Padres’ Loss Bad Memory for Schiraldi

Calvin Schiraldi winced. He rolled his eyes to the heavens Sunday, and then slammed his eyelids shut. It was happening again.

Why won’t anyone let him forget? Why is he constantly being reminded of an episode in his life that occurred four years ago? Why are people refusing to allow the issue to die?

It was a bad enough feeling, Schiraldi said, being the losing pitcher Sunday in the Padres’ 6-2 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds at Riverfront Stadium.

He felt crummy enough knowing that a victory would have moved the Padres to within 12 games of the Reds, but instead, allowed a large dose of reality to set in that they have no chance of getting back in the National League race.

And Lord only knows how he dreads going back to the bullpen, after making his second emergency start of the season.

But now, of all times, he was reminded again of the 1986 World Series, a time in his life which should have been forever cherished, but has turned into four years of anguish.

“I don’t think it’s fair that I should be blamed for what happened,” he said, “and I don’t think what happened then has any affect on what’s happening with me now.”

Yet, the man who was the ace of the Boston Red Sox bullpen down the stretch in 1986, once again is exasperating the patience of another team, leaving those wondering if Calvin Drew Schiraldi ever again will be an effective pitcher in the major leagues.

“What happened to him had to be devastating,” said Pat Dobson, Padre pitching coach, “knowing that you were the No. 1 factor in the reason they collapsed.

“It never should have happened. Whoever was managing (John McNamara) should have taken him out early, but instead he hung him out to dry. That would tear apart anybody.

“A guy who comes up his first year like that, your teammates count on him in the line of duty, and that happens. Man. . . . It’s not like the Boston fans are the most forgiving . . . fans in the world, either.

“How do you think he must have felt with his teammates looking at him, and thinking, ‘You . . . , you cost us 30 grand, you SOB.

“There’s not too many guys that wouldn’t wear on.”

Schiraldi was just a 23-year-old kid when it happened. He was called up to the big leagues July 18, 1986, and went 4-2 with nine saves and a 1.73 ERA down the stretch. If not for Schiraldi, McNamara, said, the Red Sox likely would never have won the American League East division.

Along came the playoffs, and the World Series. He had lost the fourth game of the playoffs, but bounced back to save Game 5 against the Angels, and then saved the first game of the World Series against the New York Mets.

But then came Game 6 of the World Series. He was standing on the mound in the 10th inning, owning a two-run lead, and there were two outs. His teammates were standing on the top step of the dugout. The TV camera crews were in the Red Sox clubhouse, ready to film the championship presentation.

Schiraldi, sitting in his locker, began recalling the vivid memory as if it happened hours ago.

“(Gary) Carter hit a fastball against me on a 2-1 pitch, it was a base hit to left,” he says, looking blankly ahead. “(Kevin) Mitchell then hit a hanging slider. Ray Knight had a broken-bat single over Marty Barrett’s head.

“I don’t know, it just got so strange, it was as if the game was meant to be.”

Bob Stanley came into the game trying to preserve the Red Sox’s first World Series championship since 1918, but instead, threw a wild pitch, and watched Mookie Wilson’s ground ball trickle through the legs of Bill Buckner, while Knight came across the plate with the winning run.

Schiraldi was called again to pitch in Game 7 with the score tied at 3-apiece. But Schiraldi admittedly was not prepared for this night. He gave up a homer to Knight, and before he knew it, the World Series was over. The Mets were champions. The Red Sox had once again broken the heart of all of New England.

“It was rough on him,” said Bruce Hurst, who was Schiraldi’s teammate in Boston. “He was young. It was his first year. It was a tough thing for anyone to go through.”

Schiraldi denies even to this day that the World Series has had a lasting effect on his career. Sure, it was painful. More painful than perhaps anyone will ever know.

But if you want to know the truth, Schiraldi says, he shouldn’t have been a reliever in the first place. He’s a starter. He always has been, and if anyone will ever gives him the opportunity again, he always will be.

Schiraldi, who started Sunday because of tendinitis in the right wrist of Eric Show, yielded nine hits and five runs in seven innings. He gave up a two-run homer to Hal Morris in the fourth inning, and a solo homer to Billy Hatcher in the seventh. But otherwise, the Padres say, his performance was satisfactory.

In fact, this was the first time Schiraldi lost a game in his six career starts with the Padres. He still owns a 4-1 record as a starter, allowing 24 hits in 32 1/3 innings with a 3.34 ERA.

So, considering that Schiraldi is 2-4 with a 3.76 ERA as a starter since joining the Padres with only one save, which role do you think he prefers?

“It’s obvious, isn’t it,” he said. “I think the biggest reason is because one pitch can’t hurt me. I don’t know, sometime when I come into the game in relief and I know one pitch can hurt me, I throw it.

“I just get a brain cramp. I just don’t do the things I should do in relief as I do as a starter. It’s like I don’t know what I should do with two strikes. When I get two strikes on a hitter, I should bury them, but I’m just not doing it.

“I’ve had a tough time with the whole thing. I’ve had a tough time with runners on base. The statistics show I stink with inherited runners (16 consecutive runners have scored).

“It’s not like I’m trying to screw up, it just happens.”

Dobson says that Schiraldi indeed does belong in the rotation, and really doesn’t have the arm suited for relief. His arm prevents him from pitching effectively on back-to-back days, and often times needs three days between appearances.

“But the biggest thing,” Dobson said, “is that there are relievers’ minds, and there are starters’ minds, and we’re trying to make a reliever out of a starter.

“Everybody knows, if you’re going to get the most out of him, he should be a starting pitcher. But it’s not happening here.”

So, considering the way Schiraldi feels about returning to the bullpen, Dobson was asked, just what will this do to his mind?

Dobson thought momentarily, hesitated, and said:

“Fry it.”

“Sorry,” Dobson said, “that’s the only word I could think of.”

Schiraldi didn’t put up an argument, either.

Padre Notes

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch had a 30-minute closed door meeting Sunday morning with infielder/outfielder Bip Roberts to talk about his early departure in Saturday’s game. Roberts left the game in the fifth inning because of tightness in his right hamstring, drawing the wrath of Riddoch. Roberts stayed awake Saturday night pondering the criticism, and then asked to meet with Riddoch when he entered the clubhouse. “We’re on the same page now, everything’s smoothed out,” Riddoch said. “The big thing I wanted to get across is that if he is hurting, let me know. Don’t be superman. When a guy starts the game, and then has to leave, it puts us at a disadvantage. I told him I want him to be my Jose Oquendo. I want him to play five days a week, and to be strong throughout the season. I don’t want it to be like last year when he lost 15 pounds by the end of the season.” Roberts, who has been bothered by a tender hamstring most of the season, said that he understood Riddoch’s point, and that the air has been cleared.. . . Well, with the Padres’ first off-day since the All-Star Game, what do the boys have in mind? “I think I’m going to get a tattoo,” Padre first baseman Jack Clark said. “Really. I don’t know what I’ll get, but I’ll get something neat. Me and Pags (Mike Pagliarulo) have been talking about it, so I think that will be the day.” Oh. . . . Padre catcher Benito Santiago is scheduled to end his rehabilitation assignment this week in triple-A Las Vegas and join the Padres on Friday in Houston. The Padres are expected to option third baseman Eddie Williams or pitcher John Davis to Las Vegas to make room for Santiago on the roster. The Padres, however, are leaning toward keeping Davis, who rescued Rich Rodriguez out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth by retiring Hatcher on a ground ball and inducing Jose Rijo to hit into a double-play. . . . Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn has gone 75 consecutive plate appearances without striking out. He has the lowest strikeout percentage in the major leagues, striking out just 18 times in 466 plate appearances. . . . The Reds are working on a trade with the New York Yankees, sources said, that would bring them left-handed reliever Greg Cadaret. “We need a left-hander in the pen real bad,” Reds Manager Lou Piniella said. “That’s become very obvious.” . . . The Reds turned down a trade with the Houston Astros last week, sources said, that would have sent them starter Mike Scott in exchange for starter Scott Scudder. “That was a real stupid move on our part,” said one Reds’ pitcher. . . . Padre outfielder Joe Carter’s grand slam in the 11th inning Saturday night was the first in extra innings in Padre history. Carter added two more RBIs Sunday when Hatcher misplayed his routine fly ball, giving him 12 RBIs for the series. . . . Padre catcher Tom Lampkin, returning to his birthplace for the time first since making the big leagues, left 140 tickets during the four-game series. His 91-year-old grandmother was in attendance Sunday and watched Lampkin throw out Paul O’Neill attempting to steal second in the first inning. Lampkin has now thrown out five of eight baserunners this season. . . . Padre pitcher Mike Dunne’s wife, Pam, had a baby girl Sunday, nine pounds, 12 ounces. . . . Jack McKeon, Padre vice president/baseball operations, ended his scouting trip Sunday and joined the Padres in Atlanta where he will watch the upcoming four-game series beginning with Tuesday’s doubleheader. . . . Jack Clark, who has started 11 consecutive games, is expected to be rested Wednesday in Atlanta, providing Phil Stephenson with a start.