Roberts, Padres Settle for One Year, $875,000

It was just three years ago when Bip Roberts ripped off his uniform, began to walk out the clubhouse door, and right out of the game of baseball.

“I was gone,” Roberts said. “I headed toward the door, and once I walked out, I knew I wasn’t coming back. I was gone.”

But before reaching the door, Rob Picciolo, the triple-A coach at Las Vegas, grabbed his arm, sat him down, and coerced him to give baseball one more try.

There have been plenty of days since that Roberts has been grateful for heeding that advice, but perhaps never more so than Monday when he reached an agreement with the Padres on a one-year contract that will pay him $875,000.

Roberts, coming off his best season, more than quadrupled his $190,000 salary in 1990 with the agreement, and avoided a pending arbitration hearing in which he sought $950,000 while the Padres offered $762,500.

“I’m going to give my mom a call and find out what she wants,” Roberts said. “But nothing’s really changed for me, it’s just that we’ve come into a whole lot of money.

“I’m going to be the same. I don’t want to change anything. It’s been an awful lot of hard work, and obviously I’ve had a lot of motivation, and it’s paid off.”

Roberts, who was taught the importance of being able to play an array of positions by Picciolo, was rewarded for his talents by being named the Padres’ Most Valuable Player last season. He batted .309, tying Tony Gwynn for the team lead, scored a team-high 104 runs and stole a team-high 46 bases.

And while proving that he can play every position but catcher these past 1 1/2 seasons, Roberts also has become one of the most proficient leadoff hitters in the game.

“When I prepared Bip’s arbitration case,” agent Scott Boras said, “I found out he was one of the premier leadoff hitters in baseball. He’s right there with Rickey Henderson, and he’s well ahead of Brett Butler and Lenny Dykstra.

“We did about 20 different studies on him, and Bip rated high in every one of them.”

Roberts also has become one of the most popular celebrities in town, and ever so quickly, is emerging as one of the team spokesmen. When a sportscaster recently denounced the Padres, saying there was no reason for anyone to bother watching their games, it was Roberts who lashed back at the station with an on-the-air editorial.

“I do want to show more leadership this year,” Roberts said, “but I can’t say I’m a spokesman. I just wanted to let everyone know we’re going to play to win.

“If we’re not, we shouldn’t receive our paychecks.”

Roberts’ settlement leaves the Padres with two pending arbitration cases. First baseman Fred McGriff is seeking $3.3 million, while the Padres have offered $2.225 million. Catcher Benito Santiago has filed for $2.5 million, while the Padres countered with $1.65 million.