championship this season, has been reassigned as manager of the Wichita Wranglers of the Double-A Texas League, the Padres announced. Bochy has managed in the Padres’ minor-league system for three seasons after a 14-year professional career.

Bryan Little, a major-league player with Montreal and the Chicago White Sox, will replace Bochy. Little led Waterloo of the Midwest League (A) to a 75-63 record.