BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Memo Says Padres Will Offer Refunds

In the aftermath of the Gary Sheffield trade, the San Diego Padres will offer refunds to season-ticket holders who believe they were deceived by a letter last winter from Dick Freeman, the team’s president.

In that letter to potential season-ticket buyers, Freeman wrote that the Padres planned to keep the core of the team together. Two of the players named, Sheffield and Darrin Jackson, have been traded as part of a salary purge and a third, Fred McGriff, has been named in trade rumors.

“Everything I said in that letter was true as the facts existed at that time,” Freeman said in a memo to team employees. “Nevertheless, the goodwill of our fans is important.”

Freeman said that anyone who bought season tickets after he sent the letter will be given prorated refunds, if requested, beginning Monday.

“Please carry out this policy with good cheer because we value our season-ticket holders’ continued support and patronage,” Freeman said in his memo.

On Thursday, two fans filed a class-action suit accusing the Padres of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract and false advertising. They requested the cost of their season tickets to be refunded, plus unspecified punitive damages. Freeman could not be reached on Saturday to comment on whether the refund offer was in response to the lawsuit.

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The Seattle Mariners, rebuffed by American League President Bobby Brown in their attempt to trigger Chris Bosio’s five-game suspension by using him as a pinch-runner, used him as the starting pitcher for one batter Saturday night.

Bosio, one of seven players suspended after a brawl between the Mariners and Orioles at Baltimore on June 6, got White Sox leadoff batter Joey Cora to ground out to second and was relieved by scheduled starter Erik Hanson.

The move was the second by Mariner Manager Lou Piniella in two days aimed at getting the right-hander’s league-imposed five-game suspension underway.

This time it worked. Brown said Saturday that Bosio’s suspension will begin Tuesday.

Bosio was used as a pinch-runner Friday night in the seventh inning of the Mariners’ 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. The club apparently hoped that appearance would start his suspension, but Brown ruled otherwise.

“He has to pitch,” Brown said.

Bosio’s suspension is unusual because it is not scheduled to begin until two days after his first appearance. Brown worded the ruling to avoid having Bosio serve the ban while he was on the disabled list because of a left collarbone injury sustained in the melee.

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Oakland outfielder Dave Henderson has agreed to a minor league assignment in Tacoma, Wash., to rehabilitate his injured groin muscle. Henderson, on the disabled list since June 5, was scheduled to rejoin the A’s in Oakland on Tuesday.