Thon and Padres Exchange Salary Arbitration Figures

Shortstop Dickie Thon and the Padres exchanged figures in salary arbitration Monday, with Thon asking for $575,000 and the Padres offering $400,000.

Last week, Thon became the first major league player to file for arbitration this year. Players and clubs must exchange offers within 3 days after filing, and for this reason, most players do not file until Monday’s deadline.

Arbitration hearings are Feb. 1-20.

Thon, who batted .264 in 1988 with 1 home run and 18 runs batted in, also has filed a demand to be traded. Under baseball’s collective-bargaining agreement, San Diego must trade him by March 15 or he becomes a free agent.

“He wants the opportunity to be a starting shortstop,” said Dan Grigsby, Thon’s agent.

Garry Templeton is San Diego’s starting shortstop.

BASKETBALL

The U.S. International University men’s basketball team begins another out-of-state trip tonight at 5 at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, R.I.

Rhode Island (5-5) has three starters back from last year’s team, which defeated Syracuse in the NCAA tournament. Last year, the Rams defeated USIU, 101-90, at Golden Hall.

USIU is coming off an 18-point loss on Saturday. Loyola Marymont defeated the Gulls, 162-144, and set three NCAA scoring records in the process. USIU travels to the University of Manhattan in New York on Thursday, then completes the trip Saturday against Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.

The Gulls (6-11) return home to play UC San Diego on Jan. 18.

APPOINTMENTS

Former San Diego State player and assistant coach Ulima Afoa will replace assistant coach Al Tanara, SDSU football Coach Al Luginbill has announced.

Tanara, 46, was hired by Luginbill on Dec. 4 as his tight end coach. Tanara has resigned, however, and will remain in Las Vegas as a sales representative for a beer company.

Afoa, a member of the Aztec coaching staff for the past 7 years, has coached the offensive line for the past 3 seasons and before that was an inside linebacker coach.

Former Coach Denny Stolz appointed Tanara as his offensive line coach in 1986, but Tanara resigned in the spring without having coached a game. He previously served with Luginbill as an assistant at Pasadena City College and Arizona State.

Afoa, 29, was a starting left guard for the Aztecs during the 1979 and ’80 seasons.

OLYMPIC ATHLETES

Three San Diego athletes and a former El Cajon resident--Greg Louganis--were among 97 athletes named by the governing bodies of the U.S. Olympic Committee as 1988 athletes of the year.

Steve Goss of Carlsbad was named for team handball and San Diego’s Karch Kiraly and Caren Kemner were named for their participation in volleyball.

Louganis was one of 10 U.S. athletes who won at least two Olympic medals in the Summer Olympics in Seoul. He attended Valhalla High School and won the San Diego Section boys’ diving championship in 1975 and ’77.

The USOC Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year will be announced Feb. 18.