PADRE NOTES : Kapstein Promises a Team With Promise

In Jerry Kapstein’s whirlwind tour through the Padres’ spring-training camp Sunday as the club’s chief executive, he produced such a variety of campaign promises that players were confused whether they still were in Yuma or standing on Capitol Hill.

Listen up:

--Kapstein pledged that the Padres will be a contending team in 1990, and one that will make all of San Diego proud.

--Promised the players that their wives now will have a stadium lounge, along with increased security at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

--Vowed that the wives will have a bus available for them to travel to Dodger Stadium for the season-opener, and a bus to transport them from the stadium to the hotel at all road games in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

--Announced that former Padre pitcher Dave Dravecky, who retired last year from baseball because of cancer, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Padre home-opener April 10.

--Assured the city of Yuma that they will make all attempts to extend their spring-training lease past 1991.

Any questions?

“I did a little research with the players and their wives,” Kapstein said, “and I got a general feeling that the players and their wives were not satisfied with the arrangement. So we’re going to remedy it. They’ve had to sit outside in the parking lot for their husbands, so I asked our people to come up with facilities for the wives where they’ll be comfortable and secure at the games.

“This is the first thing I wanted to do for our players. For a franchise that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars furnishing offices, we should at least have a wives’ room where they’ll be comfortable. It only makes sense.”

Kapstein, who addressed the team for 10 minutes before they took the field, spent the rest of the morning surveying the Padres for the first time since being hired a month ago by owner Joan Kroc to oversee all operations. In just two hours, he came away believing that this 1990 season might be the most special in Padre history.

“I’ve been tremendously impressed,” he said. “There’s an attitude and spirit that’s very positive. It’s a great feeling knowing that this club has an excellent chance to win the division.

“The worst thing that can happen in spring training is coming and seeing everyone working hard, and knowing in your gut that you don’t have a chance. Knowing you’ll be out of it in June. It’s so nice to know that we have a legitimate chance. It’s foolish to say we have a great club before we start playing. But I know it has talent. It has chemistry. It has a very strong work ethic.

“It’s going to be an impressive lineup. We’ve got speed at the top of the order, power in the middle of the order, and we have guys protecting each other throughout the lineup.

“There’s nothing like legitimate optimism in the spring.”

The Padres pitching rotation has been set for the season: Bruce Hurst will pitch the season-opener April 9 against the Dodgers, and will be followed by Eric Show, Andy Benes, Dennis Rasmussen and Ed Whitson.

“It’s a great honor to pitch opening day,” Hurst said, “but I don’t want to make too much out of it. It’s the day everybody looks forward to. That’s the game that’s always sold out, and then you have 15,000 the next game.

“But I don’t want to blow it out of proportion. When I retire, it’s not going to be a thing where I say, ‘Gee, how many opening days did I pitch.”

Hurst is 0-1 with one no-decision in his two previous opening day starts. His last season-opener was in 1986 for Boston against the Detroit Tigers. Hurst carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning. He walked the leadoff hitter, and was relieved by Lee Smith. Smith recorded the next two outs, but then gave up a two-run homer to Alan Trammell, resulting in a 2-1 defeat.

“I’ll never forget the headline of the Boston Herald the next day,” Hurst said. “ ‘Wait ‘til Next Year.’ ”

Andy Benes, who has tendinitis in his right shoulder, said that he felt much better Sunday during batting practice. He still has some soreness, but pitching coach Pat Dobson said that he pitched the best since camp opened.

“I just want to go out there and cut loose,” Benes said, “but I know I can’t do that right now.”

The Padres will make up their three canceled games against the Dodgers on Oct. 1-3 at Dodger Stadium, according to sources. Their three lost home games against the Cincinnati Reds, sources say, will be made up July 25 as part of a double header; Aug. 1, which originally was a scheduled off-day; and either Sept. 21 or Sept. 22, as part of a double header. Their official revised schedule is expected to be announced today by the National League office.

The Padres open their Cactus League schedule at 12:05 p.m. PST today against the Angels at Desert Sun Stadium. The Padres’ lineup, Padre Manager Jack McKeon said, will be: Bip Roberts, SS; Roberto Alomar, 2B; Tony Gwynn, RF; Fred Lynn, LF; Mark Parent, C; Mike Pagliarulo, 3B; Shawn Abner, CF; Rob Nelson, 1B; and Bruce Hurst, P. Four of the Padres’ regular starters--first baseman Jack Clark, center fielder Joe Carter, catcher Benito Santiago and shortstop Garry Templeton--will not even suit up, McKeon said.

The Padres, who have a “B” game Tuesday against the Angels, added another “B” game Friday against the Seattle Mariners. They now will play nine games in the first six days, with a double header scheduled Saturday.

“We have to get as many games in as possible,” McKeon said. “You can practice all you want, but it’s not the same as game action.”