The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 6

SECTION Scoreboard 2 Pro Baseball 3 Business6 Wednesday, September 5, 1984 I Sti No Shot At Title: Waltrip fd-A--, -A I Nashville ill 2m Playoffs By TOM SQUIRES Go ahead, Snuffy, you can gas up the bus. The Nashville Sounds are playoff bound for the sixth consecutive sea-son following last night's 3-2, 10th inning victory over Birmingham A crowd of 2,816 at Herschel Greer Stadium watched Bill Worden ground a two-out, two-strike single down the left field line to score pinch-runner Keith Hughes with the winning run. it'. I I Staff photo by Kathleen Smith Nashville's Dan Pasqua dives back to beat the tag of Birmingham's Scotti Madison, once a Vanderbilt All-American. The victory, Nashville's third in a row under the pressure of elimination, gave the Sounds their sixth consecutive second-half Southern League Western Division championship.

Nashville begins a best-of-five playoff series at Knoxville tonight against the first-half champion Blue Jays. Nashville earned a regular-season tie with defending league champion Birmingham by whipping rival Memphis in the final two games of the season to force last night's one-game playoff. Both teams had finished atop the standings with identical 35-40 records. The winning run came off Birmingham relief pitcher Ramon Pena, who came on to pitch the 10th after Baron starter Bryan Kelly had limited the Sounds to just two runs on four hits for nine innings. Pena finished the year with a 3-8 record.

Sounds starter Mark Ferguson responded with his finest effort of the season. The veteran right-hander allowed nine hits but struck out a club season-high 13 batters. His only walk was an intentional pass in the eighth inning. Jim Rasmussen relieved Ferguson The Sounds, who were one out away from elimination Sunday night, opened the bottom of the 10th with a double by Fernando Gonzalez. Following an intentional walk to Pete Dalena, Erik Peterson grounded into a double play, leaving Gonzalez at third.

Gonzalez left the game with an injury in favor of Hughes, who scored easily on Worden's sharp grounder just over the third base bag. It was Worden's first hit of the game following three strikeouts and a fielder's choice grounder. after he retired the Baron leadoff man in the top of the 10th. Rasmussen got the next two batters on a groun-dout and strikeout and got his fourth win in eight decisions this season. Nashville went in front 2-0 in the third inning, much like it scored in the 10th.

Gonzalez opened with a double and Dalena followed with a walk. Peterson singled home the first run and Dalena scored on the play when the ball slipped by Birmingham center fielder Bruce Fields. The Barons tied the game with two runs in the fifth inning. Singles by Vir gil Silverio, Bob Melvin and Fields got the first run in. Ferguson then fanned the next two batters before Scotti Madison lined a a game-tying single to right Madison, the former Vanderbilt All-American, and Melvin had two hits apiece for Birmingham.

Last night's victory pushed the Sounds over the .500 mark for the season at 74-73. Left-hander Mark Shiflett (9-8, 3.94) is slated to pitch tonight's series opener in Knoxville. Game time at Bill Meyer Stadium is 6:30 CDT. By LARRY WOODY DarreH Waltrip yesterday admitted his chances for a third NASCAR championship in four years are virtually nonexistent on the heels of two disastrous finishes. Also for the first time on record, Waltrip said his team's two-car operation which he never favored may have hampered his efforts.

"I think what happened was that we tried so hard to avoid controversy early in the season that we lost sight of some other things," said Waltrip. "But I'm a team player, and I'll play it out to the end of the season." After back-to-back car failures at Bristol and Darlington, Waltrip is 223 points behind points leader Terry La-bonte, buried in sixth place with eight races to go. "Realistically, we have to start thinking about second place," said Waltrip. "I'm not conceding anything," he added. "I'll go out and try to lead every lap and win every race that's left But I think last Sunday's race was the one that finally broke the camel's back." The reference was to a 40th-place finish in the 41-car Southern 500 field at Darlington, S.C.

Waltrip's Chevrolet lasted just 28 laps before retiring with a broken piston. The previous week, mechanical failure left Waltrip 21st in a 30-car field at Bristol. Prior to those two dropouts, Waltrip had been just 71 points out of first place and confident he could still make a run for the national championship. He won the prestigious title in 1981 and '82, and finished second last season. "About all I can hope for now is to win as many of these last races that I can," he said.

"I can still make some money and hopefully move on up in the points. I can still have a good season." Waltrip, an Owensboro, native who makes his home in Franklin, Tena, has won four of 22 races this season and collected $452,715 in prize money. That would rate an excellent season by most standards, but only a so-so one for Waltrip, the most successful stock car driver in the country the past 10 years. Problems were anticipated this season when Waltrip's team owner. Junior Johnson, teamed with Warner Hodgdon at the end of last year.

Hodgdon brought his driver, Neil Bon-nett into the operation and the John-son-Hodgdon team fielded two cars. Although Waltrip had opposed the two-team concept from the start, he had carefully avoided any criticism of the team throughout the season. Friends Plan Banquet for Tessor' Boyce Sports Scope L-l Li F.M. WILLIAMS GENE BOYCE MAY be the only man in Nashville that nobody dislikes. At least I wasn't able to find one these last several days.

But there is one thing that's inarguable. Gene Boyce never met a kid he didn't like. He says so, and for the 47 years he served in a variety of positions at David Lipscomb College he met about 4,000 in the classroom and 30,000 in intramural athletics and other sports he coached. Most of those kids are grown now, some are affluent and leading businessmen, others are doctors and at least one is in politics. On Oct 19 they are coming together again to honor Dr.

Boyce, known to most of them as "Fessor," at a banquet at the college, and to establish in his name a permanent tennis scholarship. "We've been talking to him about doing this for over a year, but he always backed out because he didn't feel up to it" says Dr. Gary Jerkins, who with Greg Hardman is serving as co-chairman of the committee in charge. Dr. Jerkins is one of those kids that Boyce Athletic Club.

They are among the five city champions he helped develop, the others being David Mayo and a couple of girls, Jean Burton and Lynne Gregory. "The greatest area in which he helped was in watching us play and encouraging us," says Robinson. "I don't think you could find anyone who doesn't like him." Robinson adds that when he was trying to land a job as pro at Hillwood back in 1972, Dr. Boyce was asked for a recommendation and he got the job. Vice Mayor David Scobey was another kid who found a friend in "Fessor" Boyce.

Scobey was perhaps the best athlete who ever went to Lipscomb High School, Boyce says. He played tennis, basketball and baseball then. "Gene Boyce has probably had more influence for good on the students he came in contact with at David Lipscomb than any other person in history," says Scobey. "His non-assuming attitude and the example he set is always remembered by those who had any kind of contact with him." (Turn to Page 4, Column 1) There were no strict training techniques for the youngsters that Boyce guided. Fact is, according to people like George Mcintosh and Carl Robinson, "Fessor's" great contribution to their future success in tennis was to invite them to play with him, and other older men.

"When I was 11 years old, he would see me hanging around the court and say, 'How'd you like to play with Mcintosh says. It was in other areas that he was always helping the young people he first contacted on the tennis courts, the golf course, or in the basketball arena. He was coach of all three during his years at Lipscomb from 1937 to his retirement in 1980. "When I came out of service following World War II, he encouraged me to return to school," Mcintosh said. "I wanted to get married and I needed a place to live.

He got me in an apartment on campus with 1 9 preachers. He was also in my wedding." Boyce says Mcintosh was one of the two best tennis players he ever developed. The other is Carl Robinson, now a teaching pro at Westside it: took a liking to when he was about 10 years old and had a hand in developing his tennis game to where he became No. 1 on the Lipscomb varsity team. "I won the 10-year-old championship one year when there were just three of us in the tournament" Dr.

Jerkins says. "He, Ted Lamaire and Bill Bradshaw were about the only people doing much for juniors in those years. They would have inter-club matches and put on a tournament but there weren't a lot of kids playing." A. Vol Offense Uses Short, Sweet Pass Manuel Laboring On Punt Returns i. ''j? yH t-ir 4 .1 1 i 4.

By JIMMY DAVY Vanderbilt's Manuel Young obviously has no regard for his body. But despite mild protests to the contrary, Commodore head coach George Maclntyre Is not totally concerned with the physical dangers awaiting the All-Southeastern Conference free safety. The fifth-year senior from Columbia, considered vital to Vandy hopes of a winning season, will return punts Saturday night in the opening game here against Kansas State. This is the athlete who fractured his ankle in the opening loss to Maryland last year and, in the final analysis, the season-long injury led almost directly to the disappointing 2-9 record. Manuel is healthy again.

And Maclntyre has been careful not to cast him into a great deal of contact work this preseason. Yet he has been given the most dangerous assignment in football a sure test of life and limb, not to mention his nerves. "I don't worry about it" said Young yesterday, laughing. "I worry about it" said Maclntyre. "I worry about all our guys who bring back punts and kickoffs, but Manuel has the courage you want back there.

He has a great ability not to allow the ball to hit the ground. "He has had only one serious injury In college and that didn't happen fielding punts," the Vandy coach said. "And he's been hit a lot back there." Indeed, he has. But the player, who Maclntyre calls "pound for pound the toughest athlete I've ever coached," is not fazed. "The problem is not concern over being hit but being able to concentrate while the ball is in the air.

A lot of decisions have to be made and I'm Just one of those guys who is comfortable with the situation," said Young. "It's not as easy to catch that ball as it may look from the stands, but it's not all that dangerous, either," Young said. The heavy-hitter returned last year to help coach the younger secondary people, hopping to his assignment with a cast on his ankle and foot Other than the extraordinary running the Vandy squad has undergone, he has done more standing than hitting this fall. He's anxious to really play. To hit To intercept And more than anything else, to win.

"It seems like forever since I've played in a real game. And it has been a long, long time," the 5-11, 185-poun-der said. "People asked me if I am ready for the opening game. I have been ready to play since the day we reported last month." The defensive leader of this Vanderbilt team, picked anywhere from fifth to last in the SEC, says that he feels this is one of the better Commodore teams with which he has been associated. This includes the 8-4 Hall of Fame Bowl team in 1982.

"I think a lot of people underestimate us. Our offense will live up to its reputation. I see them from the other side. I know they are good at what they do," Young said. But the defense is what is suspect Even with Manuel Young back, cutting off some of the "bombs" which battered the Commodores last year.

"We are young defensively and we are thin. But we're really good. We'll be aggressive," he said. "Hitting is contagious. I think we're going to be more aggressive," he said.

VANDY NOTES: The Commodores, with a record season ticket sale nearing 26,000, expect a capacity crowd for the 7 p.m. kickoff at the Dudley Field stadium. "We don't expect to have more than 1,500 tickets to sell on game night" says ticketman, Ken Hudgens By DAVID CLIMER The long pass play a staple of Tennessee's offensive diet over the past few years has yet to be served and may be kept in the pantry for a few more weeks. The Vols have gone to more of a controlled passing attack, concentrating on shorter, quicker throws, in an effort to lessen the load on the shoulders of junior quarterback Tony Rob-inson. In time, the bomb may return to the Vol arsenal, but for now the idea is to be short and sweet The proof is in the numbers.

Quarterback Robinson enjoyed a sparkling debut hitting 13 of 16 throws in-, eluding one throw-away to stop the clock near the end of the first half against what is considered a solid Washington State defense. But none of Robinson's passes was aimed very far downfield. His longest gain was a 15-yarder to fullback B.B. Copper and that came after Robinson had scrambled away from two would-be tacklers and flipped a short throw to Cooper, who legged out the gain. It was all by design, offensive coordinator Walt Harris says.

"We wanted to keep moving the ball steadily and the best way to do that is to mix in some short passes which help you avoid the incomple-tions that can slow down your momentum," he said. "Tony executed exactly the way we wanted him to." Harris didn't forward a view on when the Vols might decide to go a little deeper. "I'd like to think that our offense is pretty flexible, but we're going to stick with the standard things right now. The short passing game is what we worked on all spring and in the preseason, so that's what we're sticking with at this time," he said. The revamped offensive philosophy was instituted in order to make the best possible use of a group of wide receivers who are markedly different from the Vol speed-burners of the past Only Tim McGee and reserve Wesley Pryor possess anything close to the kind of speed that people like Anthony Hancock, Willie Gault and Clyde Duncan had.

Shorter pass patterns make better use of the precise cuts made by people like Bill Eichholtz, a former walk-on who caught three Robinson throws for 30 yards last weekend. Even McGee, who is the latest addition to the Hancock-Gault-Duncan receiver lineage, had to make himself content with six receptions for a paltry 45 yards. That's far off his 15.1-yard average on 19 catches last season. "The coaches just don't want to put too much pressure on Tony right now so they're taking the longer throws out of our offense. Once Tony gets settled down and starts reading the coverages better, we'll cut loose.

I know I'm not going to be catching 5-yard passes all season," McGee said. Actually, offensive coordinator Harris hinted that the shorter throws serve almost the same purpose as a long pass In setting up Tennessee's big-play offense. "Just the threat of a pass, no matter how long it is, keeps the defense from stacking up and waiting on Johnnie Jones. And Johnnie's going to break some long runs," Harris said. Jones' 47-yard run on the first play of the fourth period against Washington State was a case In point The run came on a sprint-draw play which followed a 10-yard Robinson-to-McGee dart For now the pattern seems clear Throw the ball short and leave the sprinting to Johnnie.

VOL NOTES: After three days off, the Vols will return to the practice field today to begin preparations for the Sept fi home game with Utah. I fe 1 IPI I elpnhoto Flying Return Top-seeded John McEnroe leaps into the air to return a serve during his straight-set win over Robert Green in the third round of the U.S. Open. Story on Pajge 2..