The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 21

Smithson To Pitch Opener .2 Walker, Generals Explode 3 ISC Takes Women9 Title 3 Sports Scoreboard 4 wwm MONDAY April 4,1983 Section iTDinni Cards Joys Bl ye Greer Crowd (13,742) Includes Hurt McGee in the outfield with George Hen- Santana. another former Sound McGee, who hit .296 in his rookie season last year. He separated By TED POWER The mayor's proclamation said yesterday was Willie McGee Day at Greer Stadium. It may have been McGee's day on paper, but it certainly wasn't on the field. McGee, the former Nashville Sound and current St.

Louis Cardinals outfielder, rode the bench as the defending World Series champs fell to the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 in both teams' exhibition season finale. MUCH TO the disappointment of 13,742 chilled fans, McGee spent Easter Sunday nursing a sore shoulder which could land him on the disabled list before the week is over. And it certainly wasn't shortstop Rafael Santana's day, either. drick, Lonnie Smith and David Green. Hendrick hit a two-run homer yesterday.

It's the infield, now without regular second baseman Tom Herr, that could be of concern. Just ask Santana. "It was kind of rough out there today. It was just one of those days," said the quiet Santana, who played the second half of the 1980 season with the Sounds be fore being traded to the Cardinals organization. HE SPENT 1981 with the AA Arkansas team and then moved to the AAA Louisville club last season.

He may see his first big (Turn to Page 2, Column 4) hanging on to the tail end of the Cardinal roster, booted one Weather like Florida, Page 4 grounder and threw another away to key a five-run Blue Jay sixth inning. The big rally brought the Blue Jays from a 5-2 deficit and gave the club its best Grapefruit League record ever, 16-10, as it enters its seventh season in the American League East tomorrow at Boston. THE CARDS, who finished the exhibition season at 8-12, also open tomorrow as they host National League East rival Pittsburgh. But they'll be playing without his shoulder last Monday when he crashed into a centerf ield wall in an exhibition game. "The doctors will check his shoulder tomorrow.

If there is any chance he can pinch hit this weekend, we'll keep him with us," said St. Louis manager Whi-tey Herzog. "I don't think it looks too good though," he added. McGEE, WHO played for Nashville in 1980 and 1981, could be placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 28, the day he was injured. He could then be activated next Monday.

His injury is of some concern, but Herzog does have some depth ML 4h 'ufr At" ftA5 AP Laserphoto ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. University of Houston center Akeem Abdul Olajuwon is all smiles as the Cougars prepare to meet North Carolina State tonight in the NCAA championship game at the University of New Mexico Pit. 0 fliuwom it Staff photo by Dan Loftin By JIMMY DAVY Tenncssean Sports Writer Channel 5, 8 p.m. With umpire Dale Ford watching, St. Louis' Ozzie Smith dives back to beat the tag of Toronto's Willie Upshaw.

national championship, and that takes in a lot of great teams, outstanding players. Among the statistics to back up this claim are these: One out of every seven field goals the Cougars make is a dunk. One out of every eight field goal attempts by the opponents has been blocked this season. The Cougars have averaged nine blocks and seven dunks in each of their NCAA tourna ment games. The dunkingest, blockingest member of the mythical Phi Slama Jama Fraternity is Ola juwon and he enjoying it.

More dominant than he has been all year, partially explain ing his lack of All-American consideration, the giant Cougar ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The Americanization of Nigerian Akeem Abdul Olajuwon is in full swing. The 7-0 Houston center showed up yesterday at a news conference wearing a velvet Nike warmup suit, flipping a button which said More Mr. Nice Guy," and listening to a portable tape player. It was appropriate, perhaps prophetic, that the music on the tape was by the group named Dynasty on the eve of tonight's NCAA championship game between the 1-ranked Houston Cougars and ambitious North Carolina State.

TIPOFF IS 8 p.m. CST at the New Mexico Pit and the game will be telecast in the Nashville area over WTVF, Channel 5, and broadcast over radio station WLAC-AM, 1510. Asked if the group Dynasty had any special meaning for Akeem and his vastly-talented Houston teammates, the huge Lagos, Nigeria, athlete laughed and said: "It has no meaning. I like the drums." If the music wasn't prophetic, what about his family name, Olajuwon? "In Nigeria, that means being on top," he said. "I hope we're on top tomorrow night." HOUSTON, 31-2 with a 26-game winning is a prohibitive favorite over the upstart North Carolina State team, 25-10.

There are some who feel that Houston may be the most talented team ever to play for the is becoming a national hero in two countries. HOWEVER, his parents, who are well-off cement dealers in Lagos, have no conception of their second son's basketball prowess, and progress. "I called my mother after we beat Louisville and told her we won, but she didn't know what I was talking about. She wants to know about class. They want me to come back with a busi: "AWuM -mmm2SJ(t "1 ness law degree and worK in cement," he said.

But I'm going to play pro basketball over here. I just want to visi Lagos." Ihe Perfect Profession JIM KAAT HAS what he calls a perfect job perfect for him, that is. In recent years, the 44-year-old relief pitcher of the St. Louis Cardinals has been used almost exclusively and will be again to retire left-handed hitters. "It's the kind of job a young pitcher wouldn't enjoy," he said prior to yesterday's exhibition game against Toronto at Greer Stadium.

"A young guy would want to know when he was going to pitch, to have a more signif iciant role. But at this stage, it's perfect for me." ALTHOUGH KAAT appeared in a career-high 62 games last season, he pitched only 75 innings, which, he said, "didn't wear me out." Kaat was 5-3 last year with two saves and a 4.08 earned-run average. Two of his appearances came as a starter. "I doubt if I'll be starting any games this season," he said. "The only way I'll be starting is for our rotation to get messed up as it was last season.

Mine will be an all-inclusive role. Be ready when the game starts." How much longer does he plan to pitch? t'Who knows," Kaat replied, before adding that he, is taking things one year at a time, or even one day at a time. "WHEN I wake up in the morning, I just make sure! I'm pointed in the right direction." Kaat, who is one day away from beginning a record 25th major league season, has put some numbers on the board since he made the bigs for the first time in 1959 with the old Washington Senators. 'He is ranked in the top 20 in five career categories games, fifth with 874; victories, 19th, 283; starts, sixth, 625; strikeouts, 19th, innings, 17th, 4,493. Along the way, Kaat has helped himself by hitting 16 career home runs, the most of any active pitcher, and by winning 16 consecutive Gold Gloves for fielding excellency.

KAAT WILL tie the modern record for longevity set by Eddie Collins. And, if he even plays one game in 1984, he would tie the all-time record of 26 seasons set by Deacon McGuire, who began his major league career 100 years earlier, in 1884. The ageless one would like to record 300 wins before he calls it quits. But the "Kitty Man," who likes a challenge, admits that might be hard to attain. At his 1982 pace it would take him four more years to reach 300.

i (Turn to Page 2, Column 4) Asked if his mother knew about the importance in this country of the NCAA Fina! Four. Olajuwon said, "She (Turn to Page 5, Column 1) Staff photo by Dan Loftin A bum shoulder doesn't keep Willie McGee from signing autographs. Braves Open, Expect More Consistency tapped Phil Niekro to pitch against Cincinnati's Mario Sosa. "And I think, just because of the experience of last year, we will do that. We rode it out." According to Torre, the Braves' camp had "a more relaxed atmosphere this year than last year at this time, for me and the team.

I'm more knowledgeable and the Dodgers aren't as tough. I have last year behind me, the same way the team does. It has to make me and the team more confident. "TO DO WELL over, a short period al NL "opener, is one of four major league contests scheduled for today. In the American League, Chicago is at Texas, Cleveland opens at Oakland and Kansas City plays at Baltimore.

THOUGH WINNING the West last year, the Braves were a hot-and-cold team opening with a major league record 13-game winning streak and then struggling to nip the Los Angeles Dodgers on the last game of the season after losing a mountainous lead. "I hope we can eliminate the peaks and the valleys," says Torre, who has could be luck. When you do it over 162 games, it's not because you're lucky. It's because you're good." Brett Butler, who opened in center field last year but was demoted to the minors, won his starting job back after a good spring. Dale Murphy, the NL's Most Valuable Player last year, has moved from center to left to make room for Butler.

Niekro had a 17-4 record for the Braves last year, while Soto was 14-13 for the Reds, who finished last in the West last season with the worst (Turn to Page 5, Column-4) i By KEN RAPPOPORT AP Sports Writer The Atlanta Braves open the 1983 baseball season today with the same lineup that started last year and different hopes from a manager who wants to eliminate the "peaks and valleys" of 1982. "This year, I'm going to be very frustrated if we don't play at a more consistent level," says Joe Torre, whose defending West Division champion Braves meet the Cincinnati Reds in the sole National League opener. The game in Cincinnati, a perenni.