ALL-STAR GAME : San Diego Has Seen This All Before : Today’s game: Twelve current or former Padres are on either the AL or NL roster.

Tony Gwynn stood in the National League clubhouse Monday and closed his eyes, his face reflecting an odd mixture of anguish and appreciation.

This is Gwynn’s eighth All-Star game, and the San Diego Padre right fielder has never seen anything like it.

The game at 5:30 p.m. today at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium is being called the 63rd All-Star game, but it really is nothing more than a pickup game in the ol’ Padre neighborhood.

There not only will be five players wearing San Diego uniforms, but 12 in all who have been Padres during their careers.

“Everyone’s thinking the same thing around here today, wondering how we let these guys go,” Gwynn said. “Hey, don’t look at me. The Padres are always going to do what they want do, but I’ve got no control over it.

“I guess you can look at it and wonder what would have happened if everyone had stayed here. We’ll never know, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sit back and wonder.”

The Padres, once known as baseball’s longest-running soap opera, provide a current player or an alumnus for every position but pitcher tonight.

You’ll find Fred McGriff and John Kruk at first base, Roberto Alomar and Carlos Baerga at second, Ozzie Smith and Tony Fernandez at shortstop, Gary Sheffield at third base, Benito Santiago and Sandy Alomar Jr. at catcher, Tony Gwynn in right field, Joe Carter in center and Bip Roberts in left.

“It’s crazy isn’t it?” said Smith, who was traded after the 1981 season for Garry Templeton and has made the All-Star team every year since. “It seems like there’s always been a problem with this organization keeping its best players.

“You’ve got these young guys who develop here, and then they let them go onto another club and become integral parts of other teams and provide excitement to those cities. More than anything, I really feel sorry for the San Diego fans because they’re the ones who lose out the most.”

Perhaps that was why Gwynn yawned Monday when reporters told him that Pirate outfielder Barry Bonds had reiterated that he would like to play for the Padres when he files for free agency at the end of the season.

“That’s the one team I’d take less money to play for,” Bonds said.

Said Gwynn: “Sorry Barry, but you don’t fit in with the budget . . . unless they get rid of the rest of us.”

Carter also is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. He and his family are staying at Gwynn’s home during the All-Star break, and the kids have already decided they want to return to San Diego.

“Yeah, but after seeing Toronto last year, why would he want to come back here?” Gwynn said, rolling his eyes.

Although many former Padres felt anguish when they were traded, few have regrets.

Smith has become a probable Hall of Fame shortstop. Kruk could win the National League batting title this year. Roberto Alomar is being acclaimed by some as the finest player in the game today. Roberts has been instrumental in helping the Reds to first place. And the list goes on.

Maybe that explains Kruk’s reaction when he learned that his Phillies’ warm-up shirt was mistakenly shipped to Philadelphia. He explained his plight to Padre equipment manager Brian Prilaman, who suggested that he just wear a Padre warm-up.

Kruk said: “I already played for this . . . team. Why don’t you get a Phillies’ shirt from the concession stand?”

Prilaman answered: “Why would they have Phillies’ stuff? Who would buy it?”

Kruk feigned anger but, much to his surprise, no Phillies’ souvenirs were being sold.

Roberts, who was traded in the off-season for bullpen stopper Randy Myers, ran into worse woes. His luggage didn’t arrive with him in San Diego on Sunday night, and he, too, needed a jersey for batting practice.

He also sought out Prilaman, who found Roberts’ actual jersey from his days with the Padres. Roberts laughed, and although he hated to do it, slipped it on.

“How does it look?” Roberts said, posing in front of Reds’ teammate Norm Charlton.

“It looks bad,” Charlton said. “Take that thing off, will you?”

Roberts’ luggage finally arrived, and the jersey came off.

“I’m not going to rub it in their face,” Roberts said. “But sometimes you get stale somewhere and all people see are negative things. It was time to start over.

“Now, everyone’s seeing what I can do.”

Roberto Alomar and Carter found themselves the primary focus among the departed Padres. They were involved in one of the biggest trades in winter meeting history in 1990 when they were sent to Toronto for McGriff and Fernandez.

Alomar cried when he heard the news from his agent. Carter became enraged when he learned of the trade from the shoe-shine man at a golf course.

“I think I was more shocked that either of them,” Gwynn said. “I thought it was some kind of joke. He’s a player I thought would be here forever, just because of his natural ability.

“The thing I’ll always remember about the day is when I talked to Robby, he said something that struck me funny. He said, ‘I’ll be back in ’92.’

“I’m thinking, ‘ ‘92? He’s not a free agent in ’92.’

“How about that? He might not only be the best player in the game, but he keeps his promises, too.”

Alomar said: “I just want to have fun. I want the fans to remember me one last time here in case I never come back.”

It could be difficult, because of the early start, for any of the hitters to have a lot of fun. It’s hard enough at night when you’re facing National League starter Tom Glavine and American League starter Kevin Brown.

“We need Charles Finley here so we can bring out the orange baseballs,” Carter said. “We’re not going to be able to see anything.”

The National League certainly could use some assistance. It has lost four consecutive All-Star games, and got a firsthand account of the American League’s power when Mark McGwire hit 12 homers in Monday’s home run-hitting contest.

“The way it looks, we should have some Padre involved in the outcome,” Gwynn said. “It’d be nice if it’s one of our own, but we’re outnumbered. Man, everything really turned out great for all of them, didn’t it?

“Some of these guys might be in the Hall of Fame some day. It’d be nice to have all of them back, but really, why would they want to?”

Starting Lineups

Starting lineups for the 63rd All-Star game, to be played today at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

AMERICAN LEAGUE Roberto Alomar 2B Toronto Wade Boggs 3B Boston Kirby Puckett LF Minnesota Joe Carter RF Toronto Mark McGwire 1B Oakland Cal Ripken Jr. SS Baltimore Ken Griffey Jr. CF Seattle Sandy Alomar Jr. C Cleveland Kevin Brown P Texas

NATIONAL LEAGUE Ozzie Smith SS St. Louis Tony Gwynn RF San Diego Barry Bonds LF Pittsburgh Fred McGriff 1B San Diego Terry Pendelton 3B Atlanta Andy Van Slyke CF Pittsburgh Ryne Sandberg 2B Chicago Benito Santiago C San Diego Tom Glavine P Atlanta