Boy, Did Argyros Dial Wrong Number

George Argyros, Seattle Mariner owner and prospective Padre owner, has been fined $10,000 by Peter Ueberroth, baseball commissioner, for making a congratulatory phone call last week to Larry Bowa, Padre manager.

Previously, Ueberroth had warned Argyros not to have any contact with the Padres until the Mariners are sold. Argyros can’t become Padre owner until he sells the Seattle ballclub and his purchase of the Padres is approved by a majority of National League owners.

But Argyros called Bowa last Thursday, after the Padres had defeated the Dodgers for their second victory of the season.

When the phone rang in Bowa’s office, A. Bartlett Giamatti, National League president, happened to be sitting with Bowa and Jack McKeon, Padre general manager. Bowa spoke only briefly on the phone and when he hung up, McKeon asked: “Who was that?”

“George,” Bowa said.

“That was George Argyros?” Giamatti said.

Giamatti then shook his head and laughed, Bowa said.

Giamatti eventually told Ueberroth, who fined Argyros over the weekend.

“Take it out of my salary,” said Bowa, who makes $125,000 a year. “ . . . If I had known it would’ve gotten him (Argyros) in trouble, I wouldn’t have said anything. I’d have said it was my dad or something. I had no idea.

“I guess it’s my fault. Nobody would’ve known about it if I hadn’t said something. . . . I’m going so bad, I get the new owner fined 10 grand.”

Ueberroth was unavailable for comment Monday, but his spokesman, Rich Levin, said Argyros knew not to contact Padre players or coaches because of the potential conflict of interest.

Argyros did not return telephone messages Monday.