Garvey Told: Take Low-Key Approach

SAN DIEGO — Steve Garvey’s public disclosure that he is trying to put together a syndicate to buy the San Diego Padres apparently has not been well received by current Padre ownership.

Sources said Thursday that a team official had left a message for Garvey Wednesday, advising the first baseman to take more of a “low-key” approach toward buying the team.

Padre President Ballard Smith would not comment directly on Garvey Thursday, but he did say: “Joan (Kroc, the Padres’ owner) and I have made it clear that we will not negotiate (the sale of the Padres) in public. That’s our preference. . . . It does nobody any good for somebody to come out in public and say they want to buy the club. . . . If you’re reading about people buying the club in the paper, you can pretty well bet they’re not going to be buying it.”

Garvey said he never sought any publicity, adding: “Any comments I’ve made have been unsolicited. I haven’t contacted anybody (in the media).” Regardless, he now has decided to do as the Padre front office asked, be low-key.

“At this point, it’s in the best interest of the acquisition that I refrain from saying anything,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything that would jeopardize the potential negotiations.”