Padre Notebook : Alomar Headlines Remind Gwynn of Another’s Debut in 1982

The hype surrounding second baseman Roberto Alomar’s big-league debut in Friday’s 3-1 victory over Houston--standing ovations and headlines even though he didn’t win the game in the field or at the plate--reminded another Padre of his first game.

“I’ll never forget one of the headlines. I’ve got it right in the scrapbook,” said Tony Gwynn of his July 19, 1982, debut at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. “It read Padres Lose, but Gwynn Goes 2 for 4.

“Can you imagine that? We lost, and I got the headlines.”

Alomar received his first standing ovation in the sixth inning Friday. Six years ago, they were standing for Gwynn in the first.

“I was batting fifth, I came up with Tempy (Garry Templeton) on third, and I hit a fly ball to score him,” Gwynn recalled. “It was no big deal. It was just a sacrifice fly.

“But then I get this standing ovation, and about half of the team comes out of the dugout to meet me as I’m running in. I thought it was the greatest thing in the world.”

Although Alomar, 20, was cool about it Friday night, he thought the same thing.

“I’ve never been cheered for so loud before,” he said. “I’ve had standing ovations in (triple-A) Las Vegas, but that’s with 5,000 people. It doesn’t sound the same.”

If one goes by history and trend, things should only get better for Alomar.

The history: Since 1979, the team to spawn the National League rookie of the year has spawned another one the next year. The Dodgers had four consecutive rookies of the year, then the New York Mets had two, and then the St. Louis Cardinals had two.

With Benito Santiago having been 1987’s rookie of the year, it would only follow . . .

The trend: This is the season for guys like Alomar. Although folks in San Diego may think they are unique in celebrating the promise of a young second baseman from Puerto Rico, they are far from alone. Fans in Pittsburgh and St. Louis are doing the same thing.

The Pirates are boasting about Jose Lind, who grew up about an hour from Alomar. Because he batted 143 times late last season for Pittsburgh, Lind is not officially a rookie, but this year he had his first opening day, and since then he has piled up spectacular plays.

At 5-feet 11-inches and 170 pounds, he is a little bigger than Alomar and has equal range and speed. Last season he led the Pacific Coast League with 311 putouts and 432 assists, and in 35 games with Pittsburgh, he hit .322.

“We’re pretty much the same,” said Alomar, who has known Lind since they were teen-agers. “Only thing is, people say I have a little quicker hands, and I can turn more double plays.”

Oh, and Alomar can’t jump like Lind, who lists his hobby as “jumping over people.” He showed off on national television Saturday when he leaped over the head of NBC announcer Joe Garagiola.

“I’ve seem him leap over my brother (Sandy Jr.), and my brother is 6-5,” Alomar said. “He’s amazing.”

Lind will be in San Diego with the National League East-leading Pirates for three games next weekend.

Visiting just before that, Tuesday through Thursday, will be the Cardinals and their Puerto Rican second baseman, Luis Alicea.

Alicea, who hit .305 for Louisville last season in his only 29 games of triple-A experience, impressed the Cardinals enough to trade Tommy Herr Friday. Alomar’s dad, Padre third base coach Sandy, was impressed long ago.

“You watch him. He will make things happen,” said Sandy, who coached Alicea this winter.

All three should will do that, according to Padre Carmelo Martinez.

“Just three bad Puerto Ricans,” Martinez said.

Player of the week: Marvell Wynne started in center field in the only three games the Padres played from Sunday through Friday, his first starts this year, and made the most of them. He hit two homers and had five runs batted in, including four RBIs last Sunday against the Giants that tied a personal best.

Wynne has found his niche with the Padres as a pinch-hitter and late-inning defensive replacement and probably will platoon with Shawn Abner in center field only until Abner is deemed ready to become the regular. But Wynne doesn’t mind.

“I don’t know if I’ll keep playing. I never know until I show up at the park that day,” Wynne said. “But that’s OK. If I don’t play, I won’t complain, I’ll just be ready. I think it’s hard to find someone like me.”

Hot rumor of the week: Several Padres were abuzz Saturday night with this one--Eric Show, Chris Brown and minor-league catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. to Baltimore for first baseman Eddie Murray. We told you it was hot.

Not only were some of the Padres talking about it, but before the game, a certain first baseman just happened to be taking fly balls in left field for the first time this season.

“You never know,” John Kruk said, smiling. “Something might happen. They might need me out there.”

Turns out Padre Manager Larry Bowa asked the injured Kruk to keep his muscles loose, and Kruk figured that taking fly balls was a good way to do it.

The rumor finally landed on the desk of Padre General Manager Jack McKeon, who brushed it into the waste can.

“I have talked to Baltimore, but not about Murray,” McKeon said. “And nobody has talked to me about Show.”

Conventional wisdom would dictate that, although Murray was once the game’s best hitter, nobody will give much in return for him because of his $2 million annual salary--especially not a veteran starting pitcher, opening-day starting third baseman and top minor league prospect.

Lousy rumor of the week: One national newspaper speculated that since Dickie Thon was now the Padres’ starting shortstop, Templeton would be traded to the New York Yankees for shortstop Rafael Santana and reliever Pat Clements.

One problem. Dickie Thon is not the Padres’ starting shortstop, unless one can qualify for that title by starting in three of the club’s first 14 games. And the Padres are not about to trade their starting shortstop--Templeton--for the Yankees’ backup.

If you still think the Padres are as awful as last season, consider this memory that came up during Friday’s night “Cap Night” at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Last season on Cap Night, the inside of the free hats contained a slogan of the sponsoring bank. That slogan--”7/24”--was the Padres’ record that night after they lost, 6-3, to the Chicago Cubs.