The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 80

Walking Horse Celebration American League 0ase5BlI National League Baseball Dove Season Gets Underway Pro, Amateur Scoreboard, 82 83 84 8G 87 THURSDAY i Page 81 September 3, 1981 Wounds verages won a couple of Eastern League titles before the New York Yankees' Double-A farm club hooked up with Nashville. the games we play are close ones that usually go down to the wire. I'm expecting the same in this series. Both clubs appear to be" healthy and playing good ball. If they beat us three out of five, then they're better than we are.

We're certainly not going to help them i any," said Merrill. MEMPHIS ROARED off with the first-half crown by 3 games over Nashville, but the Sounds came back to capture second-half honors by three games over Birmingham. Nashville owns an 81-62 overall record best in the entire league while Memphis is 77-66. "Nashville is a big rival for us, but I don't think we hold any kind of spell over said Chicks' manager Larry Bearnarth. "They get pretty fired up for us, too, and they'll be ready for the playoffs.

"Our record this half (35-37) isn't anything like It was the first halfr-but we lost some key players and it's always tougher to get up for the second half after you've already clinched the playoff spot and the first-half championship' Bearnarth said. 1 "WE'VE ALWAYS seemed to catch Nashville when we're at our best and we'll have to be at our best to beat them this time," continued the Memphis "I think we're as strong right now as we were at any time the first half. We'v really played well the last few 1 ut. said that there wasn't really one thing the Chicks had to stop in order to beat the Sounds, but that he feared Nashville's "bunt and run" game the most. "They have a lot of speed and are liable to bunt and run at any time," he said.

"They've also beat us a couple of times with the long ball." MEMPHIS WILL send three right-handers at the Sounds, beginning with Joe Abone tonight and following with Bill Sattler and Tommy Joe Shimp. The Sounds will counter tonight with righthander Jamie Werly Southern League pitcher of the year with a 13-U record and follow with the current rotation of Stefan Wever, Pete Filson, and Mike Morgan. The Chicks will have Anthony and Roy Johnson in the outfield along with Leonel Carrion. Mike Stenhouse will be at first, Victor Rodriguez at second, Bryan Little at short, Jerry Fry at third, and Doug Simunic behind the plate. Memphis has won the first half and Nashville the second half for three consecutive years.

The Sounds won a best-of-three playoff series in 1979 and went on to capture the league championship while-the Chicks won three out of four from Nashville in the division playoffs last year, but lost the league title series to Charlotte. THE EASTERN Division best-of-five playoff series is also scheduled to get underway tonight in Orlando as the Twins play host to second-half winner Savannah. A best-of-five series for the Southern League championship between the Eastern and Western winners is slated Sept. 8-12. (Turn to Page 82, Column 6) 1-By TOM SQUIRES Tenoeseu Sports Writer MEMPHIS Surely the Nashville Sounds could have found a ktfriendlier spot to begin their bid for a Southern League Championship, Hospitality toward Nashville is not exactly a characteristic of ttimMcCarver Stadium home of the Memphis Chicks.

Sounds victories here have been few and far. between. Seven Straight losses and nine in the last 10 BUT, NASHVILLE will be trying to turn things around here topflight as the best-of-five Western Division playoff series gets underlay with a 7:30 contest. I "I'd say the law of averages is on our side," said Sounds' manager Stump Merrill. "We're due to win 4 It.

Merrill would gladly settle for a victory in either of the first two playoff games scheduled here, bid the Chicks adieu and take his chances in the last three games at Greer Stadiunu That's where the -Series moves for Saturday's third game -and fourth and fifth, if necessary. jj NEED at least a split in those first two at said Merrill. "I know we haven't had much luck there the last few times, but I don't believe our club is ready to roll over and play dead. I "Memphis has a fine team, but I don't think they, are any better I than we are," continued the veteran minor league skipper, whose Vi. tint iyiV 4'4 i vfft.MvvHrutff vrvj 'St lijiiil i WITH 1 uOHN BIBB if EDITOR 4 i Contagious Controversy ifROMOTIONAL GENIUS that he is, Nashville.

Sounds president IT Larry Schmittou readily admits. the. seething baseball rivalry- with Memphis began as a contrived competition! we got our baseball team going; I felt one necessary ingredient would be a rivalry with some team that would spice things up every time we played," Schmlttou said yesterday. "But in order to set up that sort of thing, there are two requirements. First, your big rival has to be a good team.

It isn't much fun to beat the stuffings out of your big rival every time. Secondly, you have to have teams with strong fan support. On 'both counts, Memphis seemed to be a natural. They were good and their fans were numerous and vocal." 'v. NIL View Old Neighbors Renew Rivalry Tomorrow Night By CINDY SMITH The rivalry goes back to Junior Pro football.

Goodlettsville and Goodpasture football players, especially the seniors, have lived next door to each other since grammar school. BUT, OLD friends off the field make the fiercest competitors on the field. So, fans of both schools can expect a hard-hitting, exciting con- test tomorrow night when the Goodpasture Cougars invade Goodlettsville for the Nashville Interscholastic League season opener. "We've beaten Goodpasture two out of three times in the past four years," said Goodlettsville Trojan quarterback Jody York, a senior. "The seniors really want to beat them since they beat us last year." Halfback John Allison, another senior, said that he's known many of the Goodpasture players all of his life.

"Some of them used to go to Goodlettsville," said Allison. "Being friends with them makes us just want to beat them even more." (Turn to Page 84, Column 3) it SO FROM THE START, Schmittou and I his counterpart in Memphis in those days, Art Clarkson, didn't miss a trick when it came to saying or doing things that might A. 4 agitate the controversy. "I guess the first big issue came in the 1979 playoffs here when we had a game I postponed because of rain, Memphis want- ed to play a doubleheader two seven in- J5L Mlitill.Wi ww-ning games me nexi aay. i oeciaea I would be to our advantage to play two sin- I.

,1 gle games, one nine-inning in the afternoon Staff photo by J.T. Phillips Beware The Trojans I and another nine-Inning that night Boy, oh boy. You remember? It was a glorious con A ttm -n ntrnvprsv and it aHHpH -Int. nf r.in tn th oi 7.JJ The Goodlettsville Trojans rest against th "Blue Goose," the Goodlettsville team but. Th Trojans ore, top row, from left, quarterback Jody York and back Keith Miller, The bottom row, from left, fea tures lineman Larry Lane, and backs Todd Hunter and John Allison.

Goodlettsville opens football season tomorrow night with Goodpasture at the Trojan field. Of NCAA's Top Division wjM Seeks Kec0rts.tr yet in Arfuiowuuuwm series," Schmittou said. -v Since then, the Memphis-Nashville duels have, become modern-day copies of the old times between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. Every game, virtually every pitch, carries the rivalry to the utmost. '-v.

"At first, I don't believe the players on the' teams really got into the feel of this rivalry. They played hard, and all that, but the real impact was the involvement of the fans in both Frankly, I don't believe there is a rivalry In the minor leagues now that surpasses Nashville and Memphis," Schmittou said. FOR INSTANCE, has a mascot who is just about as professional as you'll find. He does exactly what he is supposed to He's a cheerleader who gets their crowd involved in the game. He does such a super job that from a noise level the Memphis crowd Is two or three times louder than Its size.

He Is a real asset to them, ilfi reality, the Memphis fans are so Interested in their team that it take a great deal of urging to get them going. The same goes fof our crowd." -During the last couple or three seasons, there have been crowd Incidents in both parks. There was a time in Memphis when some Nashville fan3, and a couple of players, were doused with beer. The Counterattack at Greer Stadium was In the form of water pistols KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Big Eight conference presidents yesterday asked the NCAA to convene a special convention to restructure its top division.

I Following a five-hour meeting, the presidents said in a statement they were withholding a decision on whether to adopt an NCAA football television package or one the College Football Association has reached with NBC. 1 BIG Eight Conference chief executive officers agree that no further action should be taken on either the CFA or NCAA football television package until the NCAA has addressed the fundamental questions of reorganization," the statement said. "We strongly urge that the NCAA move to convene a special meeting by Nov. 15 for resolution of these critical matters. As members of the NCAA we respectfully request an official response from the NCAA leadership prior to Sept 9." It is a similar proposal to one offered by Vanderbilt athletic dl-(Turn to Page 88, Column 1) Borg, Tanner Win In U.S.

Open Play with Memphis fans the targets. 1 i f. 7 Jw-A -41 Ma r. 'I NEW YORK (AP) Second-seeded Bjorn Borg of Sweden and ninth-seeded Roscoe Tanner breezed to first-round victories in the U.S. Open tennis championships yesterday, while Argentina's Guillermo Vilas, seeded sixth, struggled before downing little-known Drew Gitlin at the National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow.

1 Nashville resident Jimmy Brown was defeated In the first round by Alejandro Cortes of Columbia 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5. "Nothing serious, you understand, but all part of what happens when the teams get together," Schmittou said. The last real controversy came when a Memphis sportswriter questioned the authenticity of Uielcrowd count in Nashville. THE CLAIM WE were not being honest in disclosing our attendance figures really turned on our fans. That entire matter probably did as much as anything to further the rivalry," Schmittou said.

"The teams pick up this enthusiasm. I think sometimes they want to beat the other guys so badly that they get tighter than usual. The atmosphere at the games here and in Memphis is like a basketball crowd. There definitely Is a home court advantage." Schmittou points to the fan importance by suggesting there has been no dimunitlon of desire on the part of the players. I years ago when we went with the New York Yankees, none of our players knew about the Nashville-Memphis rivalry.

All of It started when we were with the Cincinnati organization. But, it didn't take but an inning Or two in a game with Memphis for our guys to realize this was (rn to Page 83olumn Z) night, thrashing an unfortunate qualifier, Kathrin Kell, 6-1, 6-1. Former University of Tennessee star Mel Purcell downed Hie Nastase, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 In a match that lasted 2 hours, 40 minutes. Borg, who never has won America's premier tennis event, had no problems with Gunthardt, a member of the Swiss Davis Cup team. The Swedish right-hander rode seven aces and his usual assortment of impeccable groundstrokes to victory.

Borg, who had been seeded No. 1 here for four straight years until this year, said he is feeling less pressure now. "I felt pressure before because. I won the French (Open) and Wimbledon and I was going for the Grand Slam," he said. "I feel better mentally this year." Being seeded No.

1 or No. 2 "doesn't make any difference," Borg said. "Those two players won't face each other until the final anyway." (Turn to Pge 86, Column 3) BORG NEEDED only one hour, 15 minutes to crush Marcus Gunthardt of Switzerland 6-2, 6-2, 6-0, while Tanner took one minute less to dispose of Craig Edwards 6-3, 6-3, 6-4. Vilas, who won the U.S. Open In 1977 when It was played on clay, fought off a determined bid by Gitlin, a former Southern Methodist University star, 6-3, 6- Staff photo by Robert Johnson Going Up! Chris Evert Lloyd began her as construction quest for a sixth U.S.

Onen cham Trace The new cornerstone sign featuring the Yonder-1 Neely Drive and Natchex I continues on the renovated tttlium. bilt logo kl set into place on the corner. Jess pionship in awesome fashion last VI.