San Diego Sportscene : Can’t Judge Guide Only By Its Cover

Through the years, the history of a baseball team can be traced by the covers of its media guides. They may depict heroes from the past, hope for the future or nothing at all.

Nothing at all? When there are no heroes from the past or hope for the future, it’s probably a reasonable alternative.

In 1982, after a last-place finish in the strike-punctuated 1981 season, the Padres’ media guide cover looked like a travel brochure. It had pictures of a whale, tiger, bullfight, sailing ship, downtown skyline and seascape. Dick Williams, new in town at the time, was also pictured on the cover, presumably contemplating the places he might visit when he tired of watching his baseball team.

Williams was the fourth different manager on the cover in as many years. He followed Roger Craig (1979), Jerry Coleman (1980) and Frank Howard (1981). That series of media guides told us this was an unsettled franchise searching for direction.

As it has turned out, Williams was the only one of those managers to survive what might be called The Media Guide Cover Jinx.

The Padres have grown reluctant to put players on the cover. Gaylord Perry was there in 1979, and walked out on the team before the season was over. Dave Winfield was there in 1980, and left for free agency at the end of the season.

It may be more than coincidental that no Padre player has been on the cover since Winfield.

And no Padre player is on the 1985 cover, and yet all of the 1984 Padres have a little piece of the action.

In all of its pillared glory, the National League championship trophy adorns the 1985 cover. Obviously, the Padres are hoping it does not leave as soon as the season ends.

The cover is nice, of course, but I greatly enjoy the wealth of information beyond that cover.

With the pitchers and catchers already in Yuma and the others due Sunday, it is appropriate to start getting into the right frame of mind for baseball.

Everyone knows the big picture. Everyone knows about the National League pennant. Everyone knows about Tony Gwynn’s batting championship. Everyone knows LaMarr Hoyt has been added to the pitching staff. Everyone knows Steve Garvey did not commit an error in 1984.

But does anyone know that no Padre first baseman committed an error in 1984? Kurt Bevacqua, Champ Summers and Carmelo Martinez appeared in 30 games among them at first base, and played errorless ball.

That’s the kind of information a properly consumed media guide surrenders.

You can impress the guy in the next seat if you nudge him between innings and whisper: “Do you know the Padres have never had a player whose last name begins with X, Y or Z?”

And he thought he was informed because he knew Ed Spiezio hit the Padres’ first home run and Nate Colbert hit five home runs in a doubleheader. Just be careful you don’t embarrass the poor fellow.

Store some of these tidbits for the most opportune moments:

Hall of Famer: That’s right, the Padres have a Hall of Famer. He played in only 40 major league games, but Coach Grover (Deacon) Jones is a two-time Hall of Famer--Westchester (N.Y.) County and Ithaca College.

Home Opener: No, the Padres’ home opener is not that April 15 date with the San Francisco Giants. The Padres’ first appearance in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium will be April 5 against San Diego State.

Under obscure tidbits, I’ll give you one that isn’t even in the media guide. When the Padres and Aztecs met last year, a guy named Gwynn had a double and a home run. And it wasn’t Tony. The Aztecs’ Chris Gwynn was the heavy hitter in the family, and Brother Tony popped up twice.

Name Game: You’ve got to like a hitter named Brad Pounders. He was the leading hitter for the Padres’ Spokane farm club last year.

More Name Game: Another Spokane farmhand was a right-handed pitcher named Tracey Czyzewski. Too bad catcher Doug Gwosdz (pronounced Goosh, for some unfathomable reason) is no longer around. They would be the most unspellable pitcher-catcher combo in the history of the game.

I don’t know how a sportswriter can be expected to handle Czyzewski when Czyzewski can’t even spell Tracy.

Odd Couple: Kurt Bevacqua would be the odd man in any pairing, but how about the media guide’s revelation that he and Steve Carlton were high school teammates in Florida?

Carlton will not talk to the media, and Bevacqua now owns his own baseball newspaper. Does that mean Carlton no longer talks to Bevacqua?

Unstoppable: Tim Flannery went to bat four times in the National League Championship Series and World Series, and never made an out. He had two hits in three at-bats and was hit by a pitch.

What about that other at-bat? That was the ground ball through Leon Durham’s legs which tied Game 5 of the playoffs and got the Padres’ four-run rally into gear.

Positive Thinking: Don’t look for negatives in a media guide. They do not exist in words, only in the statistical charts.

For example, Rich Gossage’s first year as a Padre comes under rather detailed scrutiny in his personal thumbnail sketch.

However, the World Series was dismissed quite quickly: “Goose made a pair of appearances in the World Series, the third time he has participated in the Fall Classic.”

He had a 13.50 earned run average in those two appearances.

Hang a Star: Broadcaster Jerry Coleman earned two Distinguished Service Crosses, 13 Air Medals and three Navy Citations during his career as a Marine pilot during World War II and Korea.

Laugh at his Colemanisms, but appreciate the man.

Hello Chicago: I think I’ll pick up a few extra copies of the media guide to mail to my friends on Chicago’s North Side.

They may not care that Kevin McReynolds led National League outfielders in putouts, that no Padre pitcher has ever thrown a no-hitter, that Coach Galen Cisco was a football captain at Ohio State or that Andy Hawkins was born on my birthday.

However, I am sure those Cubby fans will love the cover. It’s been so long since they’ve seen a National League Championship trophy.