PADRES UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Padres Announce Ticket Prices Will Not Be Increased in 1993

SAN DIEGO — The Padres, claiming they will lose about $10 million this season, decided that they can ill afford to lose any more fans and announced Saturday that there will be no increase in ticket prices for the 1993 season.

“We are excited about how fans stayed with us,” said Bill Adams, vice president/business operations. “Obviously, we want to retain these folks and express our loyalty.”

The Padres sold about 80,000 fewer tickets than a year ago, according to Adams. Although the Padres were expecting to draw more than 2 million fans this year, particularly since they staged the All-Star Game, Adams understands the decline.

“These are difficult times,” Adams said, “and definitely the economic situation in America and San Diego played a major role in the decision.

“We think this is a very prudent decision, and the right decision. Hopefully, it will increase the fan base.”

The only ticket price change for next season, Adams said, will be reducing tickets from $9.50 to $7 in the first four rows in the View Level, covering 2,864 seats.

The Padres believe they will have the lowest average ticket base in the major leagues next season. There will be more than 13,000 seats available at $5.

“Hopefully, this will be well-received,” Adams said. “We think the fans will be enthused.”

The Padres, who are expected to trim their player payroll to about $20 million next season, are expected to make drastic cuts in their front office, laying off about 15 employees.

The Padre hierarchy has been meeting the past two days to map out their strategy. They not only will reduce personnel, sources say, but also make cuts in their scouting and farm departments.

The Padres are expected to eliminate their Waterloo club, and reduce their scouting staff. They also have fired coach Danny Garcia of double-A Wichita and pitching coach Fred Cambria of class-A Charleston.

The Padres, according to sources, will be operating on a budget based on the projection they will draw only 1.5 million fans in 1993.

While the Padres’ home schedule ends today, no one will miss San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium more than third baseman Gary Sheffield.

He batted .370 in San Diego this season with 23 homers and 58 RBIs.

“I love this place,” Sheffield said.

“I’m not being arrogant or anything, but I feel so comfortable here, I feel like I can do anything.”

If Sheffield is going to be successful in his triple crown pursuit, he’s going to have strong series in Houston and Atlanta. He’s batting .333 at the Astrodome in Houston this year with no homers and two RBIs. He’s batting .350 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium with one homer and three RBIs.

The Ex-Padre Player of the Week award must be shared by two players: Bip Roberts of the Cincinnati Reds and Dave Winfield of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Roberts tied a major league record this week by getting 10 consecutive hits, and Winfield, 40, became the oldest player in baseball history to produce 100 RBIs.

The debate for the National League Most Valuable Player award rages. Voters are trying to determine the winner between Sheffield, Terry Pendleton of the Atlanta Braves and Barry Bonds of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Said New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden, Sheffield’s uncle: “I’d really like to see Gary win it, but I think Bonds back-doored him. He came on in September when nobody expected him to.”

Bonds has stolen the show in September, and if the season lasted a couple more weeks, he might be a triple crown candidate. Bonds is batting .317, with 32 homers, and 100 RBIs.

Right fielder Tony Gwynn, who is sidelined with a sprained medial collateral ligament of his left knee, said he probably will not make the final trip of the season to Houston and Atlanta.

San Francisco Giant Manager Roger Craig, who lives in San Diego in the off-season, is expected to be fired in the off-season, according to sources.

Although Craig said he has been told by the prospective Giant owners that he can remain, one source said that Craig will definitely be dismissed. If the club indeed does move to St. Petersburg, Fla., Cincinnati Manager Lou Piniella is expected to replace him.

Padre shortstop Tony Fernandez quietly has put together a solid month. He extended his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games Saturday and has committed only one error in his last 51 games.

How hard was Atlanta Brave reliever Mark Wohlers throwing Friday night against the Padres?

Several scouts had him with a reading of 99 m.p.h.

Padre starter Greg Harris, one scout said, was throwing 83-87 m.p.h.