Padres’ Games in Yuma Have All Been Canceled

Padres’ entire exhibition season in Yuma, Ariz., has been canceled, according to sources in the office of baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent.

Even if the owners’ lockout of players miraculously ended today, it would be too late to play any of the nine remaining scheduled games at Desert Sun Stadium. Instead, the Padres would pick up their spring-training schedule in Palm Springs against the Angels.

The cancellations, according to Yuma Mayor Bob Tippett, are expected to cost the city $8 million. Because the Padres’ 10-game spring training schedule in the Phoenix area also has been canceled, their absence will cost Arizona about $15.7 million, according to Geoffrey Gonsher, an aide to Arizona Gov. Rose Mofford.

But the Padres could soften the blow to Yuma’s economy if the lockout ends. They still plan a truncated version of spring training in Yuma instead of San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium because of the four baseball fields and facilities at the Ray Kroc Baseball Complex that would be made available to them.

“We decided that if we got the OK, we would stay in Yuma,” said Bill Beck, assistant to Jack McKeon, the Padre manager and vice president/baseball operations. “It would be much better for us to be here with four fields rather than at our place with just one. This is where we want to be.”