Santiago Says His Family Is Target of Harassment

The calls come at all hours. Usually, late at night. The time varies, but the protocol is the same.

Benito Santiago, or his wife, Blanco, will pick up the phone and hear either an obscenity or dead silence. It doesn’t matter which, the purpose is the same.

The harassing phone calls have been difficult enough to endure, Santiago said, but what do you do when strangers start following your wife and family out at night when driving, haunting them by their mere presence?

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Santiago said Wednesday, speaking almost in a whisper. “I didn’t think this kind of stuff happened in San Diego. I don’t understand.

“It makes me sad. It’s OK for fans to boo me. They can say what they want, and yell at me. But why do they do this to my family? Why do they pick on them?

“My wife gets scared. It scares my whole family. I just didn’t think it would happen here, man.”

Santiago has notified the San Diego police about the incidents, and he said they vowed to increase their surveillance. Still, Santiago is taking no chances. He is having a security system built into his Chula Vista home and has become wary of all strangers.

“Can you believe it?” Santiago said. “Can you believe people would act this way?”

Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, informed of the recent incidents, said that he’s also deeply troubled.

“That bothers me greatly,” McIlvaine said. “That’s sick behavior. This is a man trying to do his job, and people are trying to make it more difficult.

“No one tries to strike out. No one tries to make errors. It’s really a sad commentary that this is happening.”

Santiago, who drew the public’s ire when he turned down the Padres’ four-year, $11-million contract offer in the winter, fueled the fans’ anger when he recently ridiculed their intelligence for booing him.

“Most of the people don’t know exactly what I meant,” Santiago said. “When I said they know nothing about baseball, that wasn’t meant in a bad way. It was just that they don’t appreciate players. I’m not saying they’re horse. . . .

“It’s not like I’m the only one who has ever said it. Jack Clark said it too, and lots of guys think it.”

Santiago, who’s having perhaps his finest season, batting .260 with 14 homers and 71 RBIs, knows that he’d appease the San Diego community by signing a multi-year contract. He’s seeking a four-year deal for about $19 million. The Padres, however, aren’t expected to come close to meeting his demands.

And if Santiago doesn’t sign, he has let the Padres and everyone else in baseball know that’ll file for free agency at the end of the 1992 season.

“In my head and my mind, I’ll be a free agent,” Santiago said, “but the Padres can change that, too.

“I’ve put up the numbers, now let’s see what they’re going to put up. I don’t have nothing to prove. They know they have the best catcher in the league.

“Let’s see what they do.”

McIlvaine promised nothing more than saying the Padres will at least attempt to sign Santiago in the off-season. If they fail, trading him is a viable alternative.

“Obviously, he’s a talented, talented performer,” McIlvaine said, “but there are other considerations than talent, unfortunately.”

Said Santiago: “It’s up to them. I’ll let my bat and glove do the talking. I don’t have nothing to prove.

“The thing they might forget is that I’m only going to get better. There’s be one year where I drive in 100 runs and hit 25 to 30 homers.”

Yet, considering the fan abuse, would Santiago really want to stay in San Diego?

“Would you?” he said.