PADRES : McIlvaine Gets Look at Alomar Jr.

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, pointed toward the player standing by the Cleveland Indians’ bench, and asked if it was him. The player’s identity confirmed, McIlvaine stared at him, watching him take cuts in the batting cage.

This was catcher Sandy Alomar Jr., the American League Rookie of the Year.

This was the guy McIlvaine had a chance to obtain him when the executive was with the New York Mets and the Padres were seeking Lenny Dykstra.

And this was the player McIlvaine was told would never hit major league pitching.

“I sent three of my best scouts to see Alomar,” McIlvaine said, “and none of them liked him. None of them thought he was going to hit in the big leagues. None of them.

“I asked them how many homers could he hit in the big leagues? They told me he’d be lucky if he hits five.

“I asked them how many runs would he drive in if he were able to play a full season? They told me he’d be lucky if he drove in 50.”

McIlvaine then was reminded that Alomar, 24, hit .290 last season with nine homers and 66 RBIs, becoming the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star game.

“We all make mistakes, don’t we?” McIlvaine said, shaking his head.

Said Alomar: “I really don’t care what the scouts say. One guy said that Tony Gwynn was not going to make it in the big leagues. Remember that? I think he was with the Mets, too.

“Those scouts who said I could hit have a job. Those who said I couldn’t probably are fired.”

Sandy Alomar Jr., on the fact that two years ago there were three Alomars on the Padres, and now there are none.

“It used to be, ‘Remember the Alomars,’ ” he said.

“Now it’s, ‘Forget the Alomars.’ ”

Padre starter Dennis Rasmussen has a tender left shoulder and was unable to pitch Wednesday in his scheduled appearance. He is expected to be sidelined a few more days before he pitches again.

“I threw about 15 pitches on the side,” Rasmussen said, “but then I decided I better shut it down. I actually felt the pain after I pitched last week, but it just won’t go away. Hopefully, I’ll be OK in a few days. We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Joe McIlvaine revealed Wednesday that most of his trades and acquisitions since becoming Padre general manager have been difficult because the Padres left him without any major league scouting reports. Not only were none left by the scouting department, he said, but Manager Greg Riddoch and his coaching staff also did not fill out reports.

“I didn’t have anything,” McIlvaine said. “I’ve been having to fly a lot by the seat of my pants on the moves we’ve made.”

Was he surprised?

“Very surprised,” he said. “I guarantee it won’t happen again.”

Padre Notes

Padre reliever Rich Rodriguez provided some comic relief in the eighth inning of the Padres’ 4-2 exhibition victory over the Cleveland Indians. When Rodriguez attempted to throw his first pitch, he slipped and fell to the mound. The crowd of 3,905 laughed heartily, while Rodriguez slowly stood up and tipped his hat. “There were four guys flashing cards like a gymnast,” Manager Greg Riddoch said. “We gave him a 7. I told him from now on, he better replace those divots on the mound.”

Padre third baseman Jim Presley hit a 440-foot home run in the fifth inning, becoming the first player this spring to clear the 40-foot wall in center field. It was his second home run in two days. . . . Catcher Benito Santiago also homered in the fifth off rookie Eric Bell. . . . Catcher Tom Lampkin, who was acquired last season in a trade for Alex Cole, went two for four with a double against his former teammates. . . . Outfielder Jerald Clark, playing in his first “A” game of the spring after being sidelined with a pulled hamstring, went one for two with a double. . . . Starter Bruce Hurst won his second game of the spring, allowing just two singles in four innings.

Outfielder Jim Vatcher, making a bid for a spot on the team, had his third assist of the spring when he threw out Ever Magallanes at third base. . . . Tony Gwynn, who was the toughest hitter in the major leagues to strike out last season, averaging only one every 27.3 at-bats, struck out in the first inning Wednesday by Rod Nichols on a called third strike. . . . The Padres will play the Chicago Cubs at 12:05 p.m. (PST) today. Andy Benes is scheduled to make his first start of the spring. He’s expected to be followed by Calvin Schiraldi, John Costello and Candy Sierra. The Padres will also play a “B” game against the Angels. Frank Seminara and Frank DiMichele are the scheduled pitchers. . . . Individual game tickets for all Padres home games go on sale Monday at the Advance Ticket Window, Gate C, at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium. Tickets are also available by writing to San Diego Padres, P.O. Box 2000, San Diego, CA, 92112-2000 or by calling Teleseat at 452-SEAT.