Sheffield Calm Amid Struggles : Padres: Third baseman keeps even keel after off night in a 3-0 loss to St. Louis.

Padre third baseman Gary Sheffield knows he’s being watched.

It’s easy to be Mr. Congeniality when times are good. But how about now? In midst of his first slump since the opening week of the season, the Padres wonder, how will he respond?

Sheffield, who went hitless and made an error that led to a run in the Padres’ 3-0 defeat Saturday night to the St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, smiled weakly.

Maybe in the past, he would have been miserable. Maybe he would have snapped at anyone near him. But this is the new new Gary Sheffield, the one who says he still despises losing but has learned to control his aggressions.

“Days like this are going to happen,” said Sheffield, who has only an infield single in his last 12 at-bats. “I still don’t know the pitchers in the league. I don’t know what they’re throwing. There are going to be days I don’t have a clue.

“But to tell you the truth, I learned not to get mad anymore. If I struggle, why get mad? The Lord blessed me with this opportunity, playing in San Diego.

“I learned the worse that can happen is I go oh-for-four. Is that so bad? Believe me, it could be a whole lot worse, especially with what’s going on these days.”

Sheffield hardly was alone in his troubles in front of the crowd of 18,992. The Padres managed only four hits off rookie starter Donovan Osborne and never even reached second base. Osborne (3-0) pitched 8 1/3 innings before giving way to Lee Smith for his league-high eighth save.

The Padres (13-12), who never before had seen Osborne, were shut out for only the second time this season. Bruce Hurst (1-3) pitched six innings and suffered the loss.

It wasn’t the best of days for Sheffield. He popped up in the first inning, made a throwing error in the third inning, grounded into a double play in the fourth inning, flied to left in the seventh and never had a chance for redemption in the ninth.

Sheffield, who still is batting .308 and is second on the team with 16 RBIs, points toward the St. Louis clubhouse for an explanation. This is where you can find Don Baylor, Cardinal hitting coach, who is as responsible as anyone for Sheffield’s demeanor.

“I’m not sure if I’d still be playing this game if it weren’t for (Baylor),” Sheffield said of his former batting coach. “When I was in Milwaukee, I was miserable. You say to yourself, ‘Is this game worth it? Is it worth going through all this aggravation? I can do other things in life than this.’

“But he came to my house one winter. He came just to talk to me. We had a special relationship after that.

“Even this winter, he told me, ‘Don’t worry about what people say. If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be. Just do what you can do.’ ”

The peace of mind has made the difference in Sheffield. He’s happy, and there has not even been the slightest hint of being a malcontent.

“I couldn’t be happier for him,” Baylor said. “I saw a sign at the ballpark (Friday) that said, ‘Sheffield for President.’ I said, ‘Shef, times have changed, man.’

“This is a very important time in his life, and he knows it. He has the chance to wipe the slate clean, not be a Dick Allen where your reputation follows you everywhere. People have given him a chance here, and it’s very important to him. He never had the chance in Milwaukee. They booed him from Day 1.

“It’s like they let him fend for himself. He came to Milwaukee with a wall built around him, and the only way he knew was to fight back. He didn’t know how to be diplomatic. He criticized his teammates and front office in the press, and they never forgave him.

“That’s the shame of it all, because they gave up on a guy who not only is going to be an All-Star, but I think a Gold Glove winner, too. You just don’t find guys like him around.”

But don’t let Sheffield’s calm fool you, Baylor said. He has been around thousands of players in his day, and Baylor says few have the competitiveness of Sheffield.

“This guy wants to win every single day,” Baylor said. “If you lose, he could care less if he gets two or three hits. And if you win, and he doesn’t do well, that tees him off.

“That’s why the trouble started in Milwaukee. He knew he was better than (shortstop) Billy Spiers, but they never gave him a chance to win the position. That bothered him the whole time, playing next to a guy he knew was better.

“But that’s all over now, and people in San Diego are going to see one great third baseman.”

Said Sheffield: “The big thing is just relaxing, and that’s what he and Fred (McGriff) taught me. Fred might have said it best, ‘Don’t worry about the critics. You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Just play your game.’

“If I’m going to have a bad game, I’d rather them be here than anywhere else.”