Padres Rip Owners for Conceding ’92 : Baseball: After 2-0 loss to St. Louis, players say Lefferts trade reflected a lack of commitment to winning.

ST. LOUIS —  The Padres were seething with anger Tuesday night, and in some instances, barely were able to control their disgust. The longer they talked, the more their hostility raged.

Although four weeks remain on the 1992 schedule, several Padres said after their 2-0 defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals that their season might as well be over today.

The Padres (69-62) have lost four consecutive games and 10 of their last 15, dropping to 9 1/2 games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves.

For another year, the Padres won’t be involved in a stretch drive, and the onus of their failure to win the National League West can be placed directly on the team’s ownership, the players insist.

Moreover, the Padres believe the future of the organization is in jeopardy as long as the current ownership remains intact.

“You’ve got to ask the question, ‘How committed are we to winning?’ ” Padre veteran infielder Tim Teufel said, “and how much is the organization dedicated to produce a winner?

“I can feel the struggles that are happening within in the organization at different levels. I think a lot of other guys feel that, too. It’s almost like a hands-off approach, like they’re waiting for us to fail rather than seeing what we can do to bolster our team.

“That’s very disheartening to the players. It’s that type of attitude where you step back and wonder what the overall thinking is here. Is it to break even, or it it to bring character back to an organization and bring a winner here?”

The players’ frustration is a residual effect from Monday night’s trade in which the team sent 13-game winner Craig Lefferts to the Baltimore Orioles for two minor leaguers. The players perceived the trade as nothing more than a salary dump; they are angry management gave up on their season.

“It’s like everybody’s (Padre management) going through the motions,” shortstop Tony Fernandez said. “They might as well get rid of all of us if they don’t want to make the commitment to winning.

“They always tried to win in the Toronto. I guess here is the opposite.”

Said Padre reliever Larry Andersen: “It’s like they’re saying, ‘We’re conceding.’ ”

Said Teufel: “You can’t read it any other way. They think it’s over. There’s a restructuring going on financially, and it’s just getting started.”

“You hate to see this happen.”

The players also fear the franchise no longer will be able to retain its star players. Joe McIlvaine, Padre general manager, conceded that the $29 million payroll will have to be drastically reduced in the off-season.

That not only signals the departure of free-agent catcher Benito Santiago and reliever Randy Myers, but it could mean the Padres will have trouble keeping arbitration-eligible players such as All-Star third baseman Gary Sheffield.

“It tells you that if that if Sheffield makes more than $2 million in arbitration,” Myers said, “he could well be traded next year. It makes you even wonder how much longer Fred (McGriff) will be here. I mean who’s next?

“What does that tell the guys who will be here next year--you get four or five years on the club and you’ll be gone?

“I can honestly say I’ve never played for an organization like this one. It’s still major league baseball, but . . .

“Let’s just say the teams that are looking to win this thing are adding personnel, not subtracting from it.

“I know I’m out of here.”

However, McIlvaine has been under orders not to add one salary to the budget this year. The Padres, according to sources, had the opportunity to acquire Jose Canseco from the Oakland Athletics this summer for left-hander Bruce Hurst and another player. But McIlvaine couldn’t pursue the trade because the ownership refused to pick up the three remaining years on Canseco’s contract.

Is McIlvaine as frustrated as the players?

“No comment,” McIlvaine said, “I don’t want to touch that one.”

Can he understand his players’ reaction?

“Certainly,” he said. “But I’m only telling you what they’re (ownership) telling me. We’re not in good financial position. There has to cost-cutting, and there will be more during the winter. We have limits, and the truth is we’re beyond them.

“But let’s not panic here. It’s a little unfair to jump on the owners. We’ll survive.”

This is not the indoor soccer league; the Padres hardly are in any danger of folding. But this year’s version of the Padres, players believe, might never be duplicated again.

“I know if I wasn’t a 10-and-5 guy, I might be gone,” said right fielder Tony Gwynn, who will earn $12.6 million the next three seasons. “I mean, are we trying to win or trying to make money? That’s a valid question.”

Said Fernandez: “I really don’t know what’s going on around here. I don’t want to think about it. I just know I don’t want to be part of any rebuilding project, you can count on that.”

McIlvaine acknowledged that he hates to part with pitching, particularly Lefferts, who was tied for the team lead with 13 victories. But McIlvaine maintains the Padres are not giving up on the season. He even pointed out that only three starters are needed in the playoffs.

With statements such as that, the players say, McIlvaine is only insulting their intelligence.

“The problem with that is that Lefty has been one of our top two starters,” Teufel said. “Lefty has been one of our most consistent pitchers all year. You’re trying to say you wouldn’t start him in the playoffs?”

Considering the way the Padres are playing, there hardly will be a need for postseason rosters. They have not scored an earned run in their last 18 innings, and starter Andy Benes on Tuesday again felt the brunt of the offensive drought.

“There’s nothing I can do,” said Benes, whose teammates have scored two or fewer runs in 13 starts this season. “The big thing now is we’re running out of time, and in a hurry.

“It would take a total collapse for anyone to catch the Braves, and with their pitching staff, that’s just not going to happen.

“It’s kind of sad.”

Triple Crown Watch

Batting Average

Gary Sheffield, Padres: .335

Andy Van Slyke, Pittsburgh: .331

John Kruk, Philadelphia: .323 Home Runs

Fred McGriff, Padres: 31

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 29

Barry Bonds, Pittsbugh: 24

Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 24 Runs Batted In

Gary Sheffield, Padres: 92

Darren Daulton, Philadelphia: 91

Terry Pendleton, Atlanta: 87