MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: THE LOCKOUT AFTERMATH : PADRES : Ready to Roll: Let the Games Begin in Yuma

The door to the Padres’ administrative offices swung open at 5:30 Monday afternoon when a stranger by the name of Bob Frans poked his head inside.

No one paid a bit of attention to him until he opened his mouth, and let out the five most beautiful words the Padres have heard in months: “Your equipment truck is here.”

Poor Frans, he hardly had time to back the truck to the clubhouse door when clubhouse attendants began piling into the back, unloading the truck as if Opening Day was 10 minutes away.

“These guys are pretty anxious, huh?” Frans said, scratching his head.

Well, you can say that, particularly considering that Padre outfielder Tony Gwynn was on Interstate-8 by mid-morning, and already working out at the Padres’ complex in Yuma before lunch hour.

“Hey, our first exhibition game is in eight days, I’ve got to get my hitting in,” Gwynn said. “I’ve got to start seeing some curveballs and sliders.

“Nobody wants to hear anyone complaining once the season starts that they’re not ready. No one wants to hear any excuses. We’ve got to produce as if we’ve been here for six weeks.”

The Padres’ first spring-training game is scheduled for Monday, March 26 against the Angels, but the site has yet to be determined. The original plan was for the Padres to play three games in Palm Springs, but Padre and Angel officials were discussing an alternative Monday night where the Angels would instead play four games in Yuma on March 26-March 29, and the Padres would come to Palm Springs for four games against the Angels on April 2-5.

The Padres will not have their spring-training schedule finalized until today, but sources said that they definitely have called off their original trip to Las Vegas for a game against the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners instead are expected to play March 30-April 1 in Yuma.

The Padres also are discussing a plan with Dodger officials to have opening day April 9 at Dodger Stadium, and then returning to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium April 10 for a three-game series. The National League office has yet to make a decision.

“Ideally, I’d like to have 24 to 25 exhibition games,” said Jack McKeon, manager and vice president/baseball operations, “but that’s going to be impossible. You only have so many days, so you can’t push guys where you’re going to risk injuries.

“Hopefully, most of these guys will already be in shape, but for the few that aren’t we’re going to have to take caution. The thing we’ve got going for us is that we have to rely on our bullpen, and we consider that our strength.”

McKeon will begin to learn just what kind of shape his players are in at 11 a.m. (PST) today with their first official workout. Of course, it’s going to be awhile before he can accurately assess everyone, or even see them, for that matter.

There are expected to be just 18 or 19 major-league players in camp for today’s workout, and the entire 45-man squad isn’t expected to be intact until Thursday.

Heck, it’s going to take some time before the coaches will even be able to arrive. The only major-league coach expected at the workout today is Greg Riddoch, while the rest will be traveling, including pitching coach Pat Dobson, who’s driving from his home in Cape Coral, Fla.

“There’s a lot of makeshift right now,” McKeon said, “and there will be until we can get into a regular routine. You tell me how you’re going to schedule a practice with nine hitters and nine pitchers.

“This ain’t going to be easy.”

Those who figure to suffer most by this shortened spring are the youngsters and non-roster players hoping to make the Padre roster. There’s little time, McKeon said, for any newcomer to make an impression, with precious few spots open, anyway.

McKeon will be allowed to have 27 players on his roster for three weeks after the start of the season, and he figures to use at least one of the three extra spots with a relief pitcher.

“It will help a little, but really, all you’re doing is clogging up your roster,” he said. “What we’ll probably do with the extra guys is have them go out there on occasion for the regulars. You may lose a few games early, but it’s better than having guys get hurt and losing them for six to seven weeks.

“You’ve got a lot of problems that are coming up now, but I’ll tell you what, it’s sure a whole lot more fun around here than it was a couple of days ago.”