Padres Replace Riddoch as Manager : Baseball: Riggleman is replacement. He vows to take a tougher stance with the San Diego players.

The phone rang in his apartment early Wednesday morning. Greg Riddoch looked at his wife, Linda, knowing only bad news could come at this hour.

It was Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager. He wanted Riddoch to meet him at his office. Riddoch long ago had predicted the rest.

Riddoch was fired Wednesday and replaced by Jim Riggleman, the Padres’ triple-A manager at Las Vegas the past two seasons.

Riggleman, 39, became the youngest manager in the National League. He began his major league managerial career Wednesday night against the Houston Astros, and received a contract through 1993 with an option for 1994.

“This was my first choice all along,” McIlvaine said. “I felt if I was ever going to make a change, Jim Riggleman would be my manager.”

It was a move that was anticipated two years ago. Everyone in the Padre organization knew that Riggleman was McIlvaine’s man when McIlvaine hired him for the Las Vegas job. Riddoch simply was an inheritance from the Jack McKeon regime.

“I gave him every chance to succeed,” McIlvaine said at an afternoon news conference. “There has been two years of analysis and watching, a culmination of studying. . . .

“I think on the last trip (when the Padres were swept in three games by the Cincinnati Reds), the team was so down and so out, I felt I’d rather do it now.”

Riddoch was well-respected by Padre Chairman Tom Werner, and he recommended to McIlvaine in August that Riddoch be provided a two-year contract extension.

Instead, McIlvaine informed ownership that he wanted to evaluate Riddoch during the remainder of the season. The Padres collapsed, losing 20 of 34 games, and Riddoch was constantly being ridiculed by his players.

Riddoch had braced himself weeks ago for the news.

“You just get that feeling when something’s about to happen,” Riddoch said.

Riddoch was composed after learning of his firing. He thanked McIlvaine for his years of service and then strolled through the entire front-office, saying goodby.

He went back to his apartment where he and Linda already had begun packing boxes days ago. They loaded the car and drove off on their way to Riddoch’s home in Greeley, Colo.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity I got,” Riddoch said, “but how could I be pleased with the way everything turned out? I just don’t think it was fair.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of, and really, I wonder what else could have been expected? They traded away our biggest winner (Craig Lefferts) on Aug. 31, and then he (McIlvaine) comes out in the papers and says he’s getting rid of everybody in the off-season. How fair is that?

“It just wasn’t a good situation.”

Riddoch, according to sources close to him, even offered to resign in early July when The Times reported he would not return for the 1993 season. He apparently told McIlvaine that there was no use staying if McIlvaine didn’t want him. McIlvaine refused the offer.

Riggleman, who spent nine years in the St. Louis Cardinal organization, including two as Whitey Herzog’s first base coach, said he would never tolerate the blatant disrespect from players Riddoch got.

“My experience in St. Louis is that these are men, these are professionals,” Riggleman said. “If you make good decisions and in the clubhouse, you will have respect.”

Said infielder Tim Teufel: “There was definitely something wrong, and the organization decided to fix it. I think he’ll bring a different attitude to this ballclub.”

Riddoch’s Record

A look at Greg Riddoch’s tenure as manager of the San Diego Padres.

Year W L Pct. Place 1990* 38 44 .463 T5 1991 84 78 .519 3 1992** 78 72 .520 3 Total 200 194 .508

* Replaced Jack McKeon on July 11, 1990

** Fired and replaced by Jim Riggleman on Sept. 23, 1992