Padres’ Show Agrees to Four-Year Contract Prior to Arbitration

Some of baseball’s biggest stars--Dave Winfield, Mike Schmidt and Eddie Murray--have suffered the embarrassment of grossly substandard performances in recent World Series play.

So has Padre pitcher Eric Show, who can take comfort from the knowledge that failure in the playoffs and World Series need not result in long-term, harmful consequences.

Although Show has yet to demonstrate there is no damage to his well-developed psyche, his bank account has emerged in excellent condition.

On the verge of going to New York for an arbitration hearing, the San Diego right-hander Thursday agreed to terms on a four-year contract, thus eliminating the last arbitration candidate on the Padre payroll.

Show, who was reported to be seeking an annual salary of $700,000, agreed to a deal that could leave him feeling underpaid if he leaves behind his October malaise and develops into a 20-game winner, according to his agent, Steve Greenberg.

“Time may show we made a bad decision in signing this contract,” said Greenberg, who would not disclose the dollar amount of the deal. “I firmly believe Eric could go out and win 20 this year, in which case he would be in an elite group of pitchers.

“But we wanted the security of a multi-year deal. Eric is very happy to be with the Padres, and this eliminates any contractual squabbling, which he dislikes, for some time. The chance of Eric seeking to renegotiate is nil.”

Anticipating that the Padres might make reference in an arbitration hearing to Show’s embarrassing post-season, Greenberg assembled evidence of his client’s productivity over the past three years.

And Padre General Manager Jack McKeon, in a magnanimous mood, conceded that he was more impressed by Show’s consistency in the regular season than by his troubles in the playoffs and World Series.

The numbers illustrate a wild fluctuation in Show’s performance.

Consider that over the last three years, he ranks 12th among National League starters with 40 wins, and is fourth over the last two years with 30 victories, according to Greenberg.

Only Rick Sutcliffe (37 wins), Charlie Lea (31) and Joe Niekro (31) bettered Show’s win total of 30 in 1983 and 1984.

Show ranks seventh in winning percentage over the past three years with a .597 mark (40-27).

He has been accused of being too cerebral, to which Greenberg countered: “Maybe Yogi Berra was too dumb, but he hit .300 and was an All-Star catcher. If Eric is too smart, but wins 15 games every year, who cares?”

The problem--and Show will probably hear no end of it from reporters this spring--is that he was horrendous against the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers last fall.

In two starts against the Cubs, Show lasted just 5 innings but yielded five home runs and eight earned runs for an earned-run average of 13.50. Against the Tigers in the World Series, he went 2 innings, giving up two homers and four runs for a 10.13 ERA.

Which is the real Show?

Well, McKeon and Greenberg are convinced it’s not the guy who went sour in front of the whole nation.

“He had a bad game or two, but give me the 15 wins and forget the Series,” McKeon said. “It’s consistency we are looking for. I think Eric is just starting to reach his peak, and could give us 20 wins this year.

“Of course, if we get to the Series again, I hope to hell he does a little better.”

McKeon said the World Series had no impact on the new contract he awarded Show.

The Series did have an impact on Show’s thinking during the winter, Greenberg said.

“He worked harder than he might have, exercising and analyzing videotape,” Greenberg said. “He says he has found a way to be more consistent in his delivery. It was the home-run balls, not a defect in his delivery, that killed him against the Cubs and Tigers. But maybe he would not have had the incentive (to improve) if he had not suffered the setbacks he did.

“But from the moment he steps on the mound for his first exhibition game, the World Series will cease to be a factor in Eric’s thinking.”