NOTEBOOK / JIM LINDGREN : Harris Back, but Still Having Some Bad Luck

Barring injury or other misfortune, Greg Harris is scheduled tonight to make his first start for the Padres since breaking his right middle finger attempting to bunt on June 21.

But until he does, Padre players and coaches should be advised to keep their distance and Harris his now-healthy fingers crossed. Harris, you see, has not exactly been riding a streak of fortune this season.

After breaking his finger in June--in his first start since returning from the disabled list for a bad back in May--Harris returned from his second stint on the disabled list Saturday.

But on Sunday, on his way to San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium, Harris was involved in a two-car accident on Interstate 5 near Del Mar.

“My car swerved and I smoked somebody,” Harris told Padre Manager Greg Riddoch upon arriving at noon for the Padres’ 1:05 p.m. game against the New York Mets.

Fortunately, neither Harris nor the other driver was injured, according to Harris, who wished to discuss few other details.

“I don’t even want to talk about it,” Harris said. “That’s the way my whole season’s gone. I can’t wait for ’93.”

Phil Stephenson, whose locker is next to Gary Sheffield’s, was asked before Sunday’s game if he knew who used the locker next to Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 when the Boston Red Sox star became baseball’s last triple-crown winner.

Stephenson’s reply: “Don’t know. But he won’t be as famous as me.”

And then Stephenson, 31, set out to become famous.

In the fourth inning of his second start of the season at first base, Stephenson tied a major league record for assists in an inning by a first baseman--three.

In succession, Chico Walker, Eddie Murray and Bobby Bonilla--three switch-hitters batting left-handed against right-hander Andy Benes--grounded to Stephenson, who each time flipped to Andy Benes for an assist. The first two resulted in outs, but Benes dropped the third toss for an error (Stephenson still got credit for the assist even though no out was made).

With the error and left-handed-hitting Chris Donnels up next, Stephenson might have gotten a chance to set the record outright, but Benito Santiago nailed Bonilla attempting to steal second to end the inning.

“I think Andy did it on purpose,” Stephenson said. “I think he was trying to get me a fourth one.”

Stephenson’s feat had been done only five previous times in major-league history, the latest by Stephenson’s ex-Chicago Cub teammate, Mark Grace, on May 23, 1990.

Start times for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Cubs and Friday’s against the Pittsburgh Pirates have been changed to 7:35 p.m. to accommodate ESPN.

Friday’s time change will also give stadium crews an extra 30 minutes to prepare the field and switch the seating configuration from Thursday night’s Charger exhibition game against the Rams.

Here’s hoping you have not qualified for the Padres’ newest promotion nights.

Any resident of San Diego or Imperial counties who is receiving unemployment is eligible to receive two free tickets to the Padres’ games tonight or Tuesday. An EDD check stub, dated either July 25 or Aug. 8, is all that is required to receive the free tickets. Bring the EDD check stub to the Padre box office at Gate C at the stadium.