A Home Game for the Padres : Baseball: Three San Diego players make NL All-Star team and two others are expected to be reserves.

The Padres, who have been sprucing up their stadium the past few months, preparing for Tuesday’s All-Star game, learned Wednesday that they also will be the toast of the party.

First baseman Fred McGriff, right fielder Tony Gwynn and catcher Benito Santiago were elected starters to the National League All-Star team. It’s the largest starting contingent of any city and the most starters by a host city since the Montreal Expos in 1982.

The Padres will wind up with a league-high five players on the All-Star team, according to a highly placed source. Third baseman Gary Sheffield and shortstop Tony Fernandez are expected to be announced today as reserves.

“It’s a great day for all of us,” Gwynn said. “It’s special because it’s in our hometown. You always hear the crowd go nuts for the hometown guys at All-Star games, and you get goose bumps just listening. Now we’ll have the same feeling.

“But I think the biggest reason everyone’s so happy in here is because Fred made it.”

Although McGriff is the only player who has hit at least 30 homers the past four years, this will be his first All-Star game.

“It’s been tough,” said McGriff, whom the Padres acquired before the 1991 season from the Toronto Blue Jays. “Especially last year when the game was in Toronto. Now, that was real hard.

“But this is a dream--especially being voted in by the fans. I think the fans in Toronto came through for me. We haven’t been drawing that many fans here, so I think the fans in Toronto helped me out.”

Certainly, times have changed for the Dodgers, who didn’t have a starter elected. Their lone representative, according to the source, will be utilityman Mike Sharperson. Although he has only 194 at-bats, he has a .330 batting average.

Third baseman Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves joins McGriff as the only other first-time All-Star.

Yet, if you listen to Pendleton, he should not have been voted to this year’s team, either.

“I really feel like the guy in San Diego (Sheffield) should have gotten it,” Pendleton said. “Don’t get me wrong, it is nothing against the fans, and I appreciate them voting for me, but Gary had better numbers.”

Sheffield is batting .316 with 17 home runs and is tied for the the league lead with 58 runs batted in. Pendleton is batting .303 with 13 homers and 51 RBIs.

“Hey, it’s not about winning or losing,” Sheffield said. “I feel honored just to be in company like that. I think I’ll be there anyway.”

St. Louis Cardinal shortstop Ozzie Smith made history with his selection. It was the 10th consecutive year he has been voted to the All-Star team, breaking a tie with Johnny Bench and Gary Carter.

Second baseman Roberto Alomar of Toronto and catcher Sandy Alomar of Cleveland, both former Padres, were elected for the second consecutive year.

Baltimore Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. and Chicago Cub second baseman Ryne Sandberg received the highest vote totals in each league. Ripken beat second-place Manuel Lee of Toronto by 2,312,212 votes, and Sandberg beat runner-up Delino DeShields of Montreal by 1,955,005 votes.

The closest race in the All-Star balloting was McGriff beating Will Clark of the San Francisco Giants by 16,163 votes.

“He’s very deserving,” Clark said. “The National League is having a very strong year for first baseman, and McGriff is having a great year.

“Being an All-Star doesn’t make my season. My job is baseball, not punching out ballots. I have enough trouble hitting a 90-m.p.h. fastball than to worry about all that other crap.”

Certainly one of the most intriguing aspects of the game will be Santiago as the starting catcher. He has not played in a major league game since May 30, when he broke the little finger on his right hand. He is playing for the Padres’ triple-A Las Vegas team on a rehabilitative assignment.

“I’m going to play, no doubt about it,” Santiago said. “The fans voted for me, and I want to be there. It’s an honor that they voted for me when I was hurt.”

NL Manager Bobby Cox of the Braves still figures to select catcher Darren Daulton of the Philadelphia Phillies and Tom Pagnozzi of the Cardinals as reserves.

Cox, though, figures to be Public Enemy No. 1 in Cincinnati. Although the Reds are running away with the NL West, their only representative is expected to be be reliever Norm Charlton.

The last time the host team had three or more elected starters was 1982, when Gary Carter, Tim Raines and Andre Dawson started at Olympic Stadium in Montreal.

The People’s Choices

The starting players, determined by voting by the fans, for the All-Star game Tuesday night at San Diego. Pitchers and reserves will be named later. NATIONAL LEAGUE

Player Team Position Votes Benito Santiago San Diego Padres Catcher 1,323,419 Fred McGriff San Diego Padres First base 1,262,985 Ryne Sandberg Chicago Cubs Second base 2,434,660 Ozzie Smith St. Louis Cardinals Shortstop 1,275,282 Terry Pendleton Atlanta Braves Third Base 1,222,688 Barry Bonds Pittsburgh Pirates Outfield 1,961,278 Tony Gwynn San Diego Padres Outfield 1,475,450 Andy Van Slyke Pittsburgh Pirates Outfield 1,009,843

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Player Team Position Votes Sandy Alomar Jr. Cleveland Indians Catcher 948,592 Mark McGwire Oakland Athletics First base 1,857,425 Roberto Alomar Toronto Blue Jays Second base 1,868,247. Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles Shortstop 2,699,773 Wade Boggs Boston Red Sox Third base 1,251,144 Kirby Puckett Minnesota Twins Outfield 2,096,433 Ken Griffey Jr. Seattle Mariners Outfield 2,071,407 Jose Canseco* Oakland Athletics Outfield 1,011,585

*On disabled list and will not play. Replacement TBA.

All-Star Game Starters’ Statistics

NATIONAL LEAGUE

P PLAYER AB R HR RBI AVG. C Santiago 183 16 4 24 .257 1B McGriff 266 42 18 55 .327 2B Sandberg 311 48 11 46 .286 3B Pendleton 333 47 13 51 .303 SS Smith 252 32 0 19 .298 OF Bonds 223 50 15 44 .291 OF Gwynn 309 53 6 30 .320 OF Van Slyke 296 48 4 44 .334

AMERICAN LEAGUE

P PLAYER AB R HR RBI AVG. C S.Alomar 200 15 2 20 .240 1B McGwire 288 52 27 66 .264 2B R.Alomar 286 51 6 45 .329 3B Boggs 270 34 6 25 .263 SS Ripken 325 44 10 38 .268 OF Puckett 342 63 14 63 .345 OF Griffey 258 37 14 47 .287 OF Canseco 249 45 18 48 .253

(San Diego County Edition) All-Star Starters by the Numbers

National League

Pos Name Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI AVG SB C Benito Santiago Padres 183 16 47 10 0 4 24 .257 2 1B Fred McGriff Padres 262 42 86 16 2 18 55 .328 5 2B Ryne Sandberg Chicago 307 47 88 19 3 11 46 .287 7 SS Ozzie Smith St. Louis 249 32 73 7 1 0 19 .293 17 3B Terry Pendleton Atlanta 329 47 101 19 1 13 51 .307 3 OF Barry Bonds Pittsburgh 219 50 65 15 1 15 44 .297 17 OF Tony Gwynn Padres 306 53 99 16 2 6 30 .324 3 OF Andy Van Slyke Pittsburgh 292 48 99 25 5 4 44 .339 4

American League

Pos Name Team AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI AVG SB C Sandy Alomar Cleveland 197 13 47 10 0 2 20 .239 2 1B Mark McGwire Oakland 285 51 76 11 0 27 66 .267 0 2B Roberto Alomar Toronto 284 50 93 11 5 6 45 .327 15 SS Cal Ripken Baltimore 322 44 87 14 1 10 38 .270 3 3B Wade Boggs Boston 270 34 71 14 2 6 25 .263 1 OF Kirby Puckett Minnesota 342 63 118 22 4 14 63 .345 8 OF Ken Griffey Seattle 254 37 74 18 0 14 47 .291 4 OF Jose Canseco Oakland 249 45 63 5 0 18 48 .253 3

Statistics through Tuesday’s games.