Pat Murphy Named San Diego Padres Interim Manager

OUR TOP STORY ON MIDDAY ADDITION, THE PADRES STRUGGLES THIS SEASON HAVE THAT'S A LOT OF PRESEASON HOST FOR FANS. YESTERDAY, THE TEAMS UNIMPRESSIVE RECORD CLAIMED ANOTHER VICTIM, LONGTIME MANAGER BUT BLACK. FIRING THE COACHES BEING CALL RISKY BUT NECESSARY. OTHER SAFE LET TAKING A FALL FOR A TEAM THAT CONTINUES TO PLAY MEDIOCRE BASEBALL. 20 ME TO DISCUSS THE FIRING OF BUT BLACK AND THE NAMING OF PAT MURPHY AS INTERIM MANAGER IS LEE HAMILTON. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW ARE YOU? NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN. THIS IS THE LAST YEAR OF BUT LACKS CONTRACT, WHY NOT JUST WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE SEASON? I DON'T KNOW IF I WAS A ORGANIZATION PUSH THE PANIC. I THINK THEY HAVE OVERREACTED. THAT BEING SAID, WERE THEY MAKING ANY PROGRESS? NO. THERE IS STILL A LOT OF BASEBALL TO BE PLAY. THEY ARE NOT OUT OF THIS BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION. THEY FELT, I BELIEVE, THAT THEY HAD TO CHANGE THE CULTURE IN THE CLUBHOUSE AND THAT THEY NEEDED A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LEADER. BUT BLACK WAS AN INTELLECTUAL, HE WAS CLASS, MAYBE THE CLASSIEST PERSON I KNOW THAT HAS REPRESENTED THAT ORGANIZATION IN A LONG TIME. HE HAD A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THINGS. I THINK -- AND THIS IS A VERY UNFAVORABLE TERM, I THINK HE HAS A BUNCH OF DIVAS IN THAT CLUBHOUSE WHO ARE USED TO DOING IT THEIR WAY. MAYBE HE JUST HAD TROUBLE LINKING WITH THEM THEREFORE, THEY ARE GOING TO BRING A DIFFERENT GUY IN. THIS IS PAT MURPHY. HE IS A LONGTIME COACH WITH GREAT SUCCESS AND HAS DONE VERY WELL IN THE MINOR LEAGUES. PAT MURPHY IS A STRONG PERSONALITY. HE IS FIVE, HE IS A BIT OF A YELLER, BLACK IS A VERY INTELLECTUAL TYPE OF GUY. IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO HEAR THE CHANGE. THE SEASON IS NOT OVER. THERE IS A LOT OF BASEBALL TO BE PLAY. LAYERS HAVE TO PRODUCE. TO ME, THIS IS MORE ON THE PLAYERS THEM BUT BLACK. THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO ASK YOU, THE PADRES ARE 32, THE PADRES ARE 3244 THIS SEASON. WHAT STANDS OUT ABOUT WHAT IS GOING WRONG? INJURIES 41, THEY HAVE -- FOR ONE. THREE OF THE TOP FOUR STARS HAVE HAS SUBSTANDARD SEASONS. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME PICTURES THAT WE SAW DOMINATE BASEBALL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. ON TOP OF THAT, MATT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE SAME PLAYER HE WAS. HE IS PLAYING EVERY DAY. HE GRINDS. I THINK HE WORKS REALLY HARD, BUT HE IS NOT HITTING AT ALL. HIS SALARY IS 21 1/2 MILLION DOLLARS. MAYBE HE WILL RALLY AND GET BACK TO THE NUMBERS THAT HE USED TO HAVE. THE CENTERFIELD WHO THE A IT IS FOR, A BIG DEAL FROM TAMPA, IS NOW LIKELY GONE FOR A EXTENDED PERIODS. WHICH BEGS THE QUESTION, DID THE GENERAL MANAGER GET DAMAGED GOODS IN THAT DEAL TO GET TO HIM? THE SECOND BASEMAN WHO THEY PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO IS IN EL PASO. HE CANNOT HIT. HE LOST HIS CONFIDENCE ALL OF THE SUDDEN. THERE ARE A LOT OF FACTORS AS TO WHY THAT RECORD IS WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW. MAYBE THEY FEEL, THERE ARE A LOT OF BASEBALL TO BE PLAY, THAT PAT MURPHY CAN RATHER THESE GUYS. IT HAS TO COME FROM THE PLAYERS. LEE, WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS THAT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE ANY OF THIS IS THAT BLACKS FALL. I DON'T THINK IT REALLY IS. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENS TO MANAGERS. HE HAS HAD A GOOD RUN HERE. HE WILL FIND ANOTHER JOB REALLY QUICKLY. HE HAS GREAT CREDENTIALS. I THINK HE WILL BE MANAGING SOMEWHERE OPENING-DAY NEXT SEASON. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS ON THE PLAYERS WHO HAVE TO PRODUCE. IT IS NOT AN EASY GAME. IF YOU LOOK BACK AT BUT BLACK SWAN, A+ SEASONS, LOOK AT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT HE WORKED IN. HE WORKED UNDER THREE OWNERS AND FOR DIFFERENT GENERAL MANAGERS. THEY HAD 12 PITCHING SURGERIES AND A 17 MONTH SPAN AND NOT ONE OF THOSE PICTURES HAS COME BACK. THEY HAD LOW BUDGETS, BAD BUDGETS, AND THE ORGANIZATION FAILED IN THE DRAFT SINCE 1993 THERE HAS ONLY BEEN ONE FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK WHO HAS BECOME A STAR. YOU TAKE ALL THIS STUFF AND DID YOU TELL BUD BLACKS , THOUGH AND WHEN. I DO NOT THINK HE IS TO BE BLAMED FOR THIS. I WAS TERRIBLY OFFENDED IN THE DUGOUT YESTERDAY AND A NUMBER OF OTHER MEDIA GUYS THAT I WAS WITH WERE ALSO. THERE WERE ANDRE PEOPLE IN THAT DUGOUT THAT WERE LAUGHING AND JOKING. YOU JUST FIRED A REALLY GOOD PERSON AND ACTING AS IF IT IS NO BIG THING. BY THE WAY, LET ME LAUGH AND JOKE ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE SCOREBOARD. I WAS REALLY BOTHER. I AM SPEAKING WITH LEE HAMILTON. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE FIRING OF SAN DIEGO MANAGER BUD BLACKS . AS I MENTIONED IN THE OPENING, THERE WAS A LOT OF OPTIMISM HEADING INTO THIS SEASON. THAT WAS PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE $109 MILLION ROSTER. IS THAT RIGHT? THEY MAY SO MANY DEALS TO GET SIGNIFICANT PLAYERS. YOU SAY WOW, LOOK AT WHAT THESE GUYS HAVE PROVEN. THE CATCHER, DEREK MORRIS, A SLUGGER THAT JUST CAME FROM OAKLAND. JAMES SHIELDS IS A WORLD SERIES PITCHER. ON PAPER, WILL WE WENT TO THE CACTUS LEAGUE IN FEBRUARY, MAUREEN, WE SET LOOK AT THIS ROSTER. THE GAME IS PLAYED ON THE FIELD AND NOT ON PAPER. YOU CAN INJURIES AND GUYS WERE NOT PRODUCING LIKE THEY PRODUCE IN THE PAST. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE PITCHING STAFF, THEY SHOWED UP AND THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE THE SAME PICTURES. THEY REALLY STRUGGLED AND TO A DEGREE THAT LET BUD BLACKS DOWN. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS ON THE CHECKLIST AS TO WHY THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE. THEY COULD GET HEALTHY. THEY COULD GET HOT, YOU NEVER KNOW. IN READING ABOUT THIS FIRING, READING ABOUT WHAT OTHER SPORTS WRITERS HAVE SAID, SOME SEEM TO BE SAYING THAT BUD BLACKS REALLY SORT OF WEEKS THE WORLD WHEN FOR THE HEARTBREAK SEASONS OF 2007 AND 2010. WHERE THE PADRES GOT SO CLOSE, AND YET THEY CHOKED BOTH OF THOSE SEASONS. YOU LOOK AT THAT AND YOU LOOK AT THIS SEASON, THIS YEAR AND THAT IS WHAT HAS LED TO THE DECISION TO FIRE HIM. I THINK IN 2010 HE TOOK A BUNCH OF YOUNG PLAYERS. IT WAS REALLY A PATCHWORK ROSTER, THEY WERE IN FIRST PLACE. A WERE IN FIRST PLACE UNTIL THE FINAL DAY OF THE SEASON WHEN THEY LOST IN SAN FRANCISCO. THE OTHER REALITY IS, FROM THAT POINT ON, THEY HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. ALL THESE PICTURES BREAKING DOWN WITH INJURIES, TRADING THE PLAYERS, CONTRACT ISSUES, GUYS OWNERSHIP COULD NOT KEEP. BUD WAS STANDING THERE ON A YEAR-TO-YEAR BASIS WITH A DIFFERENT CAST OF CALENDARS -- CHARACTERS AND A DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHY. THEY CHANGING EVERYTHING AROUND HIM AND THERE WAS NO CONTINUITY PER SE ABOVE HIM UPSTAIRS. HE IS GOING TO DO FINE. HE IS A QUALITY PERSON. HE WILL BE HIRED IMMEDIATELY, AS SOON AS THE SEASON ENDS. WE WILL SEE WHERE THE PADRES GO. I SAID, WHEN THEY CAME OUT OF THE CACTUS LEAGUE, THIS IS A BRISK VERSUS REWARD. I AM NOT GOING TO SAY THAT AJ IS A ROLE, BUT I AM GOING TO SAY HE IS VERY DIFFERENT, THEY GAVE HIM A BLANK CHECK AND HE DID A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. HE HAS TAKEN ON A LOT OF SALARIES AND IF THIS DOES NOT WORK, -- NOW YOU HAVE A REAL PROBLEM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOTS OF NAMES AND LOTS OF CONTRACTS AND THEY ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DEAL THESE CONTRACTS. YOU HAVE A WALK FREE AGENT ON OCTOBER 1. HE CAN GO AND TEST THE MARKET AND IT WILL NOT BE CHEAP TO RETAIN HIM. ALTHOUGH, MAYBE THEY WILL RETAIN HIM. THE TANGIBLE THING IS THAT AJ TRADED HAVE THE FARM SYSTEM AWAY TO MAKE ALL THE SIGNIFICANT DEALS. THERE IS A RISK REWARD FACTOR HERE EMBALMING THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS. WHAT IS A SHAKEUP LIKE THIS, AT THE TOP, IN MIDSEASON, DO TO THE PLAYERS? GRAY QUESTION. WE POSE THAT QUESTION TO A COUPLE THAT ARE IN PLAYERS. THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN AROUND THE BLOCK. DON MATTINGLY, THEIR MANAGER, I THOUGHT DID A TREMENDOUS JOB MANAGING THE CRISIS SITUATION THEY HAD IN LA. JAMES SHIELDS TOLD ME THAT HE HAD NEVER BEEN IN A CLUB IN WHICH A MANAGER HAD BEEN FIRED, BUT HE SAYS IT WAS A WEIRD FEELING IN THE CLUBHOUSE YESTERDAY. I WILL GUARANTEE YOU, WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THAT CLUBHOUSE, AT 11:30 AM THIS MORNING, I GUARANTEE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CLUBHOUSE IS NOW GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. BE PRASANNA IN THAT CLUBHOUSE IS GOING TO BE DIFFERENT. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO BETTER START PRODUCING. I WANT TO ACTION MORE ABOUT PAT MURPHY, I JUST WANT TO READ YOU THIS LINE FROM SPORTSWRITERS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, HE SAID, TO WHATEVER SMALL DEGREE A MANAGER CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON HIS TEAM'S PERFORMANCE, THE PADRES JUST GOT THAT MUCH WORSE. MY OPINION IS, OVER THIS LONG RUN WITH BUD BLACKS, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY ISSUES WITH BUYERS, SALES, OWNERSHIPS, LOW-BUDGET, THE ONE THING IS HE NEVER LOST THOSE PLAYERS. HE COULD BE FIERY. I HAVE HAD PLAYERS COME TO ME TO YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WERE JUST GOING THROUGH A MISERABLE TIME AND TELL ME THAT BUD BLACKS CLOSE THE DOORS. AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES THAT HE SCREAMED AND YELLED. HE SAID NOBODY IS GOING TO FEEL SORRY FOR YOU. IF WE ARE GOING TO FIX THIS, IT IS GOING TO COME FROM THIS ROSTER. YOU HAD BETTER DO YOUR JOB. THERE WAS AN EDGINESS THAT WE DIDN'T REALLY SEE UNLESS YOU WERE ON THE INNER CIRCLE. ONE OF THE OTHER NATIONAL WRITERS WROTE OVERNIGHT, HE WAS MAKING REFERENCE TO THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER, AJ PROEHL ARE EQUALS GENIUS OR INSANITY. WE SHALL SEE. HE HAS POURED A LOT OF MONEY. TRADED A LOT OF PLAYERS AWAY AND NOW HE HAS GOTTEN RID OF THE MANAGER. HE HAS GOT HIS GUY TRYING TO FIX THIS THING. YOU TALK TO US ABOUT PAT MURPHY, NAME TODAY, THE NEW INTERIM MANAGER OF THE PADRES, THAT HE IS A MORE VOLATILE MANAGER TYPE. HE COMES UP FROM THE MINOR LEAGUES OF THE PADRES. SO, DO YOU THINK -- I GUESS IT IS HARD TO TELL, BUT THAT TYPE OF VOLATILITY AND MORE IN-YOUR-FACE MANAGEMENT STYLE, THAT IS WHAT THE TOP MANAGEMENT WAS LOOKING FOR AT THIS POINT? THAT IS MY PERCEPTION. THEY FELT WHATEVER THE SALES PITCH WAS, IT REALLY WASN'T WORKING, SO WE WILL TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT. NORMALLY, AND THE WORLD OF SPORTS THAT I HAVE LIVED IN MY WHOLE LIFE, THAT IS THE THING YOU, IF YOU HAVE A GUY WHO HAS A A PERSONALITY THAT IS NOT WORKING, YOU GO TO THE NEXT HIGHER TO BE A B PERSONALITY, A DIFFERENT GUY TO DELIVER A MESSAGE. SOME OF THESE VETERAN PLAYERS, MAYBE THAT WORKS. MAYBE THEY CAN TAKE WHATEVER HE IS GOING TO BE DIRECTING PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY FROM THE NEW INTERIM MANAGER. THE YOUNGER PLAYERS, THERE HAS ARE PROBABLY SPINNING. THEY ARE JUST GLAD TO BE IN THE SHOW AND HOPE THEY DON'T GET OVERWHELMED. IT WILL BE VERY INTERESTING. SOME OF THESE VETERAN PLAYERS KNOW WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. NOW, THEY WILL REACT. THEY STILL HAVE TO PRODUCE REGARDLESS OF WHAT PAT MURPHY SAYS. IF MURPHY HAS THE ABILITY TO TURN THIS AROUND AND THE PADRES START TO WIN, DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO BE NAME MANAGER? IT IS INTERESTING, I HAVE BEEN ON FOR TALK SHOWS THIS MORNING NATIONWIDE. THE QUESTION WAS POSED BY VIRTUALLY EVERYONE FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES. I THINK IT PAT MURPHY GIVES THIS THING INTO POSTSEASON, IT WILL BE HIS JOB A YEAR FROM NOW. IF THEY CONTINUE TO STAGGER THAN A PRO WILL MAKE AN EVALUATION. THERE ARE MANY MANAGERS OUT THERE WITH DIFFERENT LAYERS OF PERSONALITY AND EXPERIENCE. RON GARDENHIRE, A VERY FIERY MANAGER, HAD A LONG RUN WITH THE MINNESOTA PLANS THAT KIND OF FELL APART AT THE END, HE WANTS TO GET BACK. HE HAS ONLY BEEN OUT OF BASEBALL LESS THAN A YEAR. FORMER PADRE THIRD BASEMAN, BILL NEVIN, HAS DONE A GOOD JOB CLIMBING THE LADDER, HE COULD BE A CANDIDATE IF MURPHY DOES NOT WORK OUT. A LOT OF THIS INDUSTRY IS ALL ON RELATIONSHIPS AND NETWORKING. ONE OF THE GUYS THAT A PROBLEM WAS WITH IN TEXAS WAS RON WASHINGTON. GOT HIM INTO POSTSEASON PLAY, HE GOT BOUNCED OUT A YEAR AGO. HE RESIGNED. THEY HAD A LOT OF RISK -- RESPECT. IF MURPHY DOES NOT WORK OUT, I THINK THEY WILL LOOK AT WASHINGTON AND THEY WILL LOOK AT SOME OTHER PEOPLE. IT HAS TO BE SOMEONE THAT AJ PROBABLY PHILOSOPHICALLY IS ON THE SAME PAGE WITH. HOW DO YOU APPROACH HER PLAYERS? HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO PRODUCE? THINKING OF PADRES FANS, THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH. THEY HAVE SUCH A BILL OF GOODS SOLD TO THEM. NOW HERE WE SIT WITH THE MANAGEMENT IN DISARRAY. WHAT DO WE DO NOW? DO WE HOPE FOR THE BEST? TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS OVER THE NEXT 90 GAMES. MURPHY HAS GREAT CREDENTIALS. GRAY SUCCESS AT NOTRE DAME AND FIVE YEARS OF SUCCESS IN THE MINOR LEAGUE. MANAGING THE MINOR LEAGUES IS A TOUGH LIFE. YOU HAVE A REVOLVING DOOR ROSTER. YOU HAVE GUYS THEY ARE TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOW. GUYS SENT DOWN FROM THE SHOW WHO ARE REALLY UPSET. YOU HAVE INJURIES, YOU HAVE HAD CASES, YOU HAVE REHAB CASES, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT CULTURE OF PLAYERS. MANAGING AAA'S IS A VERY TOUGH JOB. MURPHY HAS NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON. IF THEY CAN GET HEALTHY AND HOT THAT IT IS HIS JOB NEXT YEAR. I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH LEE HAMILTON, NOW SPORTS ANALYST WITH SAN DIEGO SIX. THANK YOU A LOT. MY PLEASURE.