The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 29

by Frank Empson This is the opening night crowd of 8,156 that turned out for the Nashville Sounds' home opener against their Southern league opponent, the Savannah Braves'. Stoff Photo 8, 156 Watch Nashville Top Savannah 12-4 Win In lOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO by F.M. Williams I'D ik TENNESSI-JAN PqQ0 29 iSPOKTS THURSDAY April 27, 1978 By JEFF HANNA Surely it will go down in baseball annals as a truly miracle night. Not that the Nashville Sounds' 12-4 victory over the Savannah Braves involved any miraculous feats. But the mere fact that Herschel Greer Stadium was ready enough for baseball to make its return to Nashville ranks in that miracle category.

A CROWD OF 8,156 paid admissions, cheered and chanted and ate the Sounds out of house and stadium while watching their new team roll past Savannah with relative ease. A Different View JIMMY STREATER and Johnny Majors have been watching Tennessee's spring football practice from different viewpoints, with different things in mind, and they see developments quite differently. Streater has been watching from beneath the center as the No. 1 quarterback, and with a very set of eyes. Majors has been watching from the sidelines, or from behind the offensive team, with eyes that have seen much more in years gone by, and not quite as much this spring.

Additionally, Majors looks as a coach who evaluates every phase of Stadium Approved By First Fan (football. Streater looks only at the offense. which he heads and for which he is more responsible than any other By the time the crowd started arriving at 6 p.m., tractors and grading machines were still churning away trying to get the playing surface into some semblance of a field. And in the final analysis, the field itself had little or nothing to do with Nashville's 16-hit offense which was Ted by the newest member of the Sounds, catcher Joe Griffin. Griffin, called up from Class A Tampa Tarpons Monday to replace the injuried Mark Miller, drove in five runs on four hits as Nashville moved out to a commanding 6-0 lead through four innings.

"After seeing the baseball stadium in the condition it was in when we got here late Monday night, it's amazing, really incredible.that it was in such good condition on that infield," said Nashville second baseman Randy Davidson, who added two hits and an RBI for the Sounds. "That grounds crew did a super job getting the sod down. The fans were really sensational, and I'm glad we could win this first one for them. I hope it brings them back." "THE FIELD WAS playable although it wasn't 100 percent," said Nashville manager Chuck Goggin. "I think Savannah got a couple of bad hops and we took advantage of them.

We were really fired up and swinging the bats." Nashville righthander Bruce Berenyi picked up his third win without a loss when he gave up only one run in five innings before being relieved after Larry Rothschild gave up three runs in a third of an inning, Doug Corbett came on to retire eleven Braves in a row, including six strikeouts and was credited with a save. "BRUCE THREW 107 pitches in the five innings and got tired toward the end," said Goggin. (Turn to Page 37) individual. Quarterbacks always carry that heavy burden. "Our offense, each day, gets closer and closer as a team and as friends," says Streater.

"We have never had any problems of divisions, but now we seem to be just one big happy fami mmM StoH Photo by Frank Empson Jimmy Streater By JEFF HANNA Promptly at 6:03 p.m. last night William Lazenby and his 16-year-old son, Robert, walked through the makeshift gate to become the first paying customers admitted to Herschel Greer Stadium. While Robert headed directly for the souvenir stand and plunked down his $2.50 for a Nashville Sounds batting helment, Lazenby paused on the way to Section Row 2, Seats 7 and 8, to explain his feelings about the return of professional baseball to Nashville after a lengthy absence. "I USED TO SPEND a lot of time watching the old Vols play down at Sulpher Dell," said Lazenby, referring to Nashville's last minor league baseball team which folded in September of 1963. "I've been waiting ever since thatlast Vols' game for the day that this kind of entertainment came back to Nashville, and I'm glad the wait is over." (Turn to Page 32) William Loienby and son Robert of Nashville were the first fans to show up for the Nashville Sounds home opener last night at Greer Stadium.

Impressive Field Runs Today Alydar All Set For Bluegrass oles Planned ly." That, plus the confidence that comes from playing, has been responsible for a vast offensive improvement this spring over last fall. A lot of people have learned more about the game than they knew last year, have learned to relate to football better," says the quarterback. "Our line blocking has gotten much better. "If we can keep everybody well, and if we can keep our heads screwed on right, I believe we'll have a chance every time we play next fall." For Streater, and many people think for the Tennessee football future, the turning point in the Majors' era came in the Florida game last fall. That's when the experiment of playing Streater half a game and Pat Ryan the other half came to an abrupt halt.

Jimmy was handed the quarter-backing reins and told to drive the horses. "That helped my confidence," he said. "It was the turning point for me when I realized I was No. 1. The first thing I thought of was that I wanted to keep the job, and I told myself that the best way to do that was to work hard, learn all I could, and above everything else, don't get upset." IT WILL BE today, or maybe even later, when Streater learns if he will watch Saturday's Orange and White game from the same vantage point as Coach Majors from the stands.

He suffered a twisted ankle in a workout Tuesday but yesterday he said he believes he will be able to play in the game. He is to quarterback the Orange team, if he's physically well enough. The little junior-to-be laughs about the question surrounding his availability this spring. Last year, when he was fighting his head off to gain (Turn to Page 37) Hi For etnple by Jorge Velasquez, who was in the saddle yesterday morning when the son of Raise Native worked three-eighths of a mile in 35 1-5 seconds. ONLY THREE other stakes winners are in the field.

They are Daybrek Farm's Chop Chop Tomahawk, the early second choice at 5-1, and the Robert N. Lehmann entry of Raymond Earl and Five Star General, trained by Smiley Adams, who last year chased Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew with Run Dusty Run. Chop Chop Tomakawk won the Rebel Handicap at Oakland Park March 11, then was eighth in the Arkansas Derby and second by 5 'i lengths to Sensitive Prince in the Calumet Purse at Keeneland April 18. He will start at the No. 2 post under Dave Whited.

LEXINGTON (AP) Alydar will take his last step on the road to the Kentucky Derby today when he opposes eight other 3-year-olds in the Bluegrass Stakes at Keene-land, just one mile from his Calumet Farm home. "IT'S STILL a long way to the Derby," said Alydar's trainer, John Veitch, noting the uncertainties of horse racing. But Alydar sure looks certain to remain unbeaten this year in the Bluegrass and go on to oppose such 3-year-old stars as Affirmed, Sensitive Prince, Believe It and Esops Foilbles in aa bid to bring Calumet its ninth Derby victory. Alydar is the early 2-5 favorite to add the 1 Vs-mile Bluegrass to his impressive triumphs in the Flamingo and the Florida Derby. He will be ridden from the outside post been held between country club owners and land developers, centering on development of nine holes for golf and home sites on property immediately behind the present Temple Hills clubhouse.

The property being discussed is owned by land developer Jim Patterson. Temple Hills has a membership of 700, up from 525 members when it opened in July of 1975. The club has the largest number of golfers of any single club using the State PGA-Min-imax handicap system. By JIMMY DAVY Speculation persists that Temple Hills Country Club will become the largest golf course in Middle Tennessee. Currently under discussion is the possible development of another nine holes, making it one of just three courses in Tennessee with 36.

The other 36-hole golf courses in the state are Colonial Country Club and Windyke Country Club, both in Memphis. Talk circulating at the Amana Open this week was that at least informal talks have North Carolina Athletes Agree In Survey Most Found Paper Marijuana use ows drug abuse involving players on their teams. Ron Banther, a former N.C. State football player who graduated in 1977, said he "knew of one football player who did some speed, but that was the only guy I knew that did heavy stuff." Banther said he knew of two or three football players who used marijuana regularly, and teammate Jeff Easter said some players were removed from the team for smoking marijuana. Both N.C.

State coach Bo Rein and his predecessor, Lou Holtz, now head football coach at Arkansas, said they were not aware of any drug abuse on their teams. "I'm not saying there aren't drugs in our programs; there are probably some in all programs," Rein said. "But there have not been any violations that have warranted suspension." East Carolina defensive back Reggie Pinkney, who graduated in 1977, told the Times that football coach Pat Dye had a meeting with the team in 1975 which he said resulted in diminished drug abuse. "He had a big meeting with the team," Pinkney said. "He had this list of names he said came from the police, of players who were suspected of being involved with drugs and a couple of guys suspected of pushing drugs.

He called out names and some were guys in the meeting. He said he wasn't going to have any of it." Dye said he "knew of some cases (of smoking marijuana) during the off-season" but that he "was not aware of that taking place during the football season." Wake Forest athletes said they were not aware of any drug abuse other than marijuana. "There was plenty of marijuana, but that wasn't any big deal to me. I'd say that less than 50 percent of Wake athletes had smoked grass," said Bill Armstrong, an All-America defensive back who graduated in 1977. Athletes at Duke said there have been incidents of drug abuse on the basketball team in recent years.

"I don't know of anyone personally that was speeding in games, although I know it went on in other schools in the ACC because other players told me," former Duke basketball player Chris Redding said. FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -Marijuana is the most abused drug on North Carolina college sports teams, most athletes agreed in interviews with the Fayetteville Times. The Times said it had interviewed 35 athletes at Duke, East Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest universities. Their comments appeared in the fourth installment of a six-part copyrighted series by the Times on drug abuse among college athletes.

The athletes said abuse of other drugs, such as amphetamines, still exists but has diminished in the last two years. Out of 10 current and former coaches interviewed at the four schools, three said they knew of "From what I've heard, they would take some speed before a game or the morning of the game and that would last them the whole day. By game time, it was in their system so you really couldn't tell by their eyes dilating," Redding said. Repeated attempts by the Times to reach Duke basketball coach Bill Foster were unsuccessful. "As far as speed goes, I think football players are more prone to that," said Mark Crow, a 1977 graduate.

"They get beat up a lot and come Saturday, they have to kill the pain." Duke head football coach Mike McGee denied knowledge of any current drug abuse problems. "I think there may have been a problem with drugs in the early '70s, but we don't have any problems now at Duke," he said. One team doctor said the reason opinions on drug use differ between coaches and players is that coaches can't recognize it. "I'd never know drug abuse if I saw it and I don't think any of the coaches would either," said Dr. Frank Bassett.

sports medicine director and team physician for Duke. Other doctors disagreed. "You can easily tell if a player is on speed," said Dr. Steve Homer, Wake Forest team physician. "We had a player once that was from out of the conference and we could tell he was on speed during the game." He added that "the good coaches can tell those who are concerned with their players.".