Myers Blames Riddoch for Padres’ Skid : Baseball: Stopper says the manager shouldn’t have given up on season when he did.

Although this has been the finest season of Padre bullpen stopper Randy Myers’ career--saving his 36th game Tuesday in the Padres’ 2-1 victory--he says Manager Greg Riddoch’s attitude made it one of worst ordeals of his career.

“It’s tough for a lot of the ballplayers to give 110%,” Myers said, “when the manager has come out and already conceded the year. I don’t know how anyone can have that attitude. It’s a loser’s attitude.

“Maybe the reason (Padre general manager) Joe (McIlvaine) was waiting to the end of the year to make a decision on Greg was to see if Riddoch would give up.

“Maybe this proves Joe’s point.”

Riddoch said during the Cincinnati Reds’ three-game sweep of the Padres last weekend that it’s difficult for a team to be motivated the final two weeks of the season when they’re out of the division race. He benched All-Star catcher Benito Santiago, and has decided to play rookie Dan Walters and Tom Lampkin.

The Padres were 11 games behind the division-leading Braves when Riddoch made his comments. Yet, because the Padres had not been mathematically eliminated, and have seven games left with Atlanta, Myers was incensed by the early concession.

“There’s something called pride,” said Myers, who’s eligible for free agency in October. “With that attitude, I really hope he gets a two-year extension. That way if I go to another National League team, I don’t have to worry about the Padres in September.”

Riddoch, who says he’s being realistic, not defeatist, is expected to soon be fired by McIlvaine. Padre chairman Tom Werner, in fact, interviewed Jim Riggleman on Tuesday for the managerial job.

“I’m tired of Riddoch’s whining that his contract expires at the end of the season,” Myers said. “I don’t have one for next year. A lot of guys in here don’t. You see us whining?

“Most people give their best, and whatever happens, happens. But this guy can’t see that. He talks about distractions, there are no distractions. We’re paid to play a whole year, and he’s paid to manage a whole year. You don’t see anyone in here quitting with two weeks to go.

“Look around. You see Tony Gwynn busting his butt trying to come out here and play on his bad knee. You see Fred (McGriff), Tony (Fernandez) and (Gary) Sheffield playing every day. No one’s quitting in this clubhouse.

“What about our season-ticket holders? Does anyone care about our fans? Are we going to refund money to our season-ticket holders?

“For any manager to say you can’t win a championship before you’re mathematically eliminated, makes you wonder what his thinking has been all year.”

Myers, whose 36 saves are the third-highest total by a Padre reliever in franchise history, said he is still upset that he was taken out of the closer’s role in June. The Padres were one game out of first place when he was removed June 2 from the closer’s role. They were 8 1/2 games back when he returned July 9.

“I would have liked to see how we would have done as a team if I hadn’t been benched,” Myers said. “He thought the bullpen by committee was the way to go, and look what happened.

“Believe me, wherever I go next year, I’ll go to a team where the philosophy is winning. Not just the players’ attitude, but the manager’s.

“And that just isn’t happening here.”