The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 32

6C THE TENNESSEAH rridrAPRIU 11. 1986 oof joins staff 1 as fufltime aide Tigers sending AAA club relief Keeping an eye on the opening r(1r j-r-i i iio. m-mm -u-i I.v Tonight's lineups Nashville Scott Earl 2B Pat Sheridan CF Tim Tolman LF German Rivera 3B Nelson Simmons RF Matt Nokes Brian Harper 1B Bruce Fields DH Pedro Chavez SS Bryan Kelly (8-8) Indianapolis Wally Johnson DH Luis Rivera SS Tom Romano CF Skeeter Barnes 3B MikeHocutt 1B Bill Moore RF Derrell Baker LF Mike Fitzgerald Rene Gonzales 2B Bob Sebra (10-6) he also led American Association 'i a 1 if I I it 1 14 I BUD BURNS Sports Writer Gene Roof yesterday was named a fulltime coach for the Nashville Sounds by the parent Detroit Tigers. Roof, 28, is scheduled to arrive in town today and be on hand for tonight's opener against Indianapolis at Greer Stadium. Roof had been cut as a player when Detroit signed Pat Sheridan shortly before spring training ended.

He is the first man to hold the position of fulltime coach since the Sounds moved to Triple-A as a member of the Detroit Tigers' farm sys- tern. When the Sounds worked with Cincinnati and the New York Yank- ees, they always had fulltime help for their managers. Roofs appointment should end the i controversy that has arisen on occasions concerning Detroit's failure to give the Sounds a fulltime coach. -j "I'm happy to have him," said Sounds manager Leon Roberts. "He'll be a good one.

I need some- one to help. It's tough trying to do it all by yourself." Roberts knew of such a possibility while the club was training at Tiger-; town in Lakeland, Fla. i The decision rested on Roofs con-: tinuance as a player. When it was determined that he was to be re-j leased, he was offered the job. Sever-! al days of negotiating salary put him back in Sound knits.

Last season, the Tigers sent around roving coaches, but Lee Walls and Gordy MacKenzie were the only managers in the American Association operating without a full-time coach. Roberts did serve them as a player-coach, however, i "I still feel I have some playing time left in me," Roof said in a tele-; phone conversation from his Padu-; can, Ky home. "But this job is strictly as a coach. No one has to worry about losing a job. Nevertheless, I'm going to stay in shape and be ready to play if they need me.

"I'm excited about going to Nashville, about the town and its people. I 1 think the team is going to be great, "This is a new experience for me. i It won't be easy. I just have to rear- range my priorities after being a player for so many years. Mentally, it will be a big adjustment" i Roof said he had hoped to play about "two or three more years" and then try something else in baseball if he didn't get back into the majors.

"This (becoming a coach) provides a lot of possibilities for me. It may be a chance to get into something that will keep me in baseball." Roof started his career in 1 976 after being drafted by the St Louis, later playing in the majors for the Cardinals and Montreal. He started the 1985 season at Richmond and finished at Louisville. He batted over .300 in the minors between 1979-81 In 1983 and in 1984 i I i VI- outfielders in fielding with .992 and .991 marks, respectively. "It's about time we did something like that (giving Nashville a fulltime coach)," said Frank Franchi, Detroit's director of player development "Roof is a good man.

Although we let him go in spring training, we felt he was still capable of playing good baseball. "We felt bad about cutting him, but when we had a chance to sign Sheridan we had no other choice. He (Roof) was on our mind when we first started talking about getting a fulltime coach for Nashville." With Roof only 28 and Roberts 35, Nashville might have the youngest on-field management staff in baseball. "Both of those guys are still capable of playing, and they are the type who could step in and do a job for you," Franchi said. "Who knows, they both might be needed as players before this season is over." American Association records that might never fall are the 191 runs batted in by Bunny Brief in 1921, 147 bases on balls received by Nick Polly in 1944, 282 hits by Jay Klrke in 1921, and the 69 home runs hit by Joe Hauserin 1933.

Speaking of home runs, a number of guys with Nashville ties at one time or another led the Association. Nick Cullop belted 54 in 1930, Johnny Gill had 43 in 1935, Babe Barna smashed 24 and 25 in 1944 and 1945 Charley Workman 41 in 1949, Tookie Gilbert 29 in 1951, and 32 by Cliff Cook in 1961. Ti I roster Bl Wilson Staff, Everything's almost ready and waiting for opening night at Greer Stadium, including Nashville Sounds pitcher Bill top photo. While Eric Goodman lines the field, at left, fellow groundsman Thomas Cathy takes in the ballpark atmosphere. Sounds 1986 opening day Major league roots planted in league Many of major leagues' biggest stars got started in American Association i -it' Blues, hitting .361 In 40 games with 50 RBI before the New York Yankees recalled him.

In 1948, catcher Roy Campanula of St Paul became the first black to play in the league when he appeared in a game on May 21 Vince Coleman, the St Louis outfielder with the flying feet who was an unanimous choice as National League Rookie of the Year, stole 101 bases in 1984 to establish a single-season theft record. Coleman, also tied a 48-year-old record by stealing five bases in one game. Despite a late start in 1985, he stole 110 bases for St Louis. Herb Score, with 330, still holds the strikeout record. While pitching for Indianapolis in 1954, the lefthander struck out 330 batsmen.

The best effort turned in since then was the 223 set down by St Paul's Stan Williams in 1957. The most innings pitched was established away back In 1909 by a guy named ILS. McGlynn, 446. Stony, as he was nicknamed, was a real workhorse. The next season he pitched in 391 Most losses by a pitcher also came so long ago that only a real, real old-timer would remember.

That was in 1904 when Jim Durham was on the losing end of 26 decisions. A pair of oldtimers, Tom Hughes in 1910 and Tom Sbeehaa in 1923, each won 31 games to top that department Hughes pitched for Minnneapolis and Sheehan for St PauLS Pitchers i Sounds offer major step i Attendance through the years: 1978 Led minor leagues in at- tendance with 380,159. 1979 Southern League champi- ons. Led minor leagues in atten- dance with 515,488. 1980 Western Division champi- ons.

Led minor leagues in atten- dance with 575,676. 1981 Western Division champions. Led minor leagues in attendance with 567,994. 1982 Southern League champi-, ons First minor league team to draw over 500,000 fans four consecu- tive years with 507,907. 1 983 Second half champions Western Division champions.

First minor league team to draw over i 500,000 fans five consecutive years with 500,048. 1984 Second half Western Division champions. Led all Double A teams in attendance with 376,440. 1985 First year in Triple A American Association. Second place finish in East Division.

Attendance of 364,255 third best in league. Oghty-six of the players who have worn a Nashville Sounds uniform in the eight years of the club's existence have played in the major leagues. Most were on their way up the ladder when they performed for the Sounds. And there are more to come, as evident of this year's squad. Two former Sounds Willie McGee of the St Louis Cardinals and Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees nave been the Mast Valuable Players in their respective leagues.

Both have also led their leagues in batting, McGee in the National and Mattingly in the American. They were Yankee farmhands when they played for the Sounds. Player 1985 team W-L ERA CG GS IP ER BB SO FredBreining Birmingham 8-4 2.88 12 12 8 97 93 36 31 25 45 Indianapolis 1-2 4.71 4 4 0 21 28 12 11 12 8 Nashville 0-0 5.06 30 011 12 6 6 2 7 Jeff Conner Birmingham 1-0 2.29 3 3 0 20 17 5 5 9 12 Nashville 8-7 2.74 33 10 ,3 105 96 51 32 33 57 Brian Denman Nashville 10-8 4.06 27 26 8 182 198 93 82 51 65 Mike Henneman Birmingham 3-5 5.76 46 0 0 70 88 50 45 28 40 Bryan Kelly Nashville 8-8 3.75 27 18 1 113 86 51 47 89 93 JackLazorko Seattle 0-0 3.54 15 0 20 23 10 8 8 .7 Phoenix 4-2 2.35 22 0 0 31 25 9 8 9 24 Calgary 1-3 1.84 22 0 0 44 31 11 9 11 28 JohnPacella Nashville 7-7 3.23 37 12 2 123 90 47 44 54 79 Jeff Robinson Birmingham 4-8 5.09 22 22 2 115 142 79 65 59 67 Eric King Shreveport 5-3 2.32 15 2 15 105 74 34 27 30 80 BillScherrer Detroit 3-2 4.36 48 0 0 66 62 34 32 41 46 CATCHERS Player 1985 Team Avg. AB 2B 3B HR RBI B3 SO SB Dwight Lowry Nashville .182 74 203 20 37 7 1 2 13 24 51 2 Birmingham .264 35 110 14 29 4 0 2 16 11 13 2 Matt Nokes Shreveport .294 105 344 42 101 24 1 14 56 41 47 2 San Fran. .208 19 53 3 11 2 0 2 5 1 9 0 In fielders Player 1985 Team Avg.

AB 2B 38 HR RBI BB SO SB Pedro Chavez Nashville .227 51 154 14 35 3 1 2 14 12 17 6 Birmingham .222 55 189 20 42 2 1 0 18 15 21 7 Rocky Cusack Gastonia .254 132 460 78 117 17 3 27 79 82 101 6 Scott Earl Nashville .236 125 381 55 90 19 3 7 44 50 98 23 Gary Springer Birmingham .252 120 408 78 103 19 1 8 41 105 39 9 Brian Harper St Louis .250 43 52 5 13 4 0 0 8 2 3 0 German Rivera Houston .194 13 36 372 10248 Tucson .247 23 89 6 22 5 0 0 5 25 1 2 Outfielders Player 1985 Team Avg. AB 2B 33 HR RBI BB SO SB Bruce Fields Birmingham .325 114 421 59 136 24 4 2 41 54 50 9 Rodney Hobbs Birmingham .284 135 496 88 141 23 7 7 66 73 77 7 Tim Tolman Houston .140 31 43 4 6 1 0 2 8 1 10 0 Tucson .302 40 149 30 45 10 1 4 27 24 26 0 Nelson Simmons Detroit .239 75 251 31 60 11 0 10 33 26 41 1 Nashville .245 49 188 17 48 14 0 9 26 14 30 0 Pat Sheridan Kan. City .228 78 206 18 47 9 2 3 17 23 38 11 BUD BURNS Spurts Writer Vern Rapp, the disciplinarian who twice received the Casey Stengel Award as Manager of the Year, is the only manager in the last three decades to compile the best won-lost percentage as many as three times. Rapp did it in 1971, 74 and '76. His performances in the American Association led to major league managing Jobs with the St Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds.

Over the decades, the American Association has more than left its mark on the major leagues. To wit, here are some of the league's other-shining stars who have gone on to major league fame Willie Mays tore up the league before being called up in 1951 by the New York Giants. All Wondrous Willie did for the Minneapolis Millers in the 35 games he played was bat .477, with 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 30 runs batted in, 38 runs scored, 71 hits and five stolen bases. The tag hung on him at that time was, "the greatest young prospect ever seen in the Association." There are, of course, many who dispute that claim. For instance, what about Ted Williams and Mickey Mantle? Williams also played for Minneapolis and was the only one of the three who got in a full season in the Association.

But what a season it was. In 1938, The Splendid Splinter led the league in batting borne runs (43), and runs batted in (142). Mantle played for the Kansas City.