Padre Notebook : Gwynn Says the Dick Williams Snarl is Missed . . . a Little

PHOENIX —  What’s this? Someone misses Dick Williams?

Padre right fielder Tony Gwynn said Wednesday that he and his teammates have made several mental mistakes recently and he thinks it’s because Williams isn’t there brooding over their shoulders.

“Before, players were always in the games, but, now, you’re seeing mental lapses,” Gwynn said. “ . . . With Dick gone, you see the same mistakes over and over. If Dick were here, you knew you’d hear about it if you made a boo-boo, and you wouldn’t do it again for a while.

“It’s little mistakes like hitting the cutoff man. On balls hit in the alley, your job is to hit the closest man to you. A couple times, we’ve short-hopped him and guys have beaten throws. And you see hit-and-runs where guys just stop in between the bases. Even if it’s a line drive, you still have to go. Those are things, as ballplayers, we should know. We have to execute.

“Steve (Boros, the new manager) will say something, but with Dick, he’d come up and say: (Gwynn used his best raspy voice) ‘You’ve got to keep going on a hit-and-run ball.’ Then he’d give you that look (Gwynn shut his right eye and snarled), and no guy wants that.

“I think this club honestly misses that. But then, Steve, he’s great because he makes you motivate yourself. He was talking about stealing bases a certain way, and he said: ‘I know you can do that!’ And it made me jump and say: ‘Yes I can!’ That’s great.

“The only thing I can say he (Boros) is better for, besides baserunning, is team morale. You’ve seen it. Guys are laughing and joking. He’s made your (sportswriting) job better, too. I heard those doors slamming last year. Still, people can talk about all the bitching and moaning last year, but it’s good when a guy constantly is on your behind when you make a mistake.

“That’s why I feel uneasy about the looseness on this team right now. I feel uneasy about how loose it is. I just hope our results are the same as 1984.”

How is this for an ending: The Padres trailed the Seattle Mariners, 2-1, heading into the ninth inning here Wednesday, but behind catcher Mark Parent’s two-run home run, they went ahead, 3-2, and eventually won, 4-2.

And how’s this for distance: Parent’s homer traveled at least 450 feet to dead center.

And how’s this for a prediction: The Mariner pitcher was Ed Nunez, and Parent had homered off him last spring. Before Parent stepped to the plate this time, Graig Nettles told him: “You can take him deep again.”

Which he did.

By the way, Lance McCullers came in and got the save.

Rumors fly that the Padres will soon make a trade, but nothing is imminent, according to general manager Jack McKeon.

The Padres are talking to several teams, and they still might trade catcher Terry Kennedy, especially with all those young catchers--Parent, Benito Santiago, Sandy Alomar Jr.--waiting in the wings.

McKeon, in fact, originally had planned to go to Florida to look at some players he liked, but he has canceled the trip.

Some deals that have been tossed around and tossed out:

-Pitcher Mark Thurmond and outfielder Carmelo Martinez to Pittsburgh for pitcher Rick Rhoden and outfielder R.J. Reynolds, according to an agent who wished to remain anonymous.

Sources say the Pirates would rather have pitcher Dave Dravecky, who started in their organization.

No deal.

-Cub outfielder Bob Dernier to San Diego in exchange for Kennedy, at least that’s what Dernier was telling Padre players.

But don’t the Cubs already have catcher Jody Davis? Didn’t Davis just sign a long-term contract?

No deal.

First baseman Steve Garvey played in the morning B game, rather than the afternoon A game Wednesday, so he could film a commercial. He asked Boros for permission and was accommodated.

“No problem,” Boros said. “I told him it isn’t essential that he play against American League clubs. But it is essential he faces National League teams, and he’ll get three at-bats against the Giants (today in Scottsdale).”

The Arizona Republic, which published a story Wednesday on the Bip Roberts-Tim Flannery competition at second base, mistakenly referred to Flannery as “Mike Flannery.”

So, when Flannery made an appearance at the hotel restaurant for breakfast, teammates already were calling him “Mikey.”

Third baseman Jerry Royster, who is hitting a crisp .400 this spring, said Wednesday: “I’m hitting as well as I possibly can. Offensively, it’s strange to have this good of a spring. It’s too early. I want to be hitting .400 heading into the season, rather than hitting .400 in the first half of the spring and .150 in the second half, which would bring me down to reality. I hope I can keep this up.”

Bip Roberts, who said Tuesday evening “I might just take a day off,” did so on Wednesday. His right thigh still was bothering him. But he likely will play today against the Giants.

It may or may not be permanent because he has said this before, but Goose Gossage vowed Wednesday that he will not talk to Padre beat writers this year. He gave no specific reason.