Padre Notebook : Show Says: Picked On for Politics, Home Runs

Eric Show, who stopped talking to Padre beat writers earlier in the week, let more than his performance do the talking Friday night.

After allowing the Chicago Cubs one run in six innings, Show said he was “flirting with a real nice groove.”

The groove began in his previous start, when Show held the Cubs hitless for five innings. Friday, he allowed one hit, walked four, hit two batters and struck out three.

Show said he stopped talking to beat writers because he felt they were overly critical of his political beliefs. He is a member of the John Birch Society.

“The bottom line is that people are against me because of what I believe and say, not what I do (in baseball),” Show said. “I’m the opening day starter every year. Am I that bad? Why does each manager pick me for the opening day starter if I’m that bad?”

Show pitched the 1984 season opener and 1985 home opener. He will pitch his second season opener April 7 in Los Angeles.

In recent years, Show has become disillusioned by criticism concerning his habit of allowing home runs. He gave up seven home runs in eight innings of postseason play in 1984 and 27 home runs last season.

“I think 21 of the home runs last year were solo,” Show said. “I still say, and I don’t care who makes fun of it, I’d rather give up one home run than four singles. I give up half as many home runs as Robin Roberts used to. He used to give up 40 or 45 a year.”

The Bip look is definitely in with the Padres this season.

Manager Steve Boros said before Friday night’s game that Bip Roberts will be on the 24-man roster when the season opens.

“He has some of the tools our scouts are beating the bushes for,” Boros said. “He has speed, he’s a switch-hitter, he has some pop in his bat and he can play well defensively at second base. Whether he’ll start, I don’t know. He’s going to make the club. We can’t afford to send him back to Pittsburgh.”

The Padres paid $50,000 to acquire Roberts from Pittsburgh during the 1985 winter baseball meetings. If the Padres decide to cut Roberts, they would have to offer him back to Pittsburgh for $25,000.

Boros has decided on a tentative lineup for the April 7 opener in Los Angeles against Fernando Valenzuela.

Roberts or Tim Flannery, depending on who wins the second-base position, will lead off. The order then will be Tony Gwynn, right field; Kevin McReynolds, center field; Steve Garvey, first base; Carmelo Martinez, left field; Terry Kennedy, catcher; Garry Templeton, shortstop; Jerry Royster, third base, and Show, pitcher.

The first four batters will remain the same against right-handed pitchers. The fifth through eighth batters will be Kennedy, Martinez, Graig Nettles (third base) and Templeton.

The Padres lost to the Cubs in 12 innings Friday night, 3-2.

Chicago scored its winning run with two outs when Padre center field Bobby Brown dropped Leon Durham’s fly ball for a two-base error. Shawon Dunston, who had doubled, scored the winning run.

The Padres scored both of their runs in the third. Show led off with a double and scored on Gwynn’s double. Gwynn went to third on a long fly to center by McReynolds and scored on a wild pitch.

OPENING DAY LINEUP

Tentative

Bip Roberts or

Tim Flannery 2BTony Gwynn RFKevin McReynolds CFSteve Garvey 1BCarmelo Martinez LFTerry Kennedy CGarry Templeton SSJerry Royster 3BEric Show P