The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 17

TuwdayAPBU, 29. THE TEHNCSSEAN 3C Cardinal Coleman steals 5-4 victor 1 nrn Vt -X ThiMr i rr- I San Diego. San Diego led 3-1 in the eighth when Dernier bit his first home run to trim the lead to 3-2. In the ninth, Keith Moreland led off with a single against reliever Rich Gossage and Jody Davis singled one out later. Gossage struck out Steve Christmas, but Dernier lashed his double to the center field fence, scoring both runners and pinning the loss on Gossage, 2-1.

Matt Keough, 1-1, worked the eighth inning to pick up the victory and Jay Bailer retired the side in the ninth for his third save. I ROSE 'L'CKETT Reg. $60.00 SIZES 7-12 NOW $39" ENGINE EXCHANGE QUALITY SERVICE VALUE SINCE 1967 604 5TH AVE. SO. 242-4308 Heath issues apology Termesscan News Services ST.

LOUIS Mike Heath, the frustrated catcher for the St Louis Cardinals, has apologized for an obscene gesture he flashed during a nationally televised game Saturday with the New York Mets. "I apologize," Heath said simply. A fan sitting behind the Mets' dugout was razzing Heath because he failed to catch a foul pop fly behind the plate. Heath responded with an upraised middle finger. "I don't mind getting booed," Heath said.

"When you're horse manure and you play horse manure, you deserve it It wasn't like I wasn't hustling. I wasn't trying to drop it I'm not trying to do bad. I'm busting my butt out there. But I messed up." The Cardinals acquired Heath and southpaw Tim Conroy from the Oakland A's last winter for right-hander Joaquin Andujar. Heath is off to a horrendous start for the Cardinals.

He is hitting just .085 and is yet to get a base hit off a right-handed pitcher. He has only four hits in 47 at-bats. Elsewhere in baseball: Pitcher LaMarr Hoyt, putting a series of problems behind him, makes his first start of the season tonight for the San Diego Padres. For Hoyt, the year began as a season of uncertainty. During the winter, his marriage collapsed, and he spent most of spring training in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center.

The month-long stay in a Minnesota treatment facility was preceded by a couple of encounters with the law. Padres President Ballard Smith talked with Hoyt while he was in the center and persuaded the 1983 American League Cy Young Award winner to rejoin the team upon completion of the program April 2. Since his release, Hoyt 31, has worked to get himself back into Fixed Rate Home Equity Loans 11.25 Simple Interest 11.75 Annual Percentage Rate Sovran EQUITY MORTGAGE CORPORATION A Subttdioy ol Sovran Bank, N.A, Philadelphia Phillies, whose 1 0 runs batted in included three game-winners, was named National League Player of the Week. Major League Baseball today will begin presenting its side in the grievance filed by the Players Association over the inclusion of drug-testing clauses in long-term contracts. This stage of the hearing, to be conducted before arbitrator Tom Roberts, is expected to last through Thursday.

Edward J. DeBartolo reportedly again is looking at the possibility of purchasing the Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is willing to support a DeBartolo attempt to buy the American League team. DeBartolo, a developer of shopping malls, attempted to buy the Chicago White Sox in 1980, but his bid was rejected by the American League. The White Sox were purchased by Chicago businessmen Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn. Third baseman Bill Mad-lock, ailing with a strained thigh muscle, has been placed on the 15-day regular disabled list the Los Angeles Dodgers announced yesterday.

The City of Pittsburgh formally took a financial interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday as Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri handed the team's new owners a check for $20 million. Caliguiri presented the check to Malcolm (Mac) Prine, president of the Pirates and chairman of Ryan Homes during a brief ceremony at Pittsburgh's Gty-County Building He has pitched well in two relief appearances, retiringall eight batters he faced in 2 innings. Player-manager Pete Rose is at a loss to explain how a Cincinnati Reds club picked to contend in the National League West finds itself holding up the rear of the division. The Reds 6-0 loss to the Astros in Houston Sunday left them with a three-game losing streak, seven losses in their last eight games, and a 5-10 record that gives them the worst winning percentage in the division.

They have been shut out in their last two games, typifying a collapse that mystifies Rose. "I kept looking out on the field and saying, 'Damn, that's a good team out Rose said. Rose figures he's not alone. From owner Marge Schott on down, the ballclub had counted on much better play amid expectations of a pennant race. "I know a lot of people don't Understand it The fans don't understand it I don't understand it Marge won't understand it The only thing you can do as a manager or a player is just hope this isn't prolonged," Rose said.

Minnesota Twins center fielder Kirby Puckett, who leads the major leagues with seven home runs, has been named American League Player of the Week for April 21-27. Puckett hit four of his seven homers during that period and had 12 hits in 26 at-bats for a .462 average. He collected 25 total bases, scored nine runs and drove in five, with a slugging percentage of .962 and an on-base percentage of .500. Infielder Mike Schmidt of the Call for details 2401 Hillsboro Road Suite 103 Nashville. TN 37212 615-383-8990 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) Vince Coleman was in a gambling mood, and it helped the St Louis Cardinals break their seven-game losing streak "That was like pulling teeth, man," Coleman said after yesterday's 5-4, 12-inning victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Coleman drove in a run in the 12th with his third hit of the game after teammate Jerry White's sacrifice fly broke a 3-3 tie. Earlier, Coleman made a big defensive play, but as usual, he provided the most excitement with his base running. "He stole two runs for them," Giants Manager Roger Craig said in tribute to the St Louis player who stole 110 bases last season as a rookie. Coleman got his second steal of the game in the eighth inning, then came home from second base on a routine groundout to shortstop, beating the first baseman's throw to the plate. "That was a play where I had to take a chance, but Whitey Herzog is a manager who doesn't mind taking chances," Coleman said.

"I was watching the shortstop throw to first as I rounded third. "I didn't do that last year. I had some opportunities but never tried it I'm just aggressive." Herzog said, "He always has the option to run, and with him, it's just instinct" The Cardinals, who took a 3-1 lead into the ninth inning, stayed alive in the bottom of the 1 1th when the Giants' Will Clark missed a home run by inches, hitting a double off the right field fence. "I thought Clark's ball was gone," Herzog admitted, and he experienced more anxiety in the bottom of the 12th when the Giants scored a run and left the bases loaded. "I told the home plate umpire before that inning began that if we lost this one I was going to hang myself," Herzog said.

The St Louis runs in the 12th were unearned because of an error by Giants pitcher Mark Davis, 1-1, who fielded a bunt and dropped the ball as he turned to throw. Dodgers 2, Pirates 1: Fernando Valenzuela pitched a six-hitter and the host Dodgers scored their runs with the help of a balk and an error en route to a ictory over Pittsburgh. Valenzuela, 3-1, who struck out nine and walked one, took a four-hit shutout into the eighth, but a leadoff double by Sid Bream and two groun-douts brought home the Pirates' only run. After retiring the first nine Dodgers, Pirates starter Bob Kipper, 0-2, yielded a leadoff ground-rule double to Steve Sax and walks to Mariano Duncan and Enos Cabell to load the bases in the fourth inning. Kipper almost escaped the jam after striking out Mike Marshall and getting Cesar Cedeno on an infield pop.

But the left-hander separated 1 his hands while on the pitching rubber and home plate umpire Jim Quick motioned Sax to the plate on the balk. Reggie Williams ended the inning with a groundout Cubs 4, Padres 3: Bob Dernier 'homered in the eighth inning and then lined a two-run double in the ninth, giving visiting Cubs a win over s-y si r-v apr I I -financing shape and is ready to face the Cubs tonight PeteSOys ODDS) Astros reach the end of the rainbow 73 APR financing available on all other new Olds, except Toronados. 11 II up enjoying them," Pool said. "I'm sure there will be a certain segment that will like the old one. The new one is not a new, radical design.

We've had a lot of postive comments on the white uniforms." The white uniforms still have rainbow stripes, but they are on the top of the shoulders rather than across the front The Astros' rainbow uniform created a stir when it was introduced in 1975 and the team went against baseball tradition from 1975-79 by wearing the same uniform at home and on the road. Tennesscan News Services HOUSTON The Houston Astros' distinctive rainbow uniform, first Introduced in 1975, will be eliminated at the end of this season, a team spokesman said yesterday. Chuck Pool said the Astros have informed the National League they will drop the multicolored rainbow uniform at the start of the 1987 season. The Astros new home uniform will be the white model introduced in 1982 that they now wear only on Sundays. "I think most people will end In order to change uniforms for next season, a team must inform the league of its intentions by May 1.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also announced yesterday they will sport new uniforms and caps next season. The Pirates were purchased last fail by Pittsburgh Associates, but couldn't change their uniforms this season since the notification deadline had passed. The deadline is required due to major league baseball's agreements with various merchandise manufacturers. NOLDSMOBILE 1823 Gallatin Rd. ocrou from Rivergote 868-1870 SS 2 If Nashville's aims face Louisville's sluggers hi to Pi All Gam Times 7:35 P.M.

unless otherwise indicated. NASHVILLE SOUNDS VS LOUISVILLE RED BIRDS 'A TUES. APRIL 29, Student Honor Club Night victory Night Honor Oub members get in FREE with card. If the Sounds win your ticket stub in good for General Admission to the next game. WED.

APRIL 30, Dr. Pepper Junior Sounds Night Jr. Sounds members get in FREE with card. THURS. MAY 1, Magic 96 Family Night Junior Sounds Night Entire family admitted for only $5.00 Jr.

Sounds l3 43 members get in FREE with card. Some lucky fan will win BUD BURNS Sports Writer The Nashville Sounds' stingy pitching corps takes on the hot bats of the "Louisville Redbirds tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Greer Stadium in the opener of a four-game American Association series. Bryan Kelly, who is 1-1 and sports la 1.13 earned run average will be on the mound as the Sounds brace for the visit from the league's top-hitting team in a game televised by WZTV, Channel 17. The Redbirds, leading the Eastern Division at 7-4, two games ahead of the 7-7 Sounds, will counter with former Olympian Mike Dunne, 1-1, who lost to the Sounds two weeks ago in Louisville.

The Louisville bats cause the most concern for league rivals this season. Once again, flamboyant Redbird owner A. Ray Smith has surrounded manager Jim Fregosi with a bevy of outstanding youngsters and veterans. Among the Redbird crew are former major leaguers Steve Braun and Alan Knicely, the big guy who was the American Association's Most Valuable Player and "Stars of Stars" in 1984 when he hit 33 home runs and drove in 126 runs for Wichita, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Knicely leads the league In runs batted in with 15 and third behind teammate Fred Manrique (.400) and Nashville's Pedro Chavez .351) in batting with a .350 average.

SOUNDS NOTES: Victory Night Honor Club Night tonight shortstop Doug Baker, sent down by the parent Detroit Tigers last week, is supposed to be available for the Sounds $96 compliments of Magic 96 FM. tonight Frank Franchi, director of player development for the Tigers, is scheduled to take in the Louisville series. Tiger GM Bill Lajoie just left town Louisville pitcher Greg Bar-gar was recalled Sunday to replace ex-Sound Jeff Lahti, who was placed on St Louis' disabled list All the teams in the league had a rare open date yesterday because of a get-together in St Louis of front-office personnel, managers and umpires. Man ager Leon Roberts represented the Sounds Nashville's Eric King, 2-1, faces Rich Autoanthony iri tomorrow night's 7:35 game The Sounds are hitting .259 as a team. The Indianapolis Indians announced yesterday that right-handed pitcher Len Barker, cut this spring by the Atlanta Braves, has signed with the American Association team.

He is expected to join the Tribe Saturday and see action at Bush Stadium this weekend. Terms of the contract were not announced Jeff Schuli and Rondln Johnson each had run-scoring singles as Omaha defeated the Kansas dry Royals 2-1 in an exhibition baseball game last night The visit by the 1985 world champions drew a crowd of 1 1,037 to Rosenblatt Stadium. It was the largest crowd to see an exhibition game between Kansas City and its top minor-league affiliate. Denver Zephyrs third baseman Wayne Rowdon. who hit .348 last week with two game winning RBI, was named player of the week in the American Association pi FRI.

MAY 2, Motorcraft Wrist Band Night, first 4,000 kids oge 14 and under receive a wristband compliments of Motorcraft and your Nashville Sounds. One Proof of Purchase from "GENERAL MILLS" product and receive FREE General Admission. EXHIBITION GAME MAY 8TH DETROIT TIGERS VS. NASHVILLE SOUNDS EXCELLENT SEATS STILL AVAILABLE m-m wm mm w-w wm w-m w-m.