Padres’ Templeton Dances, Then Delivers

For all his 33 hard years, the man can still catch Saturday night fever. It hit Garry Templeton around 9 p.m. here. It hit him, of all places, while he was standing in the on-deck circle before the sixth inning with his Padres leading Philadelphia, 2-1.

As he swung a lead bat, the Padre shortstop was confronted by a giant mascot known as the Phillie Phanatic. The hairy green intruder jumped into Templeton’s face and began dancing.

Templeton, bat still in hand, suddenly danced with him. Moved his hips back and forth. It looked like something out of a teen-ager’s video with a step that Templeton is way too cool to admit has a name.

“It was just grooving ,” Templeton said.

Ten minutes later, Templeton’s dance continued. Only this step had a title: the home run trot. It provided the Padres with the clinching run in a 3-2 victory in front of 28,866 at Veterans Stadium.

Templeton took nemesis Don Carman deep to left field for his first right-handed out-of-park homer in two seasons.

It was a night that featured starter Dennis Rasmussen’s first victory since his first start of the season (April 7)--he allowed just one earned run in five innings. It was a night of Greg Harris’ third save in four games--he didn’t allow a hit in the final four innings.

And for the second consecutive evening, Carmelo Martinez had an extra-base hit (triple) to drive in the the Padres’ first two runs (in the third), giving him twice as many RBIs in two days as he had in the previous 18.

But when looking for reasons that the Padres have won season-high five consecutive games and moved to within a game of first place, look no further than their captain and veteran, who just recently was sidelined with more of his chronic knee problems. Their dancing machine.

“When you put him out in the middle of the diamond, you’ve got a leader,” Manager Jack McKeon said of Templeton, who has certainly led the past two nights.

Friday was his first day back in the lineup after missing three games with a swollen left knee that some worried would be the beginning of the end of him. All he did was go two for four with a double and an RBI with four flawless assists in the field as the Padres won, 8-2.

Then came Saturday, in which Templeton had to face Carman, a left-hander who had mistreated him worse than any pitcher in his 13-year career, holding him hitless in 12 previous at-bats.

“You don’t say?” Templeton asked afterward. “I’ve never even gotten a hit off of him? Man.”

If he sounded surprised, well, in the fourth he lined a single to right. Then in the sixth, with his team leading, 2-1, after Martinez had his fourth RBI in two nights, he was a hit in a couple of ways.

First, about the Phanatic, who spends much of the game taunting opposing players and umpires or racing around the foul lines on his three-wheeled motor scooter.

“I think he’s funny, he’s one of the best in the league,” first baseman Jack Clark said.

“I don’t like him on the field,” McKeon said. “He rides that darn bike all over the place, somebody is going to get hurt. He’s going to run over somebody, and there’s going to be trouble. Those guys belong in the stands.”

Whatever, the beast can dance. And when he approached Templeton in the sixth inning of a tight game, he was just the creature Templeton wanted to see.

“I’m standing there, and all my attention is out on the pitcher, and sometimes it’s good that I think about something else for a second,” Templeton said. “I was glad to see him start dancing. I just tried to groove with him.”

Then, after leadoff hitter Jerald Clark singled and was thrown out attempting to steal, it was Carman’s turn to groove. He threw was was supposed to be a sinker but looked like a fastball, which didn’t confuse Templeton.

“It was right over the middle of the plate, I know that,” said Templeton, who last hit a right-handed homer out of the park on Sept. 5, 1987 against St. Louis. Overall, the switch-hitter has just 20 right-handed homers (34 left-handed).

Those worrying about his knee will be heartened that he made around the bases fine and plans on continuing that mobility until he is too old to care about his knees.

“Everybody who talks about the knee does not know what is going on,” said Templeton, who has started 37 of 44 games at shortstop. “I’m going to get swelling from time to time, it’s going to hurt, but it’s not going to get any worse. And I’ll be playing until I can’t stand it.”

Which at least one Padre hopes is for a long time.

“Having that experience in the lineup, you can’t put a price on that,” said Jack Clark, who had two doubles and scored a run Saturday. “(Templeton) doesn’t get as much recognition as he should. Having him out there keeps us in the game.”

Speaking of recognition, how would you like to be the No. 2 relief pitcher on a team with Mark Davis as No. 1? That is the role taken by Harris, who relieved Rasmussen Saturday with runners on first and second and none out in the sixth. He struck out Dickie Thon, walked Dwayne Murphy, retired Darren Daulton on an RBI groundout and struck out Bob Dernier to end the threat.

In the final three innings, only one other runner reached base, and that was when Harris hit Tommy Herr in the elbow on a two-strike fastball in the seventh. He now has three saves and hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past three appearances (5 2/3 innings). Padre Notes

Although outfielder John Kruk wasn’t following protocol Saturday afternoon behind the batting cage when he asked Manager Jack McKeon, “So, am I playing tomorrow or what?”, yes, Kruk is probably playing today. Look for him to come off the 15-day disabled list against Phillies right-hander Bob Sebra, probably giving Jack Clark a breather in right field. On May 4, Kruk injured his right hip diving for a line drive off the bat of Chicago’s Andre Dawson. Look for outfielder Jerald Clark to be sent down. He has started the past two games and gone three for seven during that time, but he made an error in right Saturday and overall is hitting just .167. . . . Pregame memories involved former Padre Chris Brown, the injury-plagued third baseman who was released by Detroit Friday after hitting .193 in just 17 games. Some players and officials remembered the time he injured his heel tripping over a foul line in Montreal--”The next day I guess they lowered the foul line,” said one. Most, though, remembered his bruised tooth root, suffered when a ball thrown from the outfield in batting practice hit him in the face. “The doctors had a good laugh at that one,” said one Padre. Noted Tim Flannery on the release: “It’s not the first time somebody has had great talent and not done anything with it.”

Larry Bowa, the former Padre and a third base coach for the Phillies since Aug. 11, wistfully watched his old team take batting practice Friday night. “Hey, I hope these guys win it, they’ve got a lot of guys I really like,” Bowa said of the Padres, a team he managed from the winter of 1987 to May 28, 1988. “Tell you what, there’s four on that team that I would have liked to have last year.” He was referring to the acquisitions after McKeon took over--Jack Clark, Walt Terrell, Bruce Hurst and Dennis Rasmussen. Bowa also talked about players he disliked who were finally shipped out after Bowa had departed. “It’s funny how everybody who I said couldn’t play, Jack has finally gotten rid of,” Bowa said. “I didn’t want Chris Brown--he was Chub Feeney’s (former club president) man all the way. I didn’t want Stanley Jefferson. I didn’t want Andy Hawkins. All three guys are struggling someplace else, they are all gone now. But when I was manager I couldn’t get rid of them.”

McKeon has suddenly put on his trader’s hat and spent much of Thursday’s off day and Friday’s pregame time making calls about prospective deals. The Padres’ biggest hopes are with the Seattle Mariners, from whom they would love to pry pitcher Mark Langston. The Mariners want Eric Show and catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. McKeon would also like to do something with the New York Mets, who now don’t need just a catcher (Gary Carter is injured) but also a first baseman (Keith Hernandez is injured). McKeon could gladly accommodate with minor league catcher Alomar Jr. and either of two first baseman--Kruk or Carmelo Martinez. In return, the Padres could pick up center fielder Lenny Dykstra, reliever Rick Aguilera and minor league pitcher David West. McKeon is also talking with the Phillies about reliever Steve Bedrosian or Jeff Parrett and third baseman Chris James.

PADRES AT A GLANCEScorecard

FIRST INNING

Phillies--Dernier singled to center and took second on Santiago’s passed ball. James singled to center, Dernier stopping at third. Herr forced James, Dernier scoring. Jordan grounded to third, Herr taking second. Samuel fouled to first. One run, two hits, one left.

THIRD INNING

Padres--With two out, Gwynn doubled to right. Jack Clark walked. Martinez tripled to center, Gwynn and Clark scoring. Santiago grounded to shortstop. Two runs, two hits, one left.

SIXTH INNING

Padres--Jerald Clark singled to center and was caught stealing. Templeton homered to left, his second. Rasmussen struck out. Ready grounded to shortstop. One run, two hits.

Phillies--Samuel walked. Hayes singled to right, Samuel taking third on right fielder Jerald Clark’s throwing error. Harris replaced Rasmussen. Thon struck out. Murphy, hitting for Lake, walked, loading bases. Daulton, hitting for Carman, grounded to first, Samuel scoring. Dernier struck out. One run, one hit, one error, two left.