Padre Notebook : McReynolds’ Feud With Williams Only a Memory

The mailman had a letter for Kevin McReynolds on Monday.

He opened it.

He read it.

Bum McReynolds-- I hope you’re happy, you big dumb spoiled brat. You ought to have your (rear end) kicked. I’ll bet within two years you’re out of baseball ... I wish you the worst. Signed, a Dick Williams fan. P.S. You’ll never do a Lite Beer commercial. He threw it in the trash.

The point here is that McReynolds’ feud with Williams is only a lingering memory. It might have been forgotten completely if not for letters such as the one McReynolds got Monday. Manager Steve Boros has settled into the job now in his second week, and McReynolds has settled into a new routine himself.

He’s happy.

“He (Boros) is very sincere in trying to help everybody,” McReynolds said.

On Monday, it was Boros’ day to help the outfielders. He and former Gold Glove winner Amos Otis took McReynolds, right fielder Tony Gwynn and left fielder Carmelo Martinez to a field all by themselves. Boros hit fungoes over their heads, so they’d have to run back and make difficult catches.

McReynolds excelled.

“I was really impressed,” Boros said. “He (McReynolds) turns and saunters and then he turns it on, like an afterburner, and goes after it. He’s like a running back, who’s running and then sees the hole and boom. He’s gone. Mac is an athlete.

“And his hitting has really been a plus. The thing I remembered about him when I managed in Oakland was his easy power. Now, I’m seeing it again. He’s swinging easy and the ball is jumping off the bat. It looks effortless. And it’s not that he’s not trying, but that’s just the tempo he operates under.”

Said McReynolds: “I’ve had a bad rap on defense since I’ve been here. I’m not nearly as bad a defensive player as I’ve been made out to be in the past. I misjudged a few balls last year. I won’t deny that. But I know that most of the chastising was done by the manager (Williams). I’m not as bad as I was made out to be.”

Martinez has worked out in left field, at first base and at third base during spring training.

“I told him to work in the outfield first,” Boros said. “But then, we want him at first base some. Third base is not a big priority for us. Just to see how he looks. I’ll only play him there in ‘B’ games on the road, so we won’t embarrass him. I don’t want to throw too much at him, though. He’s still young.

“What you like to have are guys who have played the same position for a long time and who hit in the same spot in the batting order year after year. So it feels like home to them . . . With Carmelo in the outfield, well, he has good agility for a big man and a good arm and he’s strong. But we’re just wondering about his range.”

Said Martinez: “All that moving around . . . I’m getting used to it, but I don’t think it’s easy to deal with. But this is my job, and I do it. I’m an outfielder. The other positions are just in case.”

Batting coach Deacon Jones keeps telling Bip Roberts to hit the ball on the ground so he can utilize his speed. Jones then works with him on the batting tee. Then Garry Templeton and coach Sandy Alomar work with Roberts on defense. Then Otis works with him on his base running.

Fortunately, Roberts is a good listener.

“He’s full of joy, he’s bubbly,” Jones said. “To be a base stealer, you have to have the guts of a burglar. Everyone in the stadium knows you’re going. They’re just daring you. And he has that type of aura about him. He’s a fine young man. And he listens.”

Guess what the Padres worked on again Monday? Baserunning.

They do it every day under Boros.

Boros will miss today’s workout. He and General Manager Jack McKeon have been scheduled to speak at a businessmen’s luncheon in San Diego. Harry Dunlop will take charge here in Yuma.

It’s time to speculate about the final roster. Boros has said he will keep 24 players, including two catchers and 10 pitchers. That’s half the team.

Who will be the others? The sure bets: Steve Garvey and Dane Iorg at first base, Tim Flannery and Roberts at second, Templeton at short, Graig Nettles and Jerry Royster at third. That’s seven more.

Then there’s Gwynn, McReynolds and Martinez in the outfield. That leaves two spots.

The contenders will be outfielders Jerry Davis, Bobby Brown, John Kruk, James Steels and Rusty Tillman and infielders Mario Ramirez and Randy Asador.