NOTEBOOK : PADRES UPDATE : Padre Players Praise Courage of Ex-Teammate Dave Dravecky

SAN DIEGO —  Although it has been four years since Dave Dravecky called San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium home, his presence was felt in the Padre clubhouse Wednesday.

A report came over the clubhouse stereo updating Dravecky’s condition: His cancerous left arm was amputated Tuesday, and he is expected to be released from the hospital in about 10 days.

Traveling secretary Doc Mattei, who has been with the organization since its inception in 1969, spent two minutes on the phone with Dravecky.

“It was crazy,” Mattei said. “I was the sad one, and he was the happy one. He laughed the entire time he was on the phone. His spirits were high.”

Although Mattei was the only one to speak with Dravecky, several Padre players talked of Dravecky, praising his courage and wishing him well. Mostly, they shook their heads and groped for the right words.

Pitcher Atlee Hammaker, a close friend of Dravecky’s, spoke with Dravecky’s father three times Tuesday but hadn’t heard anything new Wednesday.

“His parents are pretty down,” Hammaker said. “You prepare the best you can, but when the time comes, it is still tough to deal with. It’s just a helpless feeling.

“Hopefully, they got all of the cancer out. They said there are no problems, but there are no guarantees that the cancer won’t come back. I know he’s tried dealing with it. He’s had four operations. If anybody can deal with it, he can.”

Ed Whitson, who was a Padre teammate of Dravecky’s in 1983-84, said he had not spoken with anyone in the Dravecky family but that he would soon.

“This is a bad time to try to get in touch with them,” Whitson said. “It would be ridiculous to try and call now. Sooner or later, I’ll try and get in touch with him.

“I’m just pleased the doctors seem to think that they got it. Hopefully, he will live a long and healthy life. That’s the important thing right now. I’m glad for him that it’s over and done with and that his family can live in a little bit of peace now.”

Added Whitson: “It seems like it happens to the nicest people in the world. But the Lord has plans for all of us--there is nothing we can do there.

“I know players, coaches and front-office people, we think about him a lot, wondering how he is doing.”

Whitson, who is on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis, said his elbow felt fine Wednesday after throwing on the side Tuesday. “Great,” he said. “It feels great.”

Whitson will throw on the side again Friday in St. Louis and, if that goes well, will probably throw a simulated game Monday or Tuesday.

Padre Manager Greg Riddoch and pitching coach Mike Roarke were unconcerned with the numbers Greg Harris gave up in his second start Tuesday for triple-A Las Vegas. Harris, on a rehabilitation stint with elbow tendinitis, yielded six runs--four earned--and four hits in three innings. In two starts, his ERA is 14.85.

“He gave up some hits, but his arm feels fine,” Roarke said. “His location wasn’t really good--he was up a little more than down.”

Harris will probably start again Sunday for Las Vegas. The Padres say there is no timetable for bringing him back.

“The good thing is we’ve taken plenty of time,” Riddoch said. “There is no use rushing him now.”

Yippee, No Yuma Dept.: The Yakult Swallows of the Japanese League, who have trained at the Padres’ facilities in Yuma, Ariz. each winter for the past several years, skipped Yuma this winter because of the Persian Gulf War.

So what happens? The Swallows are in first place in their division in the Japanese League for the first time since they won the Japanese League World Series 13 years ago.

Benito Santiago is leading NL catchers in the All-Star balloting with 601,877 votes. Shortstop Tony Fernandez and first baseman Fred McGriff are both second at their positions, and Tony Gwynn is fourth among outfielders. . . . Pittsburgh outfielder Andy Van Slyke took early batting practice Wednesday but decided his back was still too sore to play. Van Slyke has been out since Friday with muscle spasms in his back. . . . Wednesday’s victory gave the Padres a 15-20 home record and a 14-20 mark against National League East teams. They are 19-13 on the road and 20-13 in intradivision contests. The Pirates are a league-leading 19-8 on the road, but the defending East champions are only 16-15 against teams from the West. Padres’ Scorecard

FIRST INNING

Padres--With one out, Fernandez singled to right. Gwynn forced Fernandez at second. Clark homered to left, his fifth. McGriff grounded to shortstop. Two runs, two hits.

SECOND INNING

Pirates--Bonilla singled to right. Bonds homered to left, his eighth. Webster grounded to second. LaValliere walked. Lind singled to right, LaValliere stopping at second. Smith sacrificed. Merced grounded to first. Two runs, three hits, two left.

FIFTH INNING

Pirates--With one out, Varsho doubled to right. Bonilla singled to left, Varsho stopping at third. Bonds flied to center, Varsho scoring and Bonilla thrown out in a rundown between first and second. One run, two hits.

SEVENTH INNING

Padres--Santiago singled to left. Teufel doubled to left, Santiago scoring. Coolbaugh sacrificed, Teufel taking third. Roberts, batting for the pitcher Benes, bunted, Teufel scoring and Roberts thrown out at first. Jackson grounded to the pitcher. Two runs, two hits.

EIGHTH INNING

Pirates--Andersen took the mound. With one out, Bonds singled to center. Webster doubled to right, Bonds scoring and Webster taking third on the throw home. LaValliere walked. Lind grounded to third, Webster scoring. Van Slyke, batting for the pitcher Smith, grounded to second. Two runs, two hits, one left.

Padres--Heaton took the mound. Fernandez singled to left. Gwynn singled to left, Fernandez stopping at second. Palacios replaced Heaton. Clark flied to center. McGriff walked, loading the bases. Santiago struck out. Teufel singled to center, Fernandez and Gwynn scoring, McGriff stopping at second. Coolbaugh forced Teufel. Two runs, three hits, two left.