Bats, Uniforms Stolen From Padres

Someone broke into an equipment storage area in San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium in the past 12 days and stole several dozen Padre bats and several uniform shirts, Doug Duennes, director of stadium operations, said Friday.

The theft was discovered by Brian Prilaman, Padre equipment manager, during batting practice.

According to a club source who asked not to be identified, Tony Gwynn sent a clubhouse boy to the storage area near the team’s indoor batting cage for some bats. When the boy returned empty-handed, saying he didn’t see any bats, Prilaman went and discovered the equipment missing.

Duennes said he is not sure when the theft took place.

“We can’t pin it down at this point,” he said. “Sometime between last home stand (which ended May 20) and this one.”

Duennes said someone cut through a chain-link fence to get to the equipment. A club source said most of the bats and jerseys taken belonged to some of the bigger names on the Padres, players such as Gwynn, Joe Carter and Jack Clark. Among the missing items, according to the source, were more than 100 bats, including five dozen belonging to Gwynn.

“It’s a fair number,” Duennes said. “I don’t know the exact number, but it’s considerable.”

The Padres first turned the matter over to stadium security but planned to make a police report late Friday night after finishing inventory.

Prilaman said the team had ordered enough bats to last through the season but now would must order more. For the time being, though, none of the players will be short because the team keeps a supply in the clubhouse as well as the storage area.