Padre Notebook : They’re Laughing Their Way Through Spring

YUMA, Ariz. — Steve Garvey took a lead off second base during the Padres’ fundamental drills Tuesday. Terry Kennedy made a pick-off attempt, hitting Garvey in the lower back. Garvey feigned injury.

A couple of minutes later, Garvey was on third base while squeeze plays were being practiced. When Garvey crossed home plate he wrestled Kennedy to the ground, and they staged a mock wrestling match.

Everybody laughed.

Graig Nettles fielded a bunt during another drill. When he looked to first base, 5-foot, 7-inch Bip Roberts was covering.

“Oh, my God,” Nettles said. “I thought it was Garvey.”

More laughter.

Between drills, Roberts walked past players and coaches on the bench. Some started referring to him as the Incredible Hunk.

Even more laughter.

Laughter. It seems to be heard more around Padre camp than in the four previous seasons, when Dick Williams was the manager instead of Steve Boros.

“It’s completely different than the past few years for obvious reasons,” Tony Gwynn said. “A lot of people were looking for a change, and not only players. When the change was made, a lot of guys were happy. Things went from (where they) could be better to (where they are) a lot better.”

The laughter tells it all.

Eric Show will be the starting pitcher in Friday’s exhibition opener against the Angels in Yuma. Andy Hawkins will start Saturday and Dave Dravecky will start Sunday in the three-game series.

Though the Padres haven’t announced a starting pitcher for their April 7 opener at Los Angeles, Show and Hawkins are the likely candidates. LaMarr Hoyt, who is in a treatment center for substance abuse, pitched the 1985 opener.

“Eric has been a good pitcher for a long time,” pitching coach Galen Cisco said. “And with the year Hawk had last year, he wouldn’t embarrass anyone if he pitched opening day. Eric and Hawk are deserving. Hoyt is very deserving and probably would have been our opening day pitcher. That’s not to take anything away from Dravecky. At one point, he was our most consistent pitcher last year.”

Show pitched the opener in 1984. He pitched the home opener in 1985 after the Padres had opened at San Francisco.

“To me, it’s all rotation after opening day,” Cisco said. “So what if you pitch the second game? You’ll get as many starts as the opening day pitcher. When you have two or three deserving pitchers, what do you do? You put one of ‘em out there opening dAy, and, three or four days later, everyone forgets about it.”

Rob Picciolo has been hired to manage the Padres’ Rookie League team at Spokane. Picciolo concluded his playing career last season by batting .275 in 71 games for the Oakland A’s. He played in parts or all of nine major-league seasons with Oakland, Milwaukee and California.

Picciolo will be a coach for Manager Larry Bowa of Las Vegas until June 1.

Four more players have signed 1986 contracts--pitchers Bob Patterson and Jimmy Jones, catcher Benito Santiago and outfielder Rusty Tillman.

Minor league pitcher Kevin Kristan has undergone surgery on his right knee to repair slight cartilage damage.

General Manager Jack McKeon and Boros missed Tuesday’s practice because they were speaking at a Kiwanis luncheon in San Diego. They are scheduled to be at practice today.

Coach Harry Dunlop ran practice in the absence of Boros.