Riddoch Sees His Tenure Near an End : Padres: McIlvaine says a decision has been made on manager’s fate. Those close to Riddoch say he believes he will be fired.

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch, according to sources close to him, believes he will be fired within the next two weeks.

“There’s no doubt in his mind he’s gone,” said a Riddoch confidant after the Padres’ 4-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. “He felt pretty good about things a couple of months ago, but he sees the writing on the wall.

“It’s over.”

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, confirmed that a decision has been made regarding Riddoch’s status, but is not yet prepared to make his decree public.

“When the time’s right, I’ll make the announcement,” McIlvaine said.

Could the announcement be made after the Padres return home Sunday from Cincinnati?

“It’ll be made before the end of the year,” McIlvaine said. “That’s all I can say.”

Riddoch, whose $225,000 contract expires at season’s end, says he has not been provided the slightest hint that McIlvaine will retain him. If anything, all indications are that he will be fired.

“I don’t want to say anything about it,” Riddoch said, “but it’s an empty feeling right now. I’ve done everything I could do. I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Jim Riggleman, the Padres’ triple-A Las Vegas manager the past two seasons, continues to be the leading candidate to replace Riddoch. He is highly regarded in baseball circles, and McIlvaine repeatedly has said he would be a major league manager.

“Jim’s a very good baseball man,” McIlvaine said, “and everyone’s aware of that fact. I have the utmost respect for him.”

Riggleman has drawn considerable interest from the Florida Marlins organization. The Marlins, say sources in the organization, are hoping to receive permission from the Padres to interview Riggleman for their vacant managerial job. The Marlins already have interviewed Tony Muser and Chris Chambliss.

Will McIlvaine grant permission to the Marlins or keep Riggleman for himself?

“I don’t want to say right now,” McIlvaine said. “Let’s wait a couple of weeks.”

The fact that McIlvaine has not already granted permission to the Marlins reinforces the suspicion that Riggleman will become the next Padre manager. Riggleman was granted permission by McIlvaine a year ago to interview for the Seattle managerial job, which eventually went to Bill Plummer.

“I know Joe thinks very highly of Riggleman,” a Padre executive said, “and I think everybody by now knows what he thinks of Greg. I’d be surprised if he’s not the man, but who knows?”

McIlvaine not only denied but laughed at one report that said he was in New York this past week to interview Mets third base coach Mike Cubbage. McIlvaine was in New York for a meeting of the baseball operations committee and happened to attend the Mets’ game later that night.

“I couldn’t help but laugh about that one,” McIlvaine said. “You talk about wild speculation. Does that mean every time I go to a game and talk with a general manager, I’m going to hire someone?

“Come on, I didn’t even talk to Mike Cubbage or talk to anyone about Mike Cubbage.”

The Mets have not been asked by any team for permission to interview Cubbage, General Manager Al Harazin said. Cubbage was bypassed by the Mets last season when they hired Jeff Torborg.

Whoever is hired as the Padre manager for the 1993 season, McIlvaine said, he probably will receive only a one-year contract.

“It’s not rigid, but that’s what I prefer,” McIlvaine said. “Ideally, you’d like your players to be on one-year contracts, too, so you get to show your worth.”

McIlvaine is in the second year of a five-year contract worth about $2.5 million, but McIlvaine divulged Friday that it is guaranteed only until the 1993 All-Star break. The Padre ownership then has the option of guaranteeing the remainder of the contract.

Does that influence McIlvaine’s decision regarding Riddoch?

“No, not at all,” McIlvaine said. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for the organization, not what’s best for Joe. I’m not worrying about myself.”

Riddoch, who is 199-191 in his 2 1/2-year tenure as Padre manager, has been widely criticized by many veterans this year. Several have said they don’t want to return to the Padres if Riddoch is retained.

Most damaging to Riddoch’s fate, the Padres (77-69) have floundered in the pennant stretch. Despite playing against teams who have been experimenting with minor leaguers, the Padres have lost seven of their last 10, and 17 of their last 30.

“We’re in a real funk right now,” said Padre starter Bruce Hurst (14-9), who yielded six hits and three runs in six innings. “We’re going through the walk-throughs. We’ve got so much garbage hanging around the team right now, and guys are sitting on their suitcases.

“We can be professionals and finish strong, or we can phone in the results.”

The Padres, who are three games behind the Reds for second place and 11 behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves, might already have made that choice.

“We’re just playing bad baseball,” Padre first baseman Fred McGriff said. “The teams we have to beat, we’re not beating. The Reds have given us a tough time all year, and the Dodgers can’t beat anybody but us.

“To be honest, it’s real hard to get up for games right now.”

Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average Gary Sheffield, Padres: .333 Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh: .330 John Kruk, Philadelphia: .323 *

Home Runs Fred McGriff, Padres: 34 Gary Sheffield, Padres: 32 Barry Bonds, Pittsburgh: 30 *

Runs Batted In Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 101 Gary Sheffield, Padres: 96 Terry Pendleton, Atlanta: 96 Fred McGriff, Padres: 95