The Courier-Journal from Louisville, Kentucky • Page 37

2 THE COURIER-JOURNAL, SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 1993 Edgar Martinez out six weeks with leg injury t- VHiv (r i 1 4 I I I i wjj, '1 A Indianapolis. Chris Nabholz pitched five strong innings, allowing one unearned run and five hits, and John Vander Wal had three hits as the Montreal Expos beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-1 in Vero Beach, Fla. Dodgers reliever Todd Worrell, on the mend from shoulder tendinitis, gave up three runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning. Doug Dascenzo's two-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth pulled host Texas into a 7-7 tie, and the Rangers and Houston Astros played one scoreless extra inning before agreeing to stop the second of their two-game exhibition series. The Rangers have nine players on the 15-day disabled list, including Kevin Brown, who had been listed as the opening day pitcher until suffering a rib stress fracture.

Dave Gallagher couldn't reach Bernie Williams' homer, but the Yankees couldn't catch the Mets, who won 5-1 at Shea Stadium. ASSOCIATED PRESS the 25-man roster limit. By dropping the left-hander, who officially was designated for assignment, the Braves secured spots on the pitching staff for another former Cy Young Award winner, Steve Be-drosian, and rookie sensation Greg McMichael. "I guess in 10 days, if nothing happens, I'll be released," Davis said. "I'll go back home and see what to do about my situation." Davis, who won the Cy Young Award in 1989 with the San Diego Padres, had a 2.16 ERA in 16 innings this spring with 18 strikeouts.

Around the camps: The St. Louis Cardinals scored four runs in the seventh inning, highlighted by Gerald Perry's RBI triple, downed Philadelphia 5-3 at Oklahoma City. St. Louis starter Joe Magrane pitched only to leadoff batter Lenny Dykstra before leaving with a stiff lower back. The Cincinnati Reds got down to their opening day roster by optioning pitcher Milton Hill to Triple- Associated Press Edgar Martinez, the defending American League batting champion, will miss six weeks after pulling his left hamstring while trying to steal a base in Seattle's 4-1 victory over Milwaukee, yesterday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Martinez, a third baseman who batted .343 last season, was hurt in the fourth inning while trying to steal second. Mariners manager Lou Piniella blamed Martinez's injury on the looseness of the dirt around the bases at B.C. Place Stadium. The stadium has artificial turf. Two Milwaukee regulars second baseman Bill Spiers and right fielder Darryl Hamilton left the game because of injuries that Brewers manager Phil Garner also blamed on the field conditions.

Spiers sustained a left thigh strain, Hamilton a mild right groin strain. Neither injury was believed to be serious. r.iAJon LEAGUE BASEBALL Murphy signs with Rockies: Dale Murphy was released from his minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies and signed a one-year contract with Colorado. Murphy, 37, a seven-time all-star and two-time National League Most Valuable Player, is 27th on the career home run list and fourth among active players with 398. "We needed an experienced bat off the bench who might give us a little power," Rockies general manager Bob Gebhard said.

Murphy hit .231 this spring in 14 games as a non-roster player. He played in only 18 games last year because of knee surgery, hitting .161 with two home runs. Murphy said his right knee "is as good as it's going to get." Braves cut Davis: Former Cy Young Award winner Mark Davis was cut by Atlanta as it got down to Cromer a comer Redbirds' shortstop impresses Cardinals with fielding, hitting By GEORGE RORRER Staff Writer ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The latest in a line of men who would succeed Ozzie Smith as the St.

Louis Cardinals' shortstop is Tripp Cromer, a rail-thin South Carolina ballpark rat who knows how to catch the eyes of his elders. Even Red Schoendienst and George Kissell liked what they saw this spring of the 6-foot-2, 165-pound Cromer, who at age 25 is ticketed to be the everyday shortstop for the Triple-A Louisville Redbirds. "He's just a good fielder," said the 70-year-old Schoendienst, who made it to the Hall of Fame as a second baseman in the 1950s opposite another lanky shortstop, "Cromer is a shortstop, now his hanging Ozzie's knows how going St. Louis OR INTEREST CHARGES FOR 6 FUU MONTHS! going to be big-league but right next stop is around in shadow. Who long that's to be?" manager Joe Torre NO FINANCE rated tread Non Big brand $19.95 P15580R13 Modern AS design Non Big 0 brand $33.95 P15580R13 Economy light truck tire Non Big brand $69.95 LT23585R15 Mud snow rated Non Big 0 brand $49.95 P20570R14 Other Sizes Available At Comparable Savings "Cromer is going to be a big-league shortstop, but right now his next stop is hanging around in Ozzie's shadow.

Who knows how long that's going to be?" Cromer said he's flattered with the compliments he's received and grateful to the Cardinals for the way his spring debut was handled. "Ozzie could be intimidating to anybody," Cromer said. "But everybody was good to me. They treated me like anybody else in the clubhouse. "I had to real-jze those guys do mess up just like I do, and they do strike out every now and then, too.

The hardest thing for me to get over was how much money the guys next to me are making. "But I try not to think about anything any body says about me until it comes true. I know that I put up the numbers, I'll eventually play for somebody." In a way, Kissell is reaping the rewards of work done long ago. He managed Roy Cromer, Tripp's father, at Winston-Salem. Roy Cromer later was a Cardinals scout and for many years coached high school baseball.

Tripp virtually grew up on the playing fields of South Carolina, excelling at whatever sport was in season baseball, basketball, football and tennis. His three brothers are minor-league baseball players Burke, 23, a pitcher in the Atlanta organization; D. 22, an outfielder in the Oakland chain; and Brandon, 19, a shortstop in the Toronto system. Cromer realizes fielding ability is his strong suit. "God blessed me with good hands," he said, "and I've worked hard at using what I've got.

Fielding comes naturally, but hitting is something else." Cromer's highest full-season batting average was .239 last season at Arkansas. In six games with Louisville he batted .200 with a homer and seven runs batted in. "I've had streaks where I could hit anybody," he said, "but then all of a sudden I can't hit anybody. I've got to become more consistent. "I'm just happy I'm going to get this opportunity.

I love the Astroturf in Cardinal Stadium. It's going to be fun." But then, even as Cromer looks over Smith's shoulder, his own successor at Arkansas will be 20-year-old Aaron Holbert, the Cardinals' No. 1 draft choice of 1990. "We've got some people coming," Torre said, smiling. 4-3, finish 11 record p.m.

in Cardinal Stadium against defending American Association champion Oklahoma City. The first homestand will last six games. Louisville used four straight singles in the fourth inning to take a 2-0 lead over Columbus. The Clippers got a run in the fifth when Redbirds shortstop Bien Figueroa with a runner on third rolled the ball back to the mound after an out he mistook for the third of the inning. Tripp Cromer scored on John Morris' fielder's choice in the eighth the Redbirds' final run.

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"He does everything with no effort, and he can swing the bat, too." Does Cromer remind you of Marion, Red? "No," Schoendienst said. "He's just himself, and that's pretty good." Kissell, who has been a Cardinals manager, coach or instructor since Branch Rickey hired him in 1940, said, "Cromer probably has the best hands in the organization. With three on and two out, who would you want the ball to be hit to? Cromer, that's who. He does everything well." Cromer given the name Roy Bunyan Cromer III, thus "Tripp" for "triplicate" got his first shot at big-league spring training with the Cardinals in the fifth season after they drafted him out of the University of South Carolina with their No. 3 choice in 1989.

He made the most of it, getting four hits in 10 at-bats, playing errorless ball in eight games and even uncharacteristically hitting a home run. He has hit just 14 in four pro seasons. "He doesn't look strong enough to do that," Kissell said, "but he's wiry strong. He can drive the ball 1 through the infield." The woods are full of past would- be Ozzie Smith successors. Where have you gone, Kelly Paris? Jose (Gonzalez) Uribe is a Houston Astro.

Jose Oquendo and Tim Jones are St. Louis backup infielders. Bien Figueroa is a backup in Louisville. Smith is 38 years old, but he is still a marvel, and in December he signed a contract that virtually gives him control over when his career will end. "Ozzie will tell us when," St.

Louis manager Joe Torre said. Redbirds fall spring with 5 Special to The Courier-Journal ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The Columbus Clippers nailed Gary Buckels for three runs in the sixth inning and beat Louisville 4-3 yesterday in the final spring-training game for the Redbirds. Louisville, which finished with a 5-11 record, will scrimmage the Class AA Arkansas Travelers today, then head north.

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