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"Kennedy probably said something."
Benito Santiago handed me a baseball and then headed behind the plate as I worked on my fastball some more.
The Padres had some serious drama at their catcher position. Benito was the starting catcher but it was obvious that he and manager Dick Williams were not going to co-exist. Having seen a bad relationship between a manager and a catcher in Miami, I could spot it a mile away.
Terry Kennedy was the 30 year old veteran seeing his spot going to the younger guy. And he had no problems voicing his displeasure about anything to anyone.
Then there was Tony Barron.
Tony was 20 years old and the first round pick of the Padres in the latest draft. Tony was a natural born leader and was already getting the respect of the players for that kind of personality and Dick Williams was very transparent in the fact that he favored Barron.
Especially over Benito.
This had the potential to be a real powder keg.
We were playing the Astros and I came in to pitch the seventh inning. We were down 6-4.
And Benito put down the one finger. Over. And over. And over.
Fastball.
Fastball.
Fastball.
Out of seventeen pitches, twelve were fastballs.
And the Astros went down in order.
Maybe I'll get out of Coach Jackson's doghouse.
That was my only inning of the game.
Santiago tied the game with a two run single in the bottom of the seventh.
But the Astros got a run in the eighth and beat us 7-6.
I wished I was getting to pitch more innings but, in reality, I was just a "camp body" to fill a roster spot.
But I was getting the experience and getting to show my stuff a little bit.
And not just to the Padres either.
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