Going Strong at 2,000 : Padres: Teammates, fans honor Templeton on occasion of his 2,000th career hit during 7-0 victory in Atlanta. But off the field, his thoughts focus on his ailing father.

ATLANTA —  There were his Padre teammates, standing on the top step of the dugout Thursday, clapping their hands in tribute. The Braves fans at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, seeing the message on the scoreboard, rose as one, cheering him as if he were one of their own.

Garry Templeton, standing alone at first base, looked toward his teammates, turned to the crowd and lifted his cap and then did everything he could to fight off the tears.

It hardly seemed possible, he thought to himself, but here he was in the ninth inning, having achieved a baseball by getting the 2,000th hit of his career in the Padres’ 7-0 victory over the Braves.

Templeton became just the 11th active player and only active shortstop to have gotten 2,000 career hits, joining Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs and Ken Griffey of the Cincinnati Reds as the only players in the group who didn’t get any as a designated hitter.

But as he was trying to soak in the atmosphere, wanting to celebrate along with everyone else, his mind was about a 1,000 miles away in Longview, Texas.

This is the home of his 70-year-old father, Spiavia Templeton. Templeton knew his dad was watching the game on the TBS network. He had been talking about this occasion for weeks, reflecting back throughout his career that had begun 14 years earlier to the day--Aug. 9, 1976--when he obtained his first major league hit off Dan Larson.

“I’m going to call him first thing in the morning,” Templeton said. “You know, if it wasn’t for him, I would have given up this game years ago. I even told him once that I had to quit, that my knee was killing me.

“But he was the one always pushing me.

“Now, I’m pushing him.”

A year that has emerged as one of the finest in Templeton’s career has also been perhaps the most difficult one he has endured.

Playing every day on a damaged left knee that has undergone three operations and hundreds of needles to drain fluid--that, he can tolerate.

Playing every day when people have told you that you were washed up years ago is rather satisfying.

Playing every day when your father is dying has been hell.

“It’s not fair,” Templeton said. “Here I am, feeling better than I ever even dreamed, and now he’s having so many problems.”

Spiavia Templeton has been diagnosed as having an aneurysm in one of his heart valves. He desperately needs an operation, Templeton said, but at his age and his condition, doctors have said that there would be only a 12% chance of recovering.

“There’s nothing we can do right now,” Templeton said, “but pray. He’s going through a lot of pain. He’s even in a wheelchair because his knees are so messed up.

“That’s what makes it so hard now. You try to stay focused. You try to concentrate when you go out on the field, and not think about him, but, boy, it’s hard.

“I do all right separating the two things, but as soon as I leave the game, as soon as I get into the clubhouse, that’s all I think about.

“He’s in pretty good spirits, though. I make sure we talk every day. I always want to know how he’s doing, and all he wants to know is what’s wrong with the team.

“But hopefully what I did tonight made him proud of me.

“I know I couldn’t be more proud of him.”

The same intensity and determination of Spiavia Templeton certainly can be found in his son. There was no way anyone figured Garry Templeton, 34, would remain the Padres’ starting shortstop this long. Most thought he’d even be out of the game by now.

In fact, when the Padres provided him a contract in the off-season, they even told that to his face. They put playing incentives in the contract, you know, just to make it look good. Surely they wouldn’t have to pay them.

Guess what? They made their first payment Thursday, when Templeton earned a $25,000 bonus for playing in the 100th game.

There’ll be much more where that came from, too, considering that Padre Manager Greg Riddoch said before the game that not only is Templeton their starting shortstop the rest of this season, but they’re also counting on him to start in 1991.

“I think that’s why this means such a great deal to me,” Templeton said. “There have been so many times that people have written me off. It was back in ’83 when people said I had only one year left. One year.

“Now look at me, I’ve extended it six years. That’s a great accomplishment.

“You know, I still hear people saying how his knee is bad, and the Padres need a new shortstop. Well, if this leg keeps feeling the way it’s feeling, and I lose a few pounds, there’s no telling what can happen.

“I want to hang around until they win a championship.”

The Padres (51-59) aren’t going to win any titles this year, but by winning 13 of their past 18, they have moved within 12 1/2 games of the division-leading Cincinnati Reds, the closest they have been since July 5.

But on the night when everyone was feeling giddy because of Templeton’s achievement, first baseman Jack Clark--who has carried the offense of late--went down in the first inning with a strained hamstring. He’s expected to miss the three-game series against the Houston Astros beginning tonight, and if those are the only games he misses, Riddoch said the Padres will feel quite fortunate.

Clark sustained the injury when he was about to round third base on the way to score; he felt a pop in the back of his leg and pulled up lame, although he was able to scramble back to the bag. He immediately left the game, hobbling back to the dugout.

“It looked like some big safari hunt,” catcher Mark Parent said, “and somebody got an elephant.”

Said Clark: “Hopefully, it’s not anything serious. I don’t feel that bad, but you never know with these things.”

But despite the injury to Clark and the pain he was enduring just walking to the team bus, it was a night he’ll always remember, too.

“I not only feel fortunate,” Clark said, “but I feel honored to have played with Tempy. I played with two of the best in the game when I played with Ozzie (Smith) and him.

“And you know, it’s been 14 years, and he’s still one of the best.”

Padre Notes

Padre starter Bruce Hurst pitched a six-hit shutout for the victory, the 17th shutout of his career. He raised his record to 7-8 and has yielded an 0.84 ERA the past four starts. So what did he want to talk about? His run-scoring single in the first inning. It not only was his first RBI of the season but the first of his career. In fact, he said, his last RBI was in 1976 when he played for the St. George (Utah) Flyers. “That was the hardest ball we hit all night, wasn’t it?” Hurst said, laughing. “Tempe better watch it. Here I come.” . . . Catcher Benito Santiago will start in tonight’s game against the Astros, after batting .300 with a grand slam and seven RBIs in six games during his rehabilitation assignment at triple-A Las Vegas. . . . Third baseman Eddie Williams must clear irrevocable waivers when he is outrighted today to triple-A Las Vegas. If a team claims Williams on waivers, they automatically will acquire him. Earlier this season, the Padres passed three players through irrevocable waivers: outfielder Darrin Jackson, first baseman Rob Nelson and catcher Ronn Reynolds.