Myers Shows Up Armed and Ready : Padres: Reliever’s arrival gives teammates some ammunition for criticism, but his Yuma debut demonstrates he’s in shape.

The Padre clubhouse door swung open at 8:10 Monday morning when the stranger walked in, unpacked his duffel bag, put on a camouflage T-shirt, a white bandanna around his head, walked past his new teammates and started pumping iron.

Randy Myers, the team’s new bullpen stopper, had arrived.

“Here we go again,” said Padre teammate Tim Teufel, without the hint of a smile.

Those who never played with Myers, or only heard stories of his eccentricities, started to get the picture.

Tony Gwynn was the first to walk over to Myers’ locker; he shook his hand and walked away shaking his head.

Gwynn: “Welcome to Yuma.”

Myers: “Nobody told me it always rains there.”

Gwynn: “I just wanted to welcome you to the Padres.”

End of conversation.

Gwynn might be a four-time batting champion and future Hall of Famer, but Myers acted as if he didn’t even recognize Gwynn.

Did Gwynn say anything to Myers about arriving late?

“You kidding me?” Gwynn said. “Did you see what was in that locker? I’m not stupid, I’m never going near that place again.”

Myers has turned his locker into an ammunition depot. There were items like grenades (he says they’re disarmed), a metal helmet, fatigues, containers full of muscle-training pills and a knife with an eight-inch serrated blade.

It wasn’t until Myers left for the weight room that teammates Fred McGriff and Thomas Howard dared peek into his locker. It was a quick look. McGriff sat back down, a bit pale knowing that his locker will be next to Myers’ the rest of the spring.

Myers went on to acknowledge Teufel, his teammate from his days in New York. He chatted briefly with catcher Benito Santiago. And he struck up a conversation with pitcher Greg Harris, implying that he’ll be hanging around with Harris on the road this year since both are single.

Padre veteran Larry Andersen looked toward pitcher Bruce Hurst, and said: “Bruce, how long will it take for Harry to be wearing fatigues? A week?”

Said Hurst: “I give it 10 days, maximum.”

Andersen laughed, and then turned serious. He didn’t take kindly to Myers showing up a week after the other pitchers.

Myers did arrive before the March 4 deadline, after which fines can be levied. His arrival was well within his contractual rights, as he explained over and over to reporters. But several of the Padres believe Myers went out of his way to alienate himself from his new teammates.

“It was definitely not the way to show up to a new club,” Andersen said. “He says he’s here two days early, well, I think that option is more reserved for guys who have their time in, not him. I don’t see the Cy Youngs on his shelf. We’re not talking about Roger Clemens here.

“I don’t think it sits well with a lot of players that they work their butts off for a week, and he just gets here. You would think a new guy would want to get acclimated, get to know the guys, and feel part of the team.

“It’s his prerogative, but he sure marches to the beat of a different drummer.”

Did Andersen ask him about his arrival time?

“Yeah, but I couldn’t understand him,” Andersen said. “It was some kind of guerrilla warfare talk.”

The Padre front office is aware of the resentment that Myers’ delay might have caused, but Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, hopes it soon will be forgotten.

“I told him he disappointed people by not being here,” McIlvaine said, “but the best way to get himself back in good graces is for his teammates to see him throw. Oh, the way he threw today, that should take care of that.”

Myers, who has been working out almost daily during the off-season at Clark Community College in his hometown of Vancouver, Wash., demonstrated why McIlvaine traded Bip Roberts for his services.

With the coaching staff and McIlvaine eagerly watching, Myers stepped on the mound Monday to show his stuff. Catcher Kevin Higgins’ reaction was all they needed to see.

Higgins put on his mask, crouched behind the plate and nearly toppled over when Myers’ first pitch smacked into his mitt. He braced himself for the second pitch, and almost went down again. McIlvaine and pitching coach Mike Roarke grinned.

“I was overwhelmed by the control of the pop of the ball,” Higgins said. “He was gassing it, and he wasn’t even loose yet.”

Said Roarke: “It’s evident he did some throwing over the winter. I get the feeling he’s not far behind, if he’s behind at all.”

Myers appeared so dominant that although the Padres had no plans to pitch him in the four-game series this weekend against the Angels, Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said he might change his mind.

“He looks like he’s ready for opening day,” Riddoch said.

Indeed, Myers was perplexed why his delay attracted so much attention.

“I don’t understand a lot of this,” Myers said. “I’m abiding by my contract (according to the Basic Agreement). If my contract said you had to be in camp by Feb. 23, I’d be here Feb. 21. I’m just going by the rules.

“If somebody is to build a building, and you have a contract date, you can be prepared, but the contract tells you the day to start.”

Was Myers concerned about acclimating himself to his new team?

“That’s why I’m here two days early, to get accustomed,” Myers said. “I want to get used to the weather. I didn’t know it rained every day. I came from 70-degree weather, so I’m fine.

“I’m ready to go. I’m right where I should be.”

There was little more that needed to be said. Myers said he wants to help the team win and gladly will share his stopper’s role. He said he won’t worry about free agency. He said he’ll continue to have weapons in his locker, until he sees rules prohibiting it.

Myers then finished the day by grabbing about 600 of his old baseball cards, tearing them in half and letting them fall into the garbage pail. He stood for 20 minutes ripping up his past.

“I’m a Padre now,” he said, “and I won’t sign any cards with me in any other uniform. I’ve got to be wearing a Padres uniform.”

Said nonroster pitcher Mike York: “Man, is this guy sane?”

Then Myers told reporters he was going to spend the rest of his afternoon lifting weights for three hours. But within 10 minutes, he was showering and getting ready for lunch.

“He’s got his own program, his own little quirks,” Teufel said. “He’s been successful, but he’s also had more trouble with authority than any player I know. He’s got a reason for everything--good, bad or indifferent.

“You (reporters) guys should like him the best. He’ll be good copy all year. It’s not the quotes. It’s always the meaning behind the quotes.

“You’ll see.

“Believe me, you’ll see.”