Tony Gwynn said "it feels funny." John Moores said he "was a little out of sorts." Kevin Towers talked about "separation anxiety."

The Padres' old guard spent Friday coming to grips with the loss of one of their own. After 24 seasons, Bruce Bochy no longer is a Padre. He is now manager of the San Francisco Giants, a division rival.

So the Padres have work to do. Towers, for the first time in his 11 years as the team's general manager, must hire a manager. As odd as it feels to make a decision without the consult of his old friend, he faces as important a decision as he ever has made.

"Whatever we decide, there's going to be no rock that's left unturned," Towers promised. "We will do everything we can to make sure we get the right guy."

First, though, comes the post-breakup blues. Towers, given about a 48-hour heads up by Bochy about which way he was leaning, said he would wait until Monday to call other teams to ask about permission to interview their employees. Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Bud Black will be high on that list of requests.

In the meantime, the Padres gathered their troops, prepared for the work at hand and wished Bochy a bon voyage.

"Bochy's a friend," said Moores, the team's owner who chose not to intervene as Bochy and team CEO Sandy Alderson drifted apart, "but we were prepared for this. I like him a lot, but I hope he loses every game when he plays the Padres the next three years."

Said Gwynn, still the face of the franchise five years after his retirement: "Bochy is a big part of Padres history, no question about that. Looking at it realistically, I don't think he felt like he was going to be here past next year so he had to explore other avenues. You can't blame him."

As the Padres asked themselves, "What next?", Bochy was in San Francisco for a meet and greet with the Bay Area media. He accepted a three-year contract worth at least $6 million on Thursday night, then spoke glowingly of his new locale in the press conference at AT&T Park.

"Oh, what a great day," he told reporters. "I look forward to this challenge. I think this is a situation that is just going to get better. … I've been managing in this division for 12 years. I know it."

The Padres, too, believe their situation is just going to be better, even with Bochy's departure. The team won 88 games in 2006 and repeated as National League West champions, a franchise first. This winter, it will shed about $30 million from the payroll that can go toward new talent acquisition.

Towers has plenty of decisions ahead, but foremost is who will manage that talent. He said he and the rest of the front office have put together a list of seven to eight serious candidates. From that list, Towers expects to interview a maximum of five potential managers. None on the list, he said, has previous big-league managing experience, which ends speculation on the likes of Dusty Baker, Joe Girardi or Del Mar resident Alan Trammell.

Gwynn, the head coach at San Diego State, wasn't on the list, either. Nor does he want the job.

"Oh, heck no," Gwynn said. "I'll say that publicly. Not right now. I'm still trying to get a grip on the college game. At some point, I'm going to get in there and work for the organization again on a full-time basis, just not right now."

Towers provided a list of qualifications he is seeking. Among them are big-league coaching experience, exposure to a winning environment, an open-minded attitude about new information in the game, a commitment to young talent, ability to work with the media and fans, and good character.

"We're looking for somebody who is a winner and that we think can grow with this organization," Towers said. "Hopefully, he can take the baton from Bruce and end up winning division championships right off the bat. … We want to choose the right guy here. Literally, these are big shoes to fill here. I think, ultimately, what the fans want is a winning organization and someone who can win year in and year out and represent the organization like Boch did."

Among those who will merit consideration, multiple sources said, are former Mariners bench coach Ron Hassey; Athletics third-base coach Ron Washington; Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, the runner-up to Bochy for the San Francisco top job; and Trey Hillman, a successful manager in Japan. Foremost among the candidates, however, is Black.

With World Series rings as a player and pitching coach, he has the winning background. Everyone on Mike Scioscia's coaching staff is rated highly, and Black has been a managerial candidate several times, turning down a few previous opportunities. As a San Diego State alumnus and Rancho Santa Fe resident, he knows the San Diego market.

The biggest strike against Black: He has not been a manager at any level.

"Personally, I think he's ready to handle it," Gwynn said of his one-time college teammate. "He'd be a good fit."

Contact staff writer Shaun O'Neill at (760) 740-3546 or soneill@nctimes.com.