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Padre Notebook : No Big Windup in Padre’s First Practice Game

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<i> Times Staff Writer</i>

History will note that when the first pitcher in the first organized game for the 1988 Padres threw his first pitch, he did not use a windup.

Call it Greg Booker’s personal little reminder. “I used to be so big and fat, I could barely use a windup,” Booker said. “I could only pitch from the stretch.”

A year and 20 fewer pounds later, Booker won’t pitch any other way, and if you can’t understand that, neither can the hitters. He retired 9 out of 10 minor-leaguers Sunday in leading the Padres to a 6-2 over their minor-league mini-camp All-Stars in front of 4,700 at Desert Sun Stadium. It was the biggest crowd in the three-year history of the game.

Booker started and retired the first eight minor-leaguers before allowing a walk to Class-A shortstop Jose Valentin. He then struck out Class-A left fielder Will Taylor to end his scheduled three innings.

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Although it was only minor leaguers and only an exhibition, one could add these innings to last season to give Booker 16 straight scoreless innings with just six hits.

“It’s not who he was facing, it was how he was throwing,” Bowa said. “This is the best I’ve seen him keep the ball down.”

The 6-foot 6-inch Booker, who has gone from 254 pounds to 234 since last spring, is slotted this summer as the Padres right-handed middle reliever, Last season he only appeared in 44 games, going 1-1 with a 3.16 ERA. Last season, his problems started when he missed most of the spring with strained elbow ligaments. When he was finally ready, in mid-April, the Padres weren’t ready for him.

Sometimes he would go 10 days without pitching. Other times, 15 days.

“I needed to pitch more to be effective, and I think they finally realized that,” Booker said. “Larry told me, he should have got me in more games. He said he should have gotten me some more token innings.

“I think that will happen this year. They know I’ll do anything I can do to stay on this team, pitch any way they want me to pitch.”

Booker, known for a sinkerball, credited Sunday’s early success to a new pitch being taught the entire staff, a straight change-up. Thrown from the back of the hand, it is a pitch with a fastball delivery and fastball rotation that comes in at about half the speed.

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“Booker needs that, to give hitters another thing to think about,” pitching coach Pat Dobson said. “Because most of his pitches come in at one speed, they need to be pulled off their stride somehow.

“All of our staff will use the straight change-up. If they don’t have it now, they darn sure will get it.”

Said Booker: “I don’t care about today’s innings, or shutout, or any of that. I care that I felt good, and kept the ball down, and got a chance. This season I really think I’m going to get a chance.”

Padre Notes

Shortstop-second baseman Roberto Alomar was the only Padre with more than one hit Sunday. He had two singles, and played the entire games, half at each of his positions. Shorstop Garry Templeton is still not full speed after last week’s flu and removal of a boil from his left leg. “I don’t know when he’ll be ready,” Bowa said. It will likely be by their official opening spring game Friday here against the Angels . . . Take note: Tony Gwynn was held hitless Sunday in two at-bats. So was Benito Santiago, in two at-bats, for only the second time in his last 37 organized games . . . Bowa has scheduled a five-inning intrasquad exercise today--you can hardly call it a game--featuring a team captained by John Kruk vs. a team captained by Chris Brown. He is scheduled to pitch an inning for both. Bowa has scheduled it because of the players’ restlessness. They will play a full intrasquad game Wednesday, their final preparation for Friday’ exhibition opener . . . The Padres have signed pitchers Keith Comstock and Eric Nolte, dropping their number of unsigned players to 16, with Friday as the deadline before automatic club renewal.

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