Padre Notebook : Club Get Its Pitching Act Together

The audition-like atmosphere of a year ago is largely absent among Padre pitchers this spring. With a couple of possible exceptions, Manager Dick Williams’ cast is set.

“We have a lot of answers that we didn’t have last spring,” Williams said.

“Last spring, we went in with a (starting) staff that had lost eight more than they had won, and we really weren’t sure who our last two starters would be.”

This spring, the biggest decision Williams will have to make about pitching is how many pitchers he will keep on his roster.

“We’re much, much more sound,” he said. “We have eight spots on this staff locked up right now. Whether we go with 10 people or 9, we won’t determine for a while.”

Those who have few worries in the job-security department are the probable starting rotation of Dave Dravecky, Andy Hawkins, LaMarr Hoyt, Eric Show and Mark Thurmond and relievers Goose Gossage, Craig Lefferts and Tim Stoddard.

Right-hander Luis DeLeon may have more at stake than any of his teammates. DeLeon is trying to prove that he has recovered from tendinitis in his right elbow, a condition that twice last season put him on the disabled list.

Williams talked about LaMarr Hoyt’s 13-18 performance with the White Sox last year, which, would seem a major disappointment after 1983 when Hoyt won the Cy Young Award and Chicago had won the American League West:

“You have to take into consideration what kind of ballclub they had last year. After winning the year before, there was a tremendous letdown, evidently.”

It’s called complacency, a mysterious ailment which is said to affect teams coming off highly successful seasons. And it’s something Williams will be trying to guard against this season.

Jack McKeon, the Padres’ vice president of baseball operations, doesn’t think his National League East defending champions will have that problem.

“(Goose Gossage, (Graig) Nettles, (Bobby) Brown, (Steve) Garvey, those guys have been in the playoffs and World Series before,” McKeon said. “I don’t think they’re going to let our guys coast. And I know Dick isn’t going to.”

Five players have been signed recently to 1985 contracts. Agreeing to terms were utility infielder Mario Ramirez, pitchers Greg Booker and Gene Walter and outfielders Brown and Jerry Davis.

Norm Sherry, who was fired as the Padre pitching coach after the disastrous performance of the team’s starting pitchers in the 1984 World Series, has become the club’s minor league roving pitching coach. Former Oakland A’s manager Steve Boros will serve as the Padre coordinator of minor league instruction.