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Padres Notebook: Padres eager to feed off fans' enthusiasm

By: JOHN MAFFEI - Staff Writer | Friday, October 7, 2005 11:34 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Down two games to none in the 1984 National League Championship Series, Padres shortstop Garry Templeton skipped out of the dugout waving a towel over his head during pregame introductions and whipped a Jack Murphy�Stadium crowd of 58,346 into a frenzy.

The energy that '84 club received from that crowd carried the Padres to three straight wins over the Chicago Cubs and a berth in the World Series.

Again down 2-0 in a best-of-five playoff series, the Padres hope to feed off the Petco Park crowd tonight as they face elimination at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals.

"The home crowd is the 10th man," said Padres manager Bruce Bochy, who was a reserve catcher on that '84 Padres team. "The crowd has done a lot for us in the past in '84 and '98 (in the NLCS against the Braves). We have tremendous fans here.

"You're always self-motivated, but you do feed off the fans. This is what we've been looking for with the new ballpark ---- a home playoff game. It should be very, very exciting."

Padres first baseman Mark Sweeney doesn't know what to expect from the crowd tonight.

"When we played Atlanta and Florida here in May, we created some excitement, had the fans pretty whipped up," Sweeney said, referring to six straight home victories. "But we didn't create much excitement after that. So I'm not sure what to expect. I hope it's great. If they're behind us, if they're loud, they'll energize us. We need a shot of adrenaline.

"Then we need to give back and show them our appreciation."

Padres center fielder Dave Roberts, a Rancho Buena Vista High graduate, was at the Templeton game in '84, and attended Padres playoff games in '96 and '98. He can't wait to see what tonight is like for his first playoff game in a Padres uniform.

"We're ready for some home cooking," Roberts said. "We need to feed off the energy a crowd can give us. People in San Diego are very laid back. But they're also not afraid to rally around their team. We need them now more than ever."

Padres general manager Kevin Towers has vivid memories of the '98 series against the Braves.

"I had chills," he said. "Qualcomm Stadium was shaking. I'm sure the crowd will play to our advantage. I don't know if we'll have as much blue in the stands as the Cardinals had Red in St. Louis. But we'll have more tank tops."

Late start

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig sent an apology to Cardinals fans for the 8 p.m. starting time today --- 10 p.m. in St. Louis. Selig also promised there would never again be a game that starts as late as 10 p. m. in one of the competing cities.

Sweeney said many people are taking the start time as a slap in the face.

"But it isn't," he said. "Look at who's in. These aren't the biggest market teams."

The only problem Cardinals manager Tony La Russa saw with the late start time was keeping his player from trolling the Gaslamp District too late Friday night.

Injury updates

Pitcher Jake Peavy, suffering from a broken rib, said he is "feeling a little better." He still wants to pitch in Game 5 on Monday should the Padres push the series that far, but he said he would need a pain-killing injection to do so.

"Right now, I'm having trouble getting out of bed," Peavy said. "So there is no way I could pitch without some help."

Peavy hoped to work lightly at the team's workout Friday but instead did nothing physical. To top off his problems, he now has a case of pinkeye.

Roberts said the strained quadriceps that forced him to miss the last eight games of the regular season is still not 100 percent.

Lineup changes

Bochy said he will go with his left-handed-hitting lineup tonight against Cardinals right-hander Matt Morris.

That means Roberts in center, Ryan Klesko in left, Mark Loretta at second, Brian Giles in right, Sweeney at first, Ramon Hernandez catching, Khalil Greene at short and Joe Randa at third.

Bochy, however, said the batting order from Game 1 that had Randa hitting eighth, could be tweaked.

Short hops

LF Ryan Klesko had eight surfboards in the clubhouse Friday and asked his teammates to sign them all. Some will be auctioned off for charity. But he will keep one and give some others to teammates ask keepsakes. ... Former Padre Archi Cianfrocco was called in to throw batting practice Friday.

End of line for Hoffman?

With the Padres facing elimination tonight and Trevor Hoffman facing free agency, a chance exists that Game 3 will be the closer's last in a Padres uniform.

Has he considered that possibility?

"That's about as far as I get, giving it some thought," Hoffman said. "I'm not quite ready to go there, but it has crossed my mind."

Because Hoffman hasn't pitched since Sunday's regular-season finale, manager Bruce Bochy said he'll probably use his closer tonight whether the Padres are leading or trailing.

"I'm not worried about the perception of how I might go out," Hoffman said. "I'm just worried about getting a win for my ballclub."

Good advice

Playing in the first postseason of his 11-year career, Padres third baseman Joe Randa received some valuable playoff pointers from Hall of Famer George Brett. Both practitioners of the hot corner, the two became friends when Randa played for the Kansas City Royals ---- Brett's only team ---- for a total of eight years over two stints between 1995 and 2004.

"He tried to give me ways to stay loose and enjoy it," said Randa, who received a call from Brett in St. Louis before Game 1 of the series. "He said to breathe, take a lot of deep breaths and smile. Relax as much as possible."

Brett is a good person to emulate, as a .337 hitter in 43 postseason games.

And Randa, who had three hits and a walk in the first two games, evidently listened well.

PROBABLE CARDINALS LINEUP VS. WILLIAMS

SS David Eckstein 0-for-3; CF Jim Edmonds 3-for-19, 1 BB, 1 SO; 1B Albert Pujols 1-for-3, 1 HR; RF Larry Walker 5-for-19, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 BB, 7 SO; LF Reggie Sanders 0-for-7, 1 BB, 3 SO; 2B Mark Grudzielanek 8-for-39, 1 3B, 1 HBP, 6 SO; 3B Abraham Nunez 10-for-19, 3 2B, 1 3B, 2 BB, 3 SO; C Yadier Molina first meeting.

PROBABLE PADRES LINEUP VS. MORRIS

CF Dave Roberts 3-for-7, 1 2B, 1 SO; LF Ryan Klesko 9-for-25, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 SO; 2B Mark Loretta 6-for-21, 1 2B, 1 BB, 3 SO; RF Brian Giles 10-for-24, 2 2B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 1 SO; 1B Mark Sweeney 1-for-6, 1 SO; C Ramon Hernandez 0-for-3; SS Khalil Greene 0-for-0, 1 BB; 3B Joe Randa 2-for-19, 1 HBP, 4 SO.

A LOT SOONER

The Padres played 15 years, 178 days before they hosted a postseason game in San Diego Stadium (later Jack Murphy Stadium and Qualcomm Stadium). The team's first postseason appearance in Petco Park comes one year, 182 days after the first-regular season game in the new ballpark.

LIKE A ROLLING STONE

Petco Park will host its first major concert when the Rolling Stones World Tour comes to San Diego on Nov. 11.

Contact staff writer John Maffei at (760) 740-3547 or jmaffei@nctimes.com.