Gebhard Among Top Padre GM Candidates

Bob Gebhard, vice president/player personnel of the Minnesota Twins, has been established as one of the leading candidates to fill the Padres’ vacant general manager position, sources said Tuesday.

Gebhard, 46, is being interviewed a second time by the Padres in San Francisco, and was in attendance Tuesday night during the Padres’ 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants at Candlestick Park.

It’s unknown who is conducting the interviews in San Francisco, but Gebhard told two people that he has been interviewing the past two days. Keith Matson, one of the general partners, is the only Padre owner who has attended the past two games, according to Padre officials. Yet, it’s possible that other owners took flights to San Francisco and left before the games.

Gebhard and Dan Duquette, assistant general manager of the Montreal Expos, are believed to be only the candidates who have twice been interviewed by the Padres. Gehbard also was interviewed about 2 1/2 weeks ago in Los Angeles.

The other candidates who have been interviewed once, according to sources within and outside the Padre organization, are: Gordon Ash, assistant general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays; Roger Jongewaard, vice president/scouting and player development of the Seattle Mariners; and Walt Jocketty, director of baseball administration of the Oakland Athletics.

Gebhard, according to several baseball administrators outside the Padre organization, is the most experienced and perhaps most viable of the candidates interviewed. A former major league pitcher and pitching coach with the Twins, Gehbard has been a minor league coordinator, and director of minor league operations since joining the Twins front-office in November, 1986.

“Cripes, who could be better qualified than Geb?” said Andy MacPhail, Twins executive vice president/baseball. “It’d be a huge blow to us, but there comes a time when you know a guy’s ready, and I’m telling you, he’s ready.

“He’s got the ideal background and qualifications for the job, and I’m sure that’s why the Padres are so interested.”

In another development Tuesday, right fielder Danny Tartabull of the Kansas City Royals revealed in a telephone interview that he has requested a trade to the Padres, Angels or Dodgers.

Tartabull, 27, said Tuesday that he informed Royal General Manager John Schuerholz of his request two months ago. Dennis Gilbert, Tartabull’s agent, confirmed that he telephoned Schuerhholz, telling him that Tartabull is unhappy in Kansas City, and will leave as a free agent at the end of the 1991 season if he is not traded. He also said that the only three teams with which Tartabull is willing to sign a long-term contract are the three Southern California teams.

“I’d be the happiest kid in the world if I got traded to San Diego,” said Tartabull, who lives in Malibu in the off-season. “They know I want out of here, and they know I want to be in San Diego. That’d be ideal for me.

“I know (Padre Manager) Greg Riddoch from my days in Cincinnati, and I’d really love to play for that guy. It’s also a thing where I like the guys on the team there, I love the ballpark, and I’d be close to home.

“Reggie (Jackson) was talking to me the other day, saying how he’s pushing the Angels to trade for me, which would be nice too. But San Diego, that’s my first choice.”

Tartabull, who has been hampered by groin and calf injuries this season, is hitting .300 with 15 homers and 58 RBIs in just 300 at-bats. Jack McKeon, who was fired Saturday as Padre vice president/baseball operations, attempted several times in the past three seasons to trade for him, including once this summer, but failed.

It’s unlikely that the Padres will have any trade discussions with the Royals until they have a general manager in place, but when asked about Tartabull, Riddoch said: “You’d be crazy not to want a player like that. You just don’t know what it would take to get him.”

As for the game Tuesday, well, let’s just say the most exciting aspect was the earthquake that occurred in the fifth inning, registering 3.3 on the richter scale, and knocking out a bank of lights at Candlestick.

And the loudest ovation generated by the crowd of 10,195, was in response to the scoreboard notification that the Oakland Athletics had clinched the American League West title, drawing a loud mixture of boos and cheers.

Otherwise, the Padres lost their seventh consecutive game, with Andy Benes (10-10) surrendering home runs to rookies Steve Decker, his second, and Mike Benjamin, his third. Mark Dewey, pitching in relief of Rick Reuschel, won his first major league game.

Padre Notes

The most difficult aspect of Manager Greg Riddoch’s daily routine? Just finding warm players to fill out a lineup. The Padres played Tuesday’s game without the services of third baseman/outfielder Bip Roberts (sore knees), outfielder Fred Lynn (pulled groin), second baseman Roberto Alomar (strained left elbow) and outfielder Tony Gwynn (fractured finger), leaving them with 23 able-bodied players. “It’s a skeleton crew right now,” Riddoch said. “I wish we had called up a few more guys from Triple-A. That’ll change next year, let me tell you.” . . . One player who was ruled out, but has made a dramatic comeback, is catcher Tom Lampkin. Lampkin was declared to be out for the season in August when he suffered strained ligaments in his right thumb, requiring a cast. But the cast has come off, rehabiliation began, and there he was Tuesday, taking batting practice, and grounding out to third in the seventh inning as a pinch-hitter. Lampkin is scheduled to even start a game in Cincinnati. “I feel pretty good, actually,” Lampkin said. “I thought I could play maybe a week ago, but the doctors just gave me clearance today. I’m ready when they’re ready.” . . . Lynn said he initially sustained his injury Monday while running in the outfield, which is torn apart because of Sunday’s football game. “It’s right there with the worst conditions I’ve played on,” he said. “When you have sod just thrown on dirt out there, you’re asking for trouble.” . . . Giant left fielder Kevin Mitchell was kept out of the lineup because of extreme pain in his right wrist, and said Tuesday that he will have surgery once the season ends. “This is just killing me,” said Mitchell, who’s in a five-for-38 slump. . . . Giant pitcher Steve Bedrosian, who has endured a season while his three-year-old son has been undergoing treatment for leukemia, was selected by his teammates Tuesday as winner of the Willie Mac Award, signifying him as the Giants’ most inspirational player. Bedrosian, 32, received the plaque from Willie McCovey, the Giants Hall of Famer, in pre-game ceremonies . . . The Padres will play the final game of their three-game series against the Giants at 12:35 p.m. today. Dennis Rasmussen (11-14) and Don Robinson (10-7) are the scheduled starters.