Sending A Message

By TIM KURKJIAN

Hats off to Padre manager Jim Riggleman for benching outfielder Phil Plantier, who failed to hustle on a fly ball he hit against the Mets while leading off the second inning on April 27. The towering fly landed untouched in leftfield when New York's Kevin McReynolds lost sight of the ball, but Plantier, who could have had a double, had to settle for a single because he wasn't running hard. So Riggleman yanked him, leading to an ugly scene in the dugout as Plantier stalked after the manager, complaining bitterly.

In Plantier's defense, he has played hard since joining the Padres last year and he has been playing with a sore ankle this season. But running hard to first base should be the least a player can do. And remember, this isn't the first time Plantier has had a clash with a manager. Red Sox manager Butch Hobson complained about Plantier's work ethic during the 1992 season, and that helped precipitate the trade that sent Plantier to San Diego for pitcher Jose Melendez.

The question now is how Plantier will react after being shown up by his manager. Sadly, players today don't often respond well to such criticism.