A Little Help From His Friends : Padre Right-Hander Andy Hawkins Profited From His Postseason Performance

If it weren’t for the failures of his friends, Padre pitcher Andy Hawkins wouldn’t be where he is today.

Hawkins almost certainly would not have a new two-year contract and the security of being a member of the Padre starting rotation if he hadn’t become America’s favorite middle relief pitcher during last year’s National League Championship Series and World Series.

Eric Show, Tim Lollar, Mark Thurmond or any Padre starter would get bombed. Then, Hawkins would put out the fire and silence opposing hitters while the Padres pulled out another victory.

In six postseason appearances, Hawkins allowed only one run on four hits in 15 innings and had an ERA of 0.57.

The 6-foot 3-inch right-hander, who was demoted to the bullpen in midseason, also picked up the Padres’ only World Series win. Hawkins gave up only one hit in 5 scoreless innings in a 5-3 win over Detroit in Game 2 in San Diego.

The postseason was a blur of thrills and surprises for Hawkins.

“Our starting rotation was good, and I didn’t think I’d get so many opportunities to come out of the bullpen,” Hawkins said.

Life for a middle reliever can be lonely. It rarely makes a star out of a pitcher.

Then again, the postseason collapse of the Padre starters was highly unusual.

“I always went into a game hoping they didn’t need me because I wanted my buddies to do well,” said Hawkins, a former member of the starting fraternity. “But once I saw what was happening, I knew there was a good chance I’d get to pitch each day.

“It seemed like the starters were waiting for things to go wrong . . . And when Dave (Dravecky), (Craig) Lefferts and I came in, the party was over.”

Hawkins’ postseason performance salvaged an up-and-down regular season. He began the year as a starter and went 4-3 with a 5.20 ERA in 14 appearances. Not bad, but not consistent.

He was continually getting his pitches up. In the bullpen, Hawkins worked on shortening his delivery and getting his arm out in front of his body.

“The ball was staying up because my arm was behind me,” Hawkins said. “Suddenly, my pitches were lower in the strike zone and sharper.”

Gaining greater control of his pitches also enabled Hawkins to gain a better hold on himself.

“I didn’t have that same pressure and the chance to think about things, to worry, and to get those nervous feelings when I was in the bullpen,” Hawkins said. “It was different, and it was good for me.”

By the time September rolled around, Hawkins was used as the fifth starter and a middle reliever.

“He righted himself mechanically, and one good outing led to another,” catcher Terry Kennedy said.

Hawkins is confident that his success against the Cubs and Tigers was more indicative of his talent than his 8-9 record and 4.68 ERA.

“Last year was a big climb,” Hawkins said. “I’m happy that I didn’t give up and I stayed with it. Now, I don’t think there are a lot of things that could happen in the game that I couldn’t handle.”

After the equivalent of two major-league seasons (he played parts of 1982 and 1983, and all of 1984), the 25-year-old Hawkins is relaxed and confident.

“This is fun,” Hawkins said after throwing batting practice. “I don’t have to worry about getting cut, and I can get ready for the season. Last year, they wouldn’t come out and tell me I had the team made, even though I really did.

“It’s the first time I’ve felt secure.”

In past springs, Hawkins was so unsure of his status that he didn’t know if he should even bring a car to Yuma. This season, he brought a car and his wife and daughter.

“This year, they (the people in the front office) made no bones about my being on the team.”

The Padres also told Hawkins he would be one of their starting pitchers. He gained notoriety coming out of the bullpen, but he has the heart of a starter.

Kennedy believes Hawkins also has the talent needed to be a good starting pitcher.

“He could be a consistent 15-game winner,” Kennedy said, “and he might even win more. He has a different attitude now and he seems a lot more relaxed.”

With the knowledge that a couple of hanging changeups in Cactus League games won’t send him to the Padres Triple-A club in Las Vegas, Hawkins has the luxury of experimenting with that pitch this spring.

It’s a luxury afforded him by the ineptitude of his friends combined with his own brilliance.

“When I think of the 1984 season, I think of the postseason,” Hawkins said.