NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : PADRES UPDATE : Abner Eager for McIlvaine to Make Good on Trade Vow

The meeting occurred nearly three weeks ago behind closed doors in the Padre clubhouse. During the meeting, Padre General Manager Joe McIlvaine and outfielder Shawn Abner came to an agreement that Abner would be traded.

McIlvaine vowed he would trade Abner within a few days. Abner thanked him. Eighteen days later, Abner still waits, growing more distraught by the day.

“I ain’t doing nothin’ but taking up a roster spot,” Abner said. “I’m not playing, and I won’t be playing. I’m stuck.

“All I can do is sit here and bitch.”

Abner opened the season as the Padres’ starting center fielder, but after hitting .171 the first month, he was taken out of the lineup and has disappeared from their plans. He was last an everyday player May 12 and has not started a game since May 29.

“I get a chance to pinch-run or play when it’s 15 to nothing,” Abner said. “And how often is that going to happen? It’s obvious I’m not going to have another chance to play here, and I don’t blame them. I screwed it up, basically.

“This is the worst it’s ever been for me. At least before I’d start once in a while, and come in and play defense. But now, nothing.

“It’s embarrassing to get my check every two weeks. It’s like charity. But the thing that hurts is that I’m out of options, and they don’t seem to want to take a chance of sending me down.”

McIlvaine said the Padres still are trying to work out a deal for Abner and confirmed last week that they have had talks with the Chicago White Sox. Sources said the Padres are interested in acquiring outfielder Cory Snyder in return.

“I don’t know if nobody wants me or what,” Abner said, “but I don’t want to rot here forever.”

The Padres still have not announced their pitching plans for Thursday against the Dodgers, but it has been decided that Greg Harris will start. It’ll be Harris’ first start since April 22 when he threw one pitch against the San Francisco Giants and was placed on the disabled list with tendinitis in his right elbow.

The Padres still are trying to decide who to take off the roster to make room for Harris, but sources said they’ve narrowed their choices to John Costello (0-0, 2.93 ERA) or Jose Melendez (3-3, 4.12 ERA).

When the Padres make final their decision tonight or Thursday, it will be their 39th and 40th roster moves of the season.

The Padres also are expected to activate first baseman Phil Stephenson during the All-Star break. He’ll likely take the place of Abner or catcher Brian Dorsett.

The Padres not only have allowed the most home runs in the National League this season, but they also have the largest differential between homers and homers allowed. They have hit 49 homers this season, the seventh-highest total in the league, and allowed 79.

Following are the homers hit by each team and number allowed, entering Tuesday’s games:

Chicago: 81 homers; 50 allowed; +31.

Cincinnati: 75 homers; 57 allowed; +18.

New York: 60 homers; 47 allowed; +13.

Pittsburgh: 52 homers; 44 allowed; +8.

Dodgers: 46 homers; 39 allowed; +7.

San Francisco: 64 homers; 59 allowed; +5.

Atlanta 60 homers; 55 allowed; +5

Philadelphia: 46 homers; 49 allowed; -3

Montreal: 45 homers; 56 allowed; -11.

Houston: 34 homers; 54 allowed; -20.

St. Louis: 23 homers; 46 allowed; -23.

Padres: 49 homers; 79 allowed; -30.

The good news for the Padres is that 50 of the homers allowed have come with the bases empty. There have been 19 two-run homers, seven two-run homers and three grand slams.

But 38 of the homers have either tied the game or put the opposition ahead.

The pitchers who have been victimized most:

Andy Benes, 13; Ed Whitson, 12; and Bruce Hurst, 10. Rich Rodriguez leads all relievers on the Padres, surrendering six homers.

Dodger left fielder Kal Daniels was scratched from the lineup Tuesday because of a sore left knee. He was replaced by Chris Gwynn, the younger brother of Tony Gwynn. . . . Padre reliever Pat Clements, who had a cortisone shot in his left shoulder last week, will attempt to throw on the side today. “I’ve learned not to get my hopes up,” said Clements, who has been on the disabled list since April 25. . . . Chris Berman, the ESPN announcer who has a nickname for virtually everyone in baseball, informed Padre Manager Greg Riddoch that he finally has one for him: Greg “Razor” Riddoch. . . . The Padres’ day off Monday was their first in San Diego without having to travel since May 6. . . . The Padres will play the second game of their three-game series against the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. today. Hurst (9-4) and Bobby Ojeda (6-5) are the scheduled starters.