Padres Owe Fans More Than Appreciation Day

Yes, the Padres appreciate their fans. They are going to show them Sunday, when they have Fan Appreciation Day I at the stadium.

You may have noted the Rozelle-ian numeral I, and it is there for a reason. This is not, to be sure, the first Fan Appreciation Day the Padres have had. In fact, it is an annual outpouring of gifts ranging from sprout sandwiches for four to trips to exotic places.

I call it Fan Appreciation Day I because it is the first one of the year.

The Padres owe their fans another one . . . in the off-season.

You see, this season has really been a mess. It was a mess before it began and it has been a mess throughout. There is no need to identify all the debris the Padre organization has scattered about the landscape this year. Just say they could rake it into a heap and install ski lifts.

An assortment of 59 gifts will be distributed Sunday, probably close to one to a customer, but the Padres need to think in terms of showing appreciation to all of their fans.

What Padre fans want is players. They want a return to the commitment that brought players such as Steve Garvey and Rich Gossage when there were gaps to be filled. They want to see that commitment, not just listen to assurances that it exists.

The Padres could skip all of Sunday’s gifts--most of which are donated anyway--and do something really worthwhile. The real Fan Appreciation Day will come when this club announces it has acquired a player such as Tim Raines.

It does not have to be Raines, but that sure is an interesting place to start.

Raines, you may have noted, is in the midst of a rather interesting race for the National League batting title with the Padres’ Tony Gwynn and the Dodgers’ Steve Sax. He can hit and he can run. He is a veteran, but a young veteran.

In short, this is the kind of player anyone would--or should--want.

What’s more, Raines will be available in the off-season. His contract expires with the Montreal Expos.

The complication is that Ballard Smith, the Padres’ president, has specifically said he does not want Raines. It has to do with the fact that Raines was involved with drugs a few years ago. Smith also has said, not necessarily in relation to Raines, that the Padres will henceforth offer only one-year contracts.

Smith’s gift to the fans should be a re-evaluation of those stances because (a) guys can come clean and (b) the Padres will never be able to sign a worthwhile player to a one-year contract, and that includes fellows like Gwynn, who are already on the roster.

No signings, no credibility and many more seasons far worse than this one.

Thus, Smith can begin to establish his feeling of appreciation and his organization’s credibility by giving free agent-to-be Tim Raines a telephone call at the appropriate time. Smith should start this conversation with an apology and cross his fingers on where it goes from there.

Can you imagine an outfield with Raines in left, Kevin McReynolds in center and Tony Gwynn in right? You’re talking a combined .300-plus batting average, 250 to 300 runs produced, 45 to 50 home runs and 150 to 200 stolen bases. That’s the way to start a batting order.

Of course, with the Padres, the problem would be what to do about the remainder of the batting order. There would be no question marks in the outfield, but at least a trace of uncertainty would exist in other areas such as catcher, first, second, short, third, starting pitching and relief pitching.

This club has gaps like the Grand Canyon has chasms.

Let me count the questions . . .

- Is Benito Santiago really ready to be the No. 1 catcher for a pennant contender?

- How much more does Steve Garvey have?

- What is Bip Roberts doing above Double-A ball?

- Why has Garry Templeton been cursed with 60-year-old knees?

- Who will replace the reluctantly departing Graig Nettles at third base?

- Is there a 10-game winner on the pitching staff?

- Will LaMarr Hoyt raise his hand and identify himself?

- Can Lance (Baby Goose) McCullers pitch as well as The Original Goose?

- Can Rich Gossage pitch as well as The Original Goose?

- What ever happened to Kurt Bevacqua?

This organization is not in great shape. Perhaps some of the answers will be provided by youngsters such as Santiago and Jimmy Jones and Randy Asadoor and Ed Vosberg and Gary Green. And some of the other answers may come in the form of trades involving Carmelo Martinez, Terry Kennedy and maybe Eric Show.

Two years ago, the Padres played in a World Series. Two years ago, my car was running very well, too.

Now, my car burns oil, the driver’s door jams open, the transmission slips and the seat covers are splitting. My car is like the Padres.

I can solve my problems by going down to one of those places with 2.9% on the window and laying my checkbook on the counter. I am reluctant to do that because I don’t want to pay the price. If I don’t do that, it is my choice and it will not affect anyone else. I will be the guy who climbs over the back fence to catch a bus.

However, the Padres have to pay the price. They have a constituency. They have their fans. They have to show their appreciation.

Fan Appreciation Day II.