BODY BY DENT : A Few Good Men Expect to Be Ready When Padres Open Spring Training

The headband--the latest in attention-getting sports attire--was modeled in basic blue by Goose Gossage. But there was no hand-lettered message the kind Jim McMahon had been providing.

The rest of the Gossage look included a Padre undershirt, a pair of shorts and jogging shoes. Not an image that could be described as pulled-together. But it was just the thing for the setting in the which the Goose appeared Wednesday morning.

Along with a dozen teammates, Gossage was laboring through a grueling three-hour workout designed to lessen the rigors of spring training, reduce the risk of injury and perhaps slow the encroachment of the years.

The taxing program was designed and administered by Padre trainer Dick Dent, who isn’t one to pamper millionaire athletes. A stocky, bearded Vietnam veteran, Dent has a hard-boiled manner that would warm the heart of a Marine drill instructor.

Several of his troops were outfitted in sweaty T-shirts imprinted with the words “Body by Dent.”

“Our goal is to have these guys go to spring training and do any drill without fatigue,” Dent said. “If you’re tired, your performance is impaired.”

Dent’s staccato orders to his trainees were several decibels louder than the vintage 1960s rock music assaulting the Padre clubhouse walls.

Taking a break from the tortuous regimen, Gossage repaired to his locker for a moment.

“Man,” he said. “This makes spring training seem like child’s play.”

At an adjacent locker, Craig Lefferts, another relief pitcher, was catching his breath.

“We wouldn’t live through spring training if we had to go through this every day,” he said.

The workout was top-heavy with pitchers, including Tim Stoddard, Andy Hawkins, Lance McCullers, and Greg Booker, along with a smattering of everyday players such as Jerry Davis, Jerry Royster and Bip Roberts.

There also were several minor leaguers and ex-Padre pitcher Tim Lollar, who was outfitted in a Trader Jack T-shirt.

The players endure Dent’s routine three times a week. They begin with a brisk run, then move inside for 90 minutes of weight training and conclude with a throwing session that includes footballs and baseballs.

The elimination of fatigue is the stated objective. It is achieved only through a workout that induces great fatigue.

“This is probably too intensive for everyday players,” Dent said, attempting to account for the high turnout of pitchers.

“Our dropout rate is about 25%. Even the guys who look like they’re in shape are known to throw up. I’ve learned not to judge a body by its cover. Some guys with a roundish shape are in the best condition.”

The model for those who endure is Gossage.

“He’s a great influence,” Dent said. “He outworks everybody on the team. Some of the younger guys don’t do half as much as Goose.”

Across the room, Gossage had squeezed himself into a device that works the upper legs. Gossage strained at the machine, his face tightening into a grimace that would cause the knees of the most intrepid batter to tremble.

After a break, the workout resumed with another round of weight lifting and body toning. Then it was time to head outdoors to the Charger practice field where the players would unlimber their arms.

Any fan who happened by would have been amused by the wounded passes fluttering in the Mission Valley sunshine. These guys make Dieter Brock look like Dan Marino.

The agenda called for the players to pair off and run 20-yard squareout patterns. Dent cursed when he spied a receiver lazily rounding off his route.

After about 15 minutes of football flinging, the players changed into spikes and put on their baseball gloves. Suddenly, they were transformed into professional-looking athletes again. Before long, Gossage was firing strikes to Andy Hawkins from a distance of about 60 yards.

Dent diverted his attention for a moment to someone holding a notebook.

“Hey, we’re not going to make a 30-game winner out of Tim Lollar,” Dent said. “But if he’s healthy and he doesn’t miss any starts, his chances are improved. That’s what we’re after. Preventive medicine is what we’re really practicing.”

Lollar, is a Padre alumnus who pitches for the Boston Red Sox. It will take more than the most magical of off-season gurus to get a left-hander 30 wins in Fenway Park.

However, Dent’s greatest concern is for the Padres. This will all be worthwhile when his version of a few good men get to Yuma next month.