Announcer Dave Campbell Fired After 11 Years With Padres

The Padres have fired announcer Dave Campbell, who had been with the team 11 seasons.

Padres’ interim president Dick Freeman said club officials evaluated Campbell’s work and decided they wanted to “go in a different direction.”

A five-paragraph release was issued stating that the club’s other three radio-television announcers--Jerry Coleman, Bob Chandler and Ted Leitner--had been rehired for 1989.

Campbell, 46, who frequently voiced his opinions--positive and negative--about the Padres’ play, said he hopes to find another broadcasting job. The search for his replacement will begin immediately.

Prior to joining the Padres in 1978, Campbell worked for KCST-TV and KSDO radio in San Diego and managed Amarillo, a Padres’ Texas League farm team, in 1977. Campbell played in the major leagues for eight seasons, including time with the Padres from 1970-1973.

The Padres also announced that they would raise ticket prices for all seats for the 1989 season.

Field, plaza and press level seats will be $9.50. Loge level will be $8 and general admission $4.

The home schedule will include 81 games on 80 dates. The Padres will open the season at home for the first time since 1984, and the 11th time in 21 seasons, playing San Francisco at 7:05 p.m. on Monday, April 3. There will be 60 home night games, 21 day games.

FOOTBALL

A scheduling conflict with the Padres likely will force San Diego State to play its 1989 home opener against Cal State Long Beach on a Sunday night, Athletic Director Fred Miller said.

It will be the second consecutive year the Aztecs have had to play their opener at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium on a Sunday night because of a conflict with a Padre game. SDSU opened this season Sept. 11 with a Sunday night game against Air Force.

The Padres announced their home schedule Tuesday, and it includes a three-game series with the Dodgers Sept. 8-10. The Aztecs had planned to play Cal State Long Beach on Saturday night Sept. 9, but the Padres have priority to use the stadium that night.

Miller said that means SDSU likely will switch its opener to Sunday night Sept. 10 following a Padre day game against the Dodgers.

The Aztecs’ opener against Air Force, which was televised on ESPN, drew a crowd of 20,112, the smallest for a home opener since 1983 when SDSU drew 19,853 for a Saturday afternoon game against California.

Nebraska running back Terry Rodgers, a Sweetwater High graduate, injured a knee Monday during a non-contact drill, and the initial prognosis is that he will miss the remainder of the season.

Team trainer George Sullivan, who looked at the knee with team doctors after practice, said Rodgers will undergo arthroscopic surgery this week.

Rodgers, an alternate starter and the team’s third-leading rusher this season, also underwent arthroscopic knee surgery last year and missed the entire season.

SOCKERS

Keith Weller, an assistant coach of the Dallas Sidekicks the past 2 1/2 years, signed with the Sockers. He replaces Johan Aarnio.

MEN’S SOCCER

Point Loma Nazarene lost in overtime, 1-0, to visiting Westmont College in both schools’ Golden State Athletic Conference opener. Senior Mike Walker scored the winning goal with four minutes remaining in overtime. Point Loma Nazarene is 0-1 in the GSAC and 6-3-1 overall. Westmont, rated 10th nationally in the NAIA poll, is 1-0 and 7-3.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

Jackie Mendez had 15 kills and Kim Washington added 9 to lead visiting San Diego State past Cal State Fullerton, 15-9, 15-12, 15-6 in a Big West Conference match. SDSU is 13-3 and 4-1; Cal State Fullerton is 8-10, 0-4.

Ellen Chi and Rachel Vetter each had 8 kills, but UC San Diego lost to host UC Riverside 16-14, 15-8, 15-4 in a nonconference match. UCSD, ranked No. 1 in Division III, is now 21-5. UC Riverside, No. 4 in Division II, is 6-1.

Connie Navarro had 19 kills but host Point Loma Nazarene lost to Cal Baptist-Riverside 15-12, 15-4, 14-16, 15-12 in a Golden State Athletic Conference match. Point Loma Nazarene is 1-6 and 9-12.

RUNNING

The Moving Comfort 8-kilometer races for men and women will be held Saturday, beginning south of the Hilton on Mission Bay. The men’s race will begin at 7 a.m., the women’s at 7:30. Registration will begin at 6:15; race-day registration fee is $8.