PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Owner's Bark Is Reporter's Bite After Belcher Rips Schott's Dog

By BOB NIGHTENGALE

Sept. 20, 1992 12 AM PT

CINCINNATI — The most entertainment during the Padres’ 5-3 defeat to the Cincinnati Reds had nothing to do with the game.

Instead, the event occurred in the press box during the third inning. This was when three pizzas and three submarine sandwiches arrived, courtesy of Red pitcher Tim Belcher.

When the deliveryman dropped off the order, Belcher leaned out of the dugout and tipped his cap.

What was the reason for Belcher’s generosity?

He blasted Schottzie 02, the Reds’ mascot, in Saturday’s editions of the Cincinnati Post. Red President Marge Schott was so incensed that she banned the writer, Jerry Crasnick, from the press dining room.

Belcher learned of the suspension and responded with his luncheon order, much to Schott’s chagrin.

What does Belcher, formerly of the Dodgers, think about the dog everyone loves to hate?

“I don’t think it’s high-quality entertainment for a dog to be running around on the field and defecating on the AstroTurf before every game,” Belcher said. “That’s essentially what happens every night.

“I understand it’s Mrs. Schott’s prerogative as majority owner and president. She runs the club and she can do what she wants. But I think somebody could give a little more thought to the players and what they’re doing.

“You’re trying to get ready for the ballgame, and when you’re sprinting, the dog runs right at you. I thought she was going to try and run between my legs. If you fall on that turf, you could break an arm or a hand or a wrist.

“I think guys get annoyed by distractions that are controllable. You’re always going to have idiots jump out of the stands and parade around the field. But if a fan jumps out of the stands and runs alongside you, he spends the night in jail.”

Belcher wants to make it clear that he is an animal lover, but he also believes dogs have no place on a baseball field.

“It’s a nice thing to have a mascot,” Belcher said. “She (Schott) loves her dog and her ball team. But if you took a poll in this clubhouse, I don’t think you’d find many guys who see the same entertainment value in Schottzie running around on the field.”

Although the Atlanta Braves suffered a huge blow when they lost catcher Greg Olson for the season with a broken ankle, Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, does not expect the Braves to inquire about All-Star Padre catcher Benito Santiago.

The reasoning is simple, he said. Santiago, or any new player, would not be eligible for the Braves’ playoff roster.

“If I’m the Braves,” McIlvaine said, “I want to find out about my guys, first. If they lose six straight, then maybe they’d want to do something. But I wouldn’t suspect they would talk to us about (Santiago).

“It’s really a shame what happened. That’s going to hurt them. His whole game is far beyond sitting behind the plate.”

Padre center fielder Darrin Jackson, on facing Red bullpen stopper Rob Dibble in the ninth inning of Friday’s game: “The first pitch he threw me was the hardest pitch I’ve ever seen in my life. It had to be 100 m.p.h. Maybe 105. I’m not kidding.

“When he threw me that first pitch, I didn’t have time to flinch. I couldn’t move. I’ve faced him before, but I’ve never seen a pitch like that.

“And I hope I never see another like that again in my life.”

The Ex-Padre of the Week Award goes to Dennis Rasmussen, who was cast aside by two different organizations this season only to return last week to the Kansas City Royals.

Rasmussen was sitting at his Omaha, Neb., home, when he got the news that the Royals needed a starter to replace Kevin Appier, who was suffering from shoulder tendinitis.

Rasmussen pitched seven shutout innings against the New York Yankees for his first victory of the season, then gained his second victory Saturday.

It was the sixth team Rasmussen has pitched for this season. He opened the season with triple-A Rochester, where he was 0-7 and released. He was signed by the Chicago Cubs, pitched for Iowa, pitched for the Cubs and was released again. He was signed by the Royals, pitched at triple-A Omaha, and now is back in the big leagues.

“You talk about comebacks,” Rasmussen said.

Padre pitcher Ed Whitson, who will announce his retirement when the season ends in two weeks, said he probably won’t join the Padre organization as a coach if he must start in the minor leagues.

“If that’s the case,” Whitson said, “I may give that pro bass circuit a try. Hey, I’d like to be a pitching coach, but I really don’t want to be in the minors. I’ve had enough bus rides.”

Padre bullpen stopper Randy Myers celebrated his 30th birthday Saturday.

No one had the nerve to ask how he planned to celebrate.