Gwynn Sees His Team Having Last Laugh

Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn sits virtually alone on the bench, staring at the playing field through his dark sunglasses, fuming with anger.

He has read all the newspaper accounts of the Padres’ demise. He has listened to the talk shows ridicule the team. He has even heard skeptics inside his own clubhouse.

“People can say all they want,” Gwynn said, “but this team is a contender, and I can’t wait to shove it in people’s faces when the season’s over. I haven’t had too many chances to say that in my career but I’ve got a good feeling this will be the year.

“I thought we were a good team before, but with (Gary) Sheffield, believe me, we are a contender.”

Sheffield, acquired nine days ago from the Milwaukee Brewers, could be trump card for the Padres’ division title hopes. He provides the Padres with their best infield since 1984--Steve Garvey, Alan Wiggins, Gary Templeton and Craig Nettles--and perhaps one of the strongest in the National League.

In an informal survey of National and American league scouts, the only infield corps rated higher is in San Francisco. The Cincinnati Reds’ infield is considered about even. No scout interviewed believed the Dodgers’ infield was remotely close in talent.

“This is the first time in my career where I can look around,” Gwynn said, “and say there are not any holes. It’s the first time. Can you find any? It’s a great feeling. We have so much more flexibility in the lineup.

“And Sheffield, how can you not be excited about the way he plays? The first day guys saw him hit, they looked at me and said, ‘Now, we finally got ourselves a real No. 3 hitter.’

“They were ragging on me pretty good, but it’s true.”

There are some potential weaknesses, Gwynn realizes. The last two spots in the rotation are occupied by Craig Lefferts and Dave Eiland. Lefferts hasn’t started since 1983, and Eiland has never pitched a full season in the big leagues. The only potential home-run threat on the bench is Tim Teufel. And catcher Benito Santiago remains on the trading block.

“I know if any of our everyday guys get hurt,” Gwynn said, “it could get ugly. But hopefully, those days are behind us. JuSt like the pitching. I’m not worried about that either. With our lineup, we’re not going to have those 1-0 games anymore. We’re going to have more of the 6-5, 7-6 games.

“I know people are going to laugh at what I’m saying. They’re laughing around town already. Well come October, let’s see who’s laughing. Let’s see who’s wiping pie off their faces.”

Here’s a look at the team . . . or batting order . . . Gwynn predicts will be in the National League playoffs and prognosticators believe will be buried in the middle of the pack:

“Shortstop--Tony Fernandez. Much of the Padres’ success will depend on his ability to be a leadoff hitter. He batted only .196 as a leadoff hitter last year. Yet he’s the best they have with the departure of Bip Roberts. He proved his value to the team last year when he batted .349 in Padre victories and .183 in defeats. Said Gwynn: “We already talked about how we’re going to run more this year with him and me at top of the lineup. I think he’ll do fine.”

Right field--Tony Gwynn. The Padres hope to take advantage of his bat-handling skills in the No. 2 hole and don’t believe it will affect his batting average. Gwynn hAs a chance this season to become the first player in the National League since Stan Musial to hit .300 or better in 10 consecutive seasons. He also has a career batting average of .335 in late-inning pressure situations, the highest of any active player. Said Gwynn: “Hey, I’ll be the same player I’ve always been.”

Third base--Gary Sheffield. He hasn’t even played a game for the Padres and already he is being billed as the best third baseman in their history. The Padres dearly need Sheffield to stay healthy; he missed 112 games last season with an assortment of shoulder and wrist injuries. In fact, Sheffield never has played more than 125 games in a season. If he is healthy, the Padres believe he’s capable of batting .300 with 15 homers and 80 RBIs. Said Gwynn: “It didn’t take long, but I’m convinced. He’s going to make a big, big difference. The man has it all. I think he’ll become one of the great players in this game.”

First base--Fred McGriff. He’s the most feared hitter in the Padre lineup. He is the only player who has hit at least 30 homers in each of the past four seasons. He also is one of only three active players (Mark McGwire and Dale Murphy) who have hit 30 homers in four consecutive seasons. His success might hinge on the success of who’s hitting behind him. Said Gwynn: “You’re talking about The Man. He’s going to hit his 35 homers and drive in 100 again. It’s automatic.”

Catcher--Benito Santiago. The Padres believe he’ll have a monster year, mainly because he’s eligible for free agency at the end of the season. The question is how long will the Padres keep him. Santiago is the most durable catcher in baseball, leading the majors with 151 games behind the plate last season. He led the National League in batting last season after Sept. 1 with a .336 average. The Padres’ biggest task, once again, is to have him be more selective at the plate, particularly early in games. He batted .159 in the first inning last season, the lowest in the National League, and .276 thereafter. Said Gwynn: “It’s a jackpot year for him. He’s going to get a lot of opportunities to drive in runs, and when the season’s over, he’s going to make someone pay.”

Left field--Jerald Clark. Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, says Clark is the key to the Padres’ success. If he can hit 20 homers and drive in 80 runs, as the Padres envision, they believe their lineup will be as potent as any in the league. Clark will play every day, and as his statistics reveal, he has a career average of .263 against right-handers and .182 against lefties. That’s the lowest batting average against lefties by any right-handed batter in baseball. Said Gwynn: “This is going to be his year. Just watch. Watch what he does.”

Center field--Darrin Jackson. The Padres still don’t seem to be sold on Jackson’s ability. They searched for another center fielder during the off-season, pursuing Sammy Sosa before he was raded to the Chicago Cubs. But Jackson averaged one homer every 17.1 at-bats last season, the fourth-highest rate in the NL. He finished with 49 RBIs, becoming only the third player in NL history to drive in fewer than 50 runs with 20 homers. Jackson’s career batting average of .167 in late-pressure situations is the second-lowest in all of baseball. Said Gwynn: “I know pitchers are going to make adjustments pitching to him this year, but he’s confident he can still do it.”

Second base--Kurt Stillwell. He is playing second base for the first time since 1987. Stillwell might turn out to be one of the best clutch hitters on the team. Stillwell has hit for a higher average with runners on base than with the bases empty in each of his six seasons. He has compiled a .291 career average with runners on base (.225 with the bases empty). Said Gwynn: “I know he’s playing a new position, but you’d never know it.”

Starting pitching--Bruce Hurst. Greg Harris, Andy Benes, Craig Lefferts and Dave Eiland. Aside from Hurst, how inexperienced is this rotation? Consider this: Hurst has a career 129-101 record, pitching 2,159 innings with 314 starts and 17 complete games. Those totals are more than the rest of the entire rotation combined. Totals for the Nos. 2 through 5 starters: 103-106, 1,866 2/3 innings, 136 starts, 10 complete games.

The Padres are looking for consistency from their Big Three: Hurst was 14-5 through Aug. 7 last season but won only one game thereafter. Benes was 4-8 with a 4.22 ERA in the first half and 11-3 with a 2.01 in the second half. Harris, sidelined by elbow tendinitis much of the first half, was 1-1 with a 2.86 ERA before the All-Star break and 8-4 with a 2.11 ERA afterward. Said Gwynn: “We may not have the most recognizable names in there, but we’ll do just fine.”

Bullpen-- Randy Myers, Larry Andersen, Mike Maddux, Jose Melendez, Pat Clements and Rich Rodriguez. The Padres’ biggest question will be determining who will be the setup men for Myers. Andersen, who has been hampered by an inflamed right shoulder probably will open the season on the disabled list. No one else has been used as a setup man. The Padres probably will try Maddux and Rodriguez at the outset, but go with the hot hand if they struggle. Scouts say Myers has lost something off his fastball each of the last two seasons, but he denies it. He can be dominant against left-handers, never yielding higher than a .181 batting average until last season Gwynn: “Are you going to tell Myers he’s lost something off is fastball?”

Bench--Tim Teufel, Craig Shipley, Kevin Ward, Oscar Azocar, Thomas Howard and Dann Bilardello. The Padres are expected to constantly tinker with their bench during the season, trying to find more power. Although the bench is considered superior to a year ago, particularly with Teufel not starting, there is no home run power. The six-pack group has combined for only 109 homers in their careers, and Teufel is the one in the group who has hit more than 18 homers in his career. Gwynn: “This is the most versatility we’ve ever had on our bench.”

Prediction--Third.

Gwynn’s pick--First.