Minus Beck, Padres relievers must pick up the slack

By: BRIAN HIRO - Staff Writer | Tuesday, March 16, 2004 10:23 PM PST ∞

PEORIA, Ariz. ---- Padres relief pitcher Kevin Walker was watching ESPN on Monday night when the crawl across the bottom of the screen informed him of the questionable status of teammate Rod Beck. Fellow reliever Jay Witasick didn't find out about Beck until he flipped on the TV on Tuesday morning.

Even the players who share a clubhouse and a bullpen with the Padres' setup man, it seems, are in the dark as to his whereabouts or the nature of the undisclosed personal problems that may sideline him beyond Opening Day.

"There was no hint at all," Walker said. "I really don't know what it is still. But, obviously, it was something big enough for him to think he had to take time off to deal with. Real life comes first over baseball, and I'm sure everybody in the clubhouse wants him to get better and be emotionally and mentally 100 percent before he comes back."

Added Witasick, whose locker is directly adjacent to Beck's: "It's his thing. Whatever he needs, when he's ready to come back, we'll be here waiting for him. That's a personal thing none of us needs to get involved in. That's something between him and the club."

The 35-year-old Beck, who went 20-for-20 in save situations last season as the emergency fill-in for injured closer Trevor Hoffman, was absent from Padres camp again Tuesday and hasn't been seen around the complex since last week. He has yet to pitch in a spring training game. The team's original explanation for his absence was an illness, but on Monday manager Bruce Bochy said Beck was dealing with "personal issues" that might keep him out past Opening Day.

"I don't know if this is going to be a temporary Band-Aid until he gets back," right-handed reliever Scott Linebrink said. "I can't see it taking too long. I don't know what's involved, but hopefully he can get it cleared up as soon as possible and maybe miss a week of the season."

The Padres are certainly better fortified to absorb the loss of Beck than they were last year, when Hoffman's shoulder surgery meant that they entered the season with Brandon Villafuerte ---- he of the three career saves ---- as their closer and Mike Matthews as their primary setup man. This spring, not only has Hoffman returned healthy, but the Padres boast a wealth of tested arms in support, including Walker, Witasick, Linebrink and free-agent acquisition Antonio Osuna. Japanese import Akinori Otsuka, who saved 137 games in his native land, is another capable candidate to fill the Beck void.

Osuna, who hadn't pitched in a spring game because of elbow soreness, made his debut Tuesday and needed only six pitches to retire the side in the eighth inning of a 9-6 victory over Seattle. Otsuka and Witasick have yet to allow a run in a combined six spring appearances.

"We have to make adjustments, and we will," Bochy said. "Otsuka has thrown well, Osuna threw well today, Witasick (has set up). We think those guys can fill in. We feel like we have more depth this year, especially in the bullpen."

Walker, too, believes that the relievers left behind can do the job in Beck's stead. At the same time, he acknowledged a potential hit if the absence of the fun-loving, free-spirited pitcher is protracted.

"I'm sure it would hurt a lot, especially with what he did coming in last year and changing the whole (season) around," Walker said. "Last year could have been a lot worse than it was. He brought some life into the team, and he's one of those guys who brings a lot of energy to the game and to the bullpen. And that rubs off on you. It's going to be rough, especially for the young guys who might learn from someone like him."

Beck may have been machinelike in his efficiency on the mound last season, but if recent events have reminded his teammates of anything, it's that he ---- like they ---- is all too human.

"Sometimes people like to think of us as robots, but it's not that way," Witasick said. "Everybody has families and everybody has personal problems and issues that need to be dealt with on their own time. We're thinking about him and we'd love to have him back, but he has to take as much time as he needs to get whatever he needs to take care of taken care of."