Park Dimensions Approved for Padres

Dimensions for the San Diego Padres’ new downtown ballpark were approved by the commissioner’s office, which is allowing the center-field fence to be 396 feet, four feet shy of regulation.

“It’s shallow in some places and much deeper in other places,” Padre spokesman Glenn Geffner said. “No one knows how it will play for sure. But the thought is that it’ll be fair.”

Padre president Larry Lucchino, who helped design Baltimore’s Camden Yards, received the approval letter Wednesday and released a statement saying that intimacy will be key to the park’s design. The outfield wall will range from four to 12 feet.

The deepest part of the park will be 411 feet in the right-center alley. Straightaway right field will be kept deeper at 382 feet, because prevailing winds blow in that direction, and the fence will rise 12 feet. The straightaway left field, however, will be 367 feet deep with a wall seven feet high.

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New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is trying to convince John Rocker not to take the subway to Shea Stadium--and face fans he insulted--when the Atlanta Braves play the New York Mets next week.

“We spoke to major league baseball,” Giuliani said Thursday. “I spoke to the commissioner. We spoke to some other people, and hopefully we’ll be able to help persuade Mr. Rocker not to use the 7 line, not to go out of his way to exacerbate the situation.”

Giuliani said that anyone seeking to harm Rocker--on the subway or at the ballpark--would face severe consequences.

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Chris Gomez of the Padres, who lost his starting shortstop job in spring training, had an MRI exam on his left knee and is due to undergo season-ending surgery next week. . . . The New York Mets recalled right-handed pitcher Bobby J. Jones from triple-A Norfolk to start tonight’s game against Pittsburgh at Shea Stadium. To make room on the roster, the Mets sent left-hander Bobby M. Jones to Norfolk. . . . The Toronto Blue Jays activated catcher Todd Greene from the 15-day disabled list, sending catcher Josh Phelps to the minors. . . . Catcher Charlie O’Brien was released by the Montreal Expos, who activated Lenny Webster from the 15-day disabled list. . . . Houston Astro right-handed reliever Jay Powell was put on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday, with tendinitis in his right shoulder. Right-hander Mike Maddux was activated from the DL to replace Powell. . . . Deion Sanders has been moved off the Cincinnati Reds’ disabled list to the restricted list, officially ending his latest flirtation with baseball. The move also means the Reds retain his rights. . . . Tony Perez, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month, was picked as manager for the world team in baseball’s All-Stars Futures game July 9 at Atlanta’s Turner Field. Former Red Sox star Jim Rice, currently Boston’s hitting coach, was picked as manager of the U.S. team.