Newhan blames home plate for injury to knee

Steve Guiremand

Friday, June 16, 2000 | 10:04 a.m.

Home, not-so-sweet home.

Home plate, that is.

Seems the nasty gash that has sidelined Stars second baseman David Newhan was caused not by a catcher's shin guard as first believed, but by a sharp edge of home plate that was improperly elevated.

Score an error on Cashman Field's grounds crew, which spent about 10 minutes before Thursday night's 9-2 loss to Colorado Springs packing dirt around the plate to make it even with the ground.

"Originally I thought I did it on a shin guard," Newhan said of the injury, which occurred while he slid into home in the first inning of Wednesday night's 11-6 win over the Sky Sox. "But after looking at the tape, I think I did it on the plate.

"Most places you go to, the plate is all covered and you barely see the black. Here, a good amount of the plate was sticking out (of the ground). I think I probably caught it on one of the corners that was exposed."

"It's a possibility," said Stars manager Tony Franklin, who met with Cashman Field officials before Thursday night's game. "I haven't watched the tape yet. If that's the case, it's unfortunate because those kinds of things shouldn't happen."

The three-inch gash across the right knee took three butterfly stitches and 15 staples to close. The injury was so deep that it exposed part of Newhan's bone.

"At first I thought I just jammed my knee," said Newhan, who limped back to the dugout after the play. "I went back to the bench and tried to put some weight on it. Then I decided to take a look and see if anything was there. As soon as I pulled pants up, it was bleeding and was down to the bone pretty much."

Newhan, who was placed on the seven-day disabled list before Thursday night's game, said the staples must remain in his knee for two weeks.

Infielder Nate Tebbs was recalled from double-A Mobile to take Newhan's roster spot.

In his last five starts for the Padres, Lopez has allowed 23 runs in just 17 2/3 innings and compiled an 11.72 ERA.

Left-handed batters have caused Lopez big problems, hitting .444 (20-for-45) against him with a .528 on-base percentage.

If Lopez is sent down, right-hander Will Cunnane (4-0, 3.13) is the likely candidate to be promoted. The Padres would have to create a spot on their roster to bring up either right-hander Junior Herndon (7-4, 3.34 ERA) or right-hander Brian Tollberg (5-0, 2.71 ERA).

Whiteside was booked into the Vista, Calif., jail early Monday morning and released on bail about six hours later.

Whiteside, 32, and his wife, Stephanie, 23, had been arguing in his pickup truck outside a 7-Eleven store. She spotted a sheriff's deputy and walked over to the patrol car. After interviewing both parties, Whiteside was arrested on the domestic violence charge.

"It was an unfortunate incident that happened at the wrong time and the wrong place," Whiteside said.