PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Thanks to His Fans, Whitson Enjoys a Solid-Gold Outing

Padre starter Ed Whitson normally isn’t the superstitious type, but after his performance Friday night in which he won his first game since May 20, well, let’s just say he plans to pitch with that gold coin around his neck the rest of the season.

Whitson, thoroughly frustrated this season by an elbow injury and lack of run support, walked to his car one night when an elderly couple stopped him. They introduced themselves, and after reading about Whitson’s avid interest in fishing, asked if he collected antique rods and reels.

“Well, no,” Whitson said, but as the words came out of his mouth, they showed him two original, 55-year-old trout rods. They were about the prettiest things Whitson had ever seen. Then he ran into them again the other day.

This time, to help his luck, they gave Whitson a $5 gold coin, minted in 1898. Whitson brought the coin with him to San Francisco, kept it in his pocket and pitched his finest game in nearly two months Friday, beating the Giants, 4-2.

“I’m going to put this baby on a chain and wear it around my neck,” Whitson said. “It’s my good-luck charm. It’s something, isn’t it?

“I mean, I didn’t even know those people, and they did something like that for me.

“Unbelievable.”

Now, if only Whitson can find some way to split that good-luck coin with Andy Benes.

In tribute to this week’s All-Star game, the ex-Padre player of the week goes to all those who made the All-Star team after being shipped off by the Padres:

Shortstop Ozzie Smith of St. Louis: Traded in 1982 for Garry Templeton.

First baseman John Kruk of Philadelphia: Traded along with Randy Ready in 1989 for Chris James.

Outfielder Joe Carter of Toronto: Traded in package last winter Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez.

Second baseman Roberto Alomar of Toronto: See above.

Catcher Sandy Alomar of Cleveland: Traded in 1989 in a package for Carter.

Shortstop Ozzie Guillen of the Chicago White Sox: Traded in 1984 in a package for pitcher LaMarr Hoyt.

Special honor: Outfielder Danny Tartabull of the Kansas City Royals. The Padres turned down a trade offer in the off-season to acquire him, citing his frequency of injuries. Tartabull leads the Royals in every offensive category, with 19 homers, 58 RBIs and a .320 batting average.

Cincinnati Reds reliever Rob Dibble perhaps summed it up best on the injustices that occurred in the selections for the All-Star game: “I don’t think it should be left up to the fans. Players and managers should decide the All-Star team because they’re there for the entire 162 games. They know what’s going on.

“It should be the best players this year, not who has the best numbers three or four years ago.”

The player who has drawn more criticism for his selection to the All-Star game is former Padre Sandy Alomar Jr., who was selected as the starting catcher for the American League. It’s the first time a Cleveland Indian player has been selected two consecutive years to the All-Star game since Al Rosen, now general manager of the Giants, in 1953-1954.

Alomar comes into the All-Star game batting .222 with four RBIs and no homers. Incredibly, his last RBI was April 26. Even All-Star pitchers Ramon Martinez and Bryn Smith have more RBIs with six apiece.

“I know with my stats,” Alomar said, “I shouldn’t be in the game. (Indians backup catcher) Joel Skinner should be there before me. But the people voted for me, if I don’t go, I’m telling them I don’t want to be there. That could affect how they think of me in the future.

“But, hey, I didn’t do the voting. I didn’t stuff the ballot box.”

Don’t be surprised if the Padres’ All-Star contingent of right fielder Tony Gwynn and catcher Benito Santiago are a bit fatigued during Monday’s All-Star workout.

After playing Sunday’s game against the Giants in San Francisco, they have a flight to Los Angeles, a four-hour layover and then a red-eye flight to Toronto.

If everything goes well, they’ll arrive in Toronto by 7 a.m., only five hours before their scheduled workout.

“We’re going to be beat,” Gwynn said, “but what are you going to do? We know we’re not going to get any sleep, but we’re going to have a blast anyway.”

Gwynn, in fact, already was making plans for a family get-together with Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays. Carter, who was traded in the off-season from the Padres, telephoned Gwynn before Friday’s game, offering him congratulations.

Padre pitcher Atlee Hammaker threw on the side Saturday free of pain, and says he’ll be ready to return after the All-Star break. Yet it appears unlikely the Padres will have room on their roster to activate him. . . . Believe it or not, Andy Hawkins, the former Padre, has earned a spot in the Oakland Athletics’ starting rotation for the second half of the season. . . . The Padres will play their final game before the All-Star break at 1:05 p.m. today. Dennis Rasmussen (3-3) and John Burkett (4-5) are the scheduled starters.