Hawkins Gets $235,000 Raise in Arbitration Ruling Against Padres

Padre pitcher Andy Hawkins was ruled the winner Sunday in his salary arbitration case and will get a $235,000 raise from last season.

Hawkins, who finished 10-8 with a 4.34 earned-run average in 1986, will make $535,000 this season. The Padres had submitted a figure of $450,000 to arbitrator Ray Goetz.

Neither Hawkins nor his agent, Jerry Kapstein, was available for comment Sunday night. Kapstein’s colleague, Bob Teaff, said: “It (the hearing) was an intense proceeding but without any personal animosity.”

Jack McKeon, Padre general manager, negotiated with Kapstein until Friday’s hearing began. Sources said McKeon had offered Hawkins a substantial raise, much more than $450,000.

But Hawkins chose to go to arbitration. Tal Smith, the former Houston Astro general manager, argued the Padres’ case.

“No sour grapes,” McKeon said of the decision. “That’s the procedure, so that’s the way it goes. We’ve won some, we’ve lost some. . . . We felt we made a very fair offer to Andy, and we’re not embarrassed by our offer.”

Hawkins began the 1985 season with 11 straight victories, finished with an 18-8 record that year and earned $300,000 in 1986. Sources say his 1985 success was the foundation of Kapstein’s arguments, as arbitrators look at a player’s career record when deciding a case.

Goetz is the same arbitrator who ruled against the Dodgers’ Orel Hershiser and the Astros’ Bill Doran. He also was unavailable for comment.

New Padre Manager Larry Bowa said he is thinking about using Dave Dravecky out of the bullpen this season. Dravecky has most recently been a starter, but Bowa says Dravecky has shown the versatility to work in relief.

“Our pitching will feature Eric Show, Andy Hawkins, Storm Davis and Ed Whitson in the starting rotation, with the fifth spot between Jimmy Jones and Ed Wojna,” Bowa said in a preseason evaluation of his team. “This could change, but we are looking at the idea of putting Dave Dravecky in the bullpen.”

Bowa made it clear that the bullpen stopper will be either Goose Gossage or Lance McCullers, or both.

“I expect Goose to bounce back,” he said. “He’s a competitor and certainly wants to put last year (4.45 ERA) behind him.”