PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Triple-A Coaches Matlack, Torchia Won’t Be Moving to San Diego

The Padres have decided to fire pitching coach Jon Matlack and hitting coach Tony Torchia at triple-A Las Vegas, according to sources, ending speculation that they’ll join Manager Jim Riggleman on the major league staff.

The decisions were made last week in meetings, and the Padres are expected to soon announce the firings. Matlack, a highly-regarded pitching coach, and Torchia, a veteran third base coach, spent the past two seasons with Riggleman at Las Vegas. The Padres are attempting to help Matlack find another job, perhaps as the pitching coach with the Texas Rangers. It remains unknown who will be on the Padre coaching staff next season, although hitting coach Merv Rettenmund and first-base coach Rob Picciolo are certain to remain. Rettenmund is considered one of the finest hitting coaches in baseball, and Picciolo has drawn rave reviews from the Padres for his instruction.

Pitching coach Mike Roarke also is a virtual lock to remain on the staff. Roarke and Riggleman were coaches together in the St. Louis Cardinal organization.

The Padres will wait until the end of the season before dismissing any coaches, but bench coach Jim Snyder and third base coach Bruce Kimm, who came in with former Manager Greg Riddoch, are expected to be fired.

Bruce Bochy, the Padres’ double-A Wichita manager, is under strong consideration to be the third base coach or bench coach. He likely would opt to join the big-league staff rather than manager at triple-A Las Vegas. Bochy, who many in baseball circles consider to be a future big-league manger, has won three championships in the Padre organization.

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Riggleman just concluded his first week as a big-league manager, but according to veteran manager Sparky Anderson of the Detroit Tigers, Riggleman will emerge as one of the finest managers in the game.

“Boy, have they got themselves a good one,” Anderson said. “This is another (Tony) LaRussa or (Tom) Kelly.”

Anderson long ago was apprised of Riggleman’s talents and said he would have hired Riggleman years ago if he had ever been promoted to a general manager’s position.

He first became aware of Riggleman while talking to George Kissell, St. Louis Cardinal field coordinator/player development. It was just a matter of time, he said, when Riggleman would emerge in the big leagues.

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The Padres, perhaps preparing for the departure of All-Star shortstop Tony Fernandez, are contemplating playing second baseman Kurt Stillwell at shortstop during one of the doubleheader games Friday in Atlanta.

Stillwell, who played shortstop almost exclusively with the Kansas City Royals the previous four years, has played second all season for the Padres. If Fernandez is traded this winter, possibly to the Houston Astros, Stillwell could return to the shortstop position.

“We’re just going to have to see what happens,” Riggleman said. “Somebody’s going to have to play that second game in the doubleheader, so it might as well be Kurt.”