Business

Cancer Claims Former Albuquerque Dukes G.M. McKernan
One of the unique characters of Minor League Baseball, part of a vanishing breed, McKernan put his stamp upon the game.

Brian M. Ross
Sr. Editor

Albuquerque - 07.10.01 - Former General Manager of the Pacific Coast League Albuquerque Dukes Patrick "Pat" McKernan passed away today after a long battle with cancer.

McKernan was the anchor of one of the most storied minor league franchises in baseball, which was the AAA crown jewel of the Los Angeles Dodgers' farm system for over a quarter century. McKernan was the team's General Manager throughout its afilliation with the Dodgers.

"He was a legend in his own time," opined PCL President Branch Rickey. "To many he came across as gruff, but he had a heart of gold."

McKernan was a tough businessman, negotiating ad space at the Sports Stadium and on the Dukes broadcasts at premiums not seen at many other minor league parks, and maintaining efficiencies in his food service operations.

At the same time, he was fiercely loyal to his employees. It was a family business, in which he involved his sons, and, over the years, the generations of several of the people working for the Dukes.

A big man in presence and stature, there was no way a visitor to the Sports Stadium could miss Pat. His office, with the famed glass door, opened to the concession area, making him a spectator sport for fans awaiting their ration of hot dogs.

His office became a wild hodge-podge of things. There was the baseball memorabilia from the legions of Dodger greats who passed through Albuquerque on their way to stardom. Lasorda, Piazza, Garvey, Cey, Lopes and many others found their place in Pat's private hall of fame.

There was the collection of Duke souvenirs, the fish tank, and the white plastic lawn furniture which served as seating for guests of his inner sanctum.

McKernan ran one of the best-attended parks from the 1960s through the 1980s. "We noticed a fall-off when the casinos started opening," McKernan told me some years back. "This isn't a wealthy community. There's just so much disposable income to go around."

To bring more of it to the Dukes, McKernan's team developed all kinds of marketing opportunities, several of which were extremely innovative for their time. Pat was the first GM to give one of the most famous minor league acts, Myron Noodleman, an opportunity to perform. Today he tours stadia throughout the country.

Ultimately, McKernan and the stadium that he managed became one. You could not talk about the Sports Stadium and not include Pat somehow in the same breath. In 1969, when the stadium opened, it was his strength. In 2000, when he was caught off-guard by the announcement that the Dukes' owner, Bob Lozinak, was selling the team to interests in Portland, the aging McKernan and the aging Sports Stadium both completed their term of service to the citizens of Albuquerque.

Friends and fans of the Dukes alike, stunned by the news that the "Duke City's" team was on its way to Portland were equally stunned by McKernan's revelation on a local radio show that the handshake agreement which Pat had with owner Bob Lozinak for a percentage of the team turned out to be false. Pat, who had assumed that he would benefit from his small percentage of ownership of the Dukes, did not see a dime from the proceeds of the sale.

McKernan retired to "Pat's Place" his small restaurant where friends dropped by to talk baseball and grab a bite. While he was not involved directly in the heat of the negotiations to bring a new AAA baseball team back to Albuquerque, his many years of experience, and his legions of friends in the industry made his sage counsel particularly valuable.

At the AAA All-Star game in Indianapolis, fans observed a moment of silence to mark the passing of one of the legends in the management of the sport.

McKernan is survived by his wife and children. Services will be held on Friday, July 13, 2001. Branch Rickey, President of the Pacific Coast League, and representatives from most of the AAA franchises in professional baseball, are expected to attend.

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