PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Decisions, Decisions: Snyder Is Glad to Leave Them Up to Riddoch

SAN DIEGO —  It had been nearly four years since Jim Snyder sat behind the manager’s desk and been interrogated by reporters second-guessing his decisions.

How he forget all of the fun he was missing.

There are aspects of being a major-league manager that Snyder sorely misses. At like Friday, after the Padres’ 3-2 defeat to the Atlanta Braves, he realizes it’s more fun being a bench coach.

Snyder, who was the interim manager for two games while Padre Manager Greg Riddoch was in Greeley, Colo., attending his son’s high school graduation, will gladly hand over the reins when Riddoch returns today.

“It’s been interesting, to say the least,” Snyder said, “but that’s enough. I’ll go back to being a bench coach and helping out Greg. I’ll keep making the suggestions, but he can make the decisions.

“Having managed before, I knew what to expect, but it’s still awfully hard when you lose. You live and die these games.”

Starter Greg Harris, who was forced to miss Saturday’s start because of recurring back spasms, pitched pain-free on the side before the game Saturday and is expected to start Tuesday against the Houston Astros.

“The way he feels now,” said Mike Roarke, Padre pitching coach, “there should be no problems. We just have to make sure the back doesn’t stiffen up.”

The ex-Padre Player of the Week award goes to unheralded pitcher Jimmy Jones of the Houston Astros.

Jones was the throw-in player in the deal that sent Lance McCullers and Stanley Jefferson to the New York Yankees in 1988 for Jack Clark and Pat Clements.

Jones, who opened the season on the disabled list, is 3-0 this season, with back-to-back victories since Saturday.

The most amazing aspect of Jones’ success is that two of his three victories this season are on the road. Jones won only two games all of last season on the road, going 2-5 with a 7.62 ERA in 10 starts; and was 4-3 with a 3.08 ERA at home.

Rick Monday and Don Sutton, who were teammates with the Dodgers and played on two World Series championship teams together, will be able to watch their bloodlines continue.

Catcher Michael Sutton and pitcher Darrin Sutton, sons of the famous fathers, have signed contracts with the Angels and will be teammates in Mesa, Ariz., for their rookie league team.

“It’s hard for us to believe that these same rug rats who used to go around the locker room with us,” said Monday, the Padres’ announcer, “will be teammates together. Those kids were always hanging out together. I remember the time I had to discipline Mike because he put Tabasco sauce in the clubhouse peanut butter.

“Now Don and I will be going to games and yelling at the umpires together, probably getting ejected together.”

Padre first baseman Fred McGriff and his wife Veronica are expecting their second child, due in November.

It was difficult to determine who was more excited Saturday upon entering the clubhouse, Padre starter Bruce Hurst or first-base coach Rob Picciolo.

Hurst still was jubilant over his buddy Danny Ainge’s performance in Portland’s overtime victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of the playoffs.

Picciolo was ecstatic over the College World Series championship by Pepperdine, his alma mater.

Will Picciolo now provide a sizable contribution to the alumni fund?

“I do every year,” Picciolo said, “but if we win the world championship, it will be more sizable.”

Around the basepaths: The Cincinnati Reds, who survived injuries to Jose Rijo, Barry Larkin, Hal Morris and Chris Sabo, now believe they’re capable of running away with the National League West. “I’ve felt confident for a long time,” Red Manager Lou Piniella said. “It was just a question of patience. Sooner or later, the talent level would come forward, and it’s starting to.” Indeed, after having nine players on the disabled list this season, with no homers from Morris and only two victories from Rijo, the Reds make the rest of the division wonder what will happen now that they’re healthy. . . . Atlanta first baseman Nick Esasky, who has played only nine games since signing a three-year, $5.6-million free-agent contract, started an assignment this week in triple-A Richmond.