PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK / BOB NIGHTENGALE : Padres’ Talks With Hamilton Move After 2-Month Impasse

The Padres, after a two-month negotiating impasse with Joey Hamilton, their No. 1 pick in the June Free Agent draft, finally are optimistic that they’ll be able to sign him within the next 10 days.

But after having considerably more difficulty signing Hamilton than they ever imagined, the Padres have resigned themselves to the fact that this will be a wasted year for the right-hander.

The Padres envisioned that Hamilton, who attended Georgia Southern, might have a chance to be with the big-league club next season. Now they believe the lost time will keep him in the minor leagues until at least 1993.

Hamilton is one of five first-round picks who have yet to sign this year. Four of those picks--including Hamilton--are being advised by agent Scott Boras.

The Padres, according to one agent, offered Hamilton about $250,000 within two weeks after the draft while Hamilton was seeking a three-year, $1.2 million contract similar to what the Oakland Athletics gave Todd Van Poppel last year.

The Padres, however, had refused further negotiations until allowed to talk directly with Hamilton. That occurred Friday when Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, had a telephone conversation with Hamilton in Georgia.

The Padres are expected to make another offer to Hamilton this week, which figures to be close to the $345,000 the Kansas City Royals paid No. 7 pick Joe Vitiello. Hamilton, according to a source, is seeking $375,000.

The other first-round picks that still remain unsigned are No. 1 pick Brien Taylor of the New York Yankees; No. 5 pick Kenny Henderson of the Milwaukee Brewers; No. 6 pick John Burke of the Houston Astros; and Hamilton, the eighth pick. The only non-Boras client that remains unsigned in the first round is outfielder Shawn Green of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Padre infielder Tim Teufel certainly is not the only player who has become disgusted by Cincinnati Reds reliever Rob Dibble’s antics. Just listen to Cubs pitcher Danny Jackson, who has been Dibble’s teammate the past two years.

“I think a lot of guys around the league have lost respect for him, including his teammates,” Jackson said. “I’m an ex-teammate, and I’ve lost respect for him. I feel sorry for him. He’s dug a hole for himself, and I don’t know why.”

Scout Luis Rosa is best known around these parts for signing Sandy and Roberto Alomar, and Benito Santiago. No disrespect to Sandy Alomar or Santiago, but Rosa says his latest find is the best catcher he has ever seen.

His name is Ivan Rodriguez, who’s also from Puerto Rico, and Rodriguez is hitting over .300 and throwing out 50% of those attempting to steal off him.

And he’s also only 19 years old.

Said Al LaMacchia, the Toronto Blue Jays’ scout who has been in town this week: “Forget the future, he’s already the best catcher in the big leagues.”

The ex-Padre player of the week award goes to pitcher Eric Show of the Oakland Athletics, who was dropped by the Padres in the off-season.

Show, who has returned to the Athletic starting rotation, won his first game of the season Wednesday, allowing six hits and one earned run in six innings against the Cleveland Indians. In his past two starts, Show has pitched at least six innings with a 2.91 ERA.

Still the Padres’ all-time leader in victories with 100, Show was bought out of his contract for $250,000 in October when the Padres decided not to pay him $1.1 million for this season.

The Padres, who still have surrendered more home runs (97) than any team in the National League, have accomplished the unfathomable. For the first time this season, they entered Saturday’s game having gone four consecutive games without yielding a home run. Garry Templeton’s homer in the third inning prevented the streak from extending. . . . Shortstop Tony Fernandez’s ailing right thumb kept him out of the lineup for the second consecutive game. Fernandez was scratched only hours before the game, allowing Craig Shipley to make his second start. Fernandez is expected to return Tuesday against the Phillies, although he was available for pinch-hitting duty. . . . While the Padres have used 20 pitchers and 10 starters this season, the Atlanta Braves will be using only their sixth starter Monday in a doubleheader. . . . It’s become a two-team race between the Padres and Cleveland Indians for using the most players this season. While the Padres have used 42, equaling their franchise record set in 1969, the Indians have used 45 players, three shy of their franchise record of 48 set in 1912. . . . The Padres won’t have to worry about Braves outfielder Deion Sanders next week. He departs Tuesday for the Atlanta Falcons. . . . There was a change in the official scoring, reducing the earned runs Padre pitcher Greg Harris allowed Thursday from five to four and lowering his earned-run average to 2.59.