O’Neal to Cost Chargers; Padres Miss Certain Utility Infielder

Bits and pieces . . .

If my name is Leslie O’Neal, there is no way in the world I sign a Charger contract until I see what rookie Junior Seau gets.

What we’re talking here is chain reaction. Tampa Bay signed Keith McCants for a reported $7.4 million for five years. Seau, taken one pick behind McCants in the draft, will be looking to move into that same financial neighborhood.

What, then, would an established star such as Leslie O’Neal be worth? Alex Spanos has probably put together apartment projects for less. . . .

Do you know who the Padres really miss this year?

They miss a guy who batted .231 in 1989 and had all of nine runs scored and eight driven in and had five extra base hits . . . all doubles.

No, not Mark Davis.

This guy had competitive fire, determination, drive and intensity. He was the quintessential overachiever. What he represented was the exact opposite of what the 1990 Padres have become.

You’ve guessed it by now.

Tim Flannery. . . .

Who are you going to believe? Dan Fouts or Chuck Muncie?

Just asking. . . .

Sooner or later . . . probably sooner . . . Eric Show’s career with the Padres is going to come to an end. Unfortunately, because of his struggles this year, he will likely go at swap meet prices.

Indeed, Jack McKeon will have to be quite careful when he trades Show, because this is a deal that could blow up in his face.

Given another year to rebound from his 1989 back surgery as well as the benefit of a full spring training, Show could well turn around and put together a 15-victory season. It may seem far-fetched right now . . . but it isn’t. . . .

Once again, we have a summer of intrigue in the Major Indoor Soccer League. It just wouldn’t be summer without it.

The St. Louis Storm is on shaky ground, but the Sockers’ Ron Fowler is prepared to stick with it as long as none of the other six franchises follow the Storm into the tank.

The thing is that St. Louis owner Milan Mandaric has bucks but merely wants to bring in help to cut his losses. If help doesn’t arrive in St. Louis, look for Mandaric to join financial forces with other MISL ownership in similar straits.

Know anybody like that? . . .

Greg Riddoch certainly has not gotten the best of it in his first week as Padre manager.

Ideally, he would like to have some time to work with weaknesses such as hitting, defense and counting to three, but the four days in Pittsburgh were spent dodging rain drops, and then came two afternoon games in three days in Chicago.

Consequently, practice time has been virtually non-existent.

I hope he has done some work on rules, such as how many runners are allowed on a given base at a given time and when a runner can leave third base on an fly ball out and how to return to a base after a fly ball is caught.

You know, complicated stuff. . . .

It’s hard to believe, but only four major league teams were further from first place than the Padres after Monday night’s games.

Does anyone have any nominations for any more disappointing team in the history of San Diego sports?

It would be hard to imagine. . . .

The Chargers used to live in fear of the notion that Dan Fouts would get hurt and anyone else had to come in and play quarterback. Interestingly, they should be even more apprehensive going into the 1990 season. Billy Joe Tolliver is no Dan Fouts, to be sure, but he has a veritable vacuum behind him at the position. . . .

Why don’t the Padres just let Eddie Williams play out the string at third base and see what he does? We’ve seen (and heard) Mike Pagliarulo. . . .

Jim McMahon should have a comfortable autumn in Philadelphia, unless . . .

* A sportswriter asks him a question.

*Or Buddy Ryan asks him to play.

He doesn’t have the charm to handle the former nor the arm to handle the latter. . . .

Another former San Diegan, Walt Terrell, joins the Jim McMahon Society for Inflated Feelings of Self-Worth.

Pittsburgh had the audacity to ask Terrell to accept a minor league assignment, undoubtedly because he had a 2-7 record with a 5.88 earned run average.

Terrell refused, choosing instead to entertain offers from other major league teams. I hope he accepts collect telephone calls . . . because he may not be worth anyone else’s dime. . . . Final score just in: Padres lose, 7-2, on five unearned runs. Yawn. Wake me up for the opening kickoff.