The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 56

mimiyn' "'H 'f y'Vif1 4,1 7 416C 9 THETEMNESSEAN Twsdav MARCH 3t. 1987 Med Sox et Clemens' offer ounds rained out, to Reds ing center fielder's job last season after reporting to spring training as a non-roster player. Slugger Kirk Gibson went down with pulled rib muscles and relief ace Willie Hernandez learned he has inflamation around his rotator cuff, leaving the Detroit Tigers opening day lineup in doubt. The loss of Gibson would be critical to the Tigers who already BO are lacking in power after the defec tion of free agent catcher Lance Parrish. New York Mets pitcher Roger McDowell was in satisfactory condition at a New York City hospital af lose coach BUD BURNS Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla.

The Nashville Sounds were double losers yesterday when rain fell for the fifth straight day and they lost coach Jim Lett to parent Cincinnati Reds. I Lett was a coach for the National League club last year. It is expected I that his duties will be the same they then when he worked with the outfielders. The move wasn't entirely unex- pected. But it did leave Sounds Manager Jack Lind running the club without an aide.

-j When asked if the Reds had any-, body in mind to replace Lett, Lind -said, "not that I know of. But we'll 'get someone. It'll probably be some-I one like we had last year a py who can play, but one whom we aren't depending on for that purpose. I We should know in a few days. Last year Lind was assisted by tDave Miley, a seldom-used catcher "who has been assigned to coach at Vermont this year under rookie -manager Tom Runnells.

centives. That was turned down quickly by the club. Clemens earned $220,000 in salary and another $120,000 in bonus money in pitching Boston to the pennant with a 24-4 record last year, his second full major league season. Elsewhere yesterday in major league baseball: St Louis Cardinals Manager Whitey Herzog said that rookie Jim Lindeman will start the season in the outfield. Lindeman, 25, will start in right field next Tuesday when the Cardinals face the Cubs In Chicago Normally, Willie McGee would start in center field, with left-handed hitting Andy Van Slyke in right field against right-handed pitching.

But McGee, a former Nashville Sound and the National League's most valuable player two years ago, hasn't fully recovered from off-season knee surgery. Thus, with Van Slyke shifted to center, Lindeman will be in right field. The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired switch-hitting outfielder John Can-gelosi, completing last Friday's trade in which they sent right-hander Jim Winn to the Chicago White Sox Can-gelosi, 24, won the White Sox's start ter undergoing surgery for a hernia. McDowell, who won 1 4 games and saved 22 others for the world champion Mets last season, will be out of action for six to eight weeks. Right-handed pitcher Craig McMurtry of the Toronto Blue Jay i underwent an emergency tomy and was placed on the 21-day -disabled list Right-handed reliever Doug Jones pitched two perfect innings yesterday, striking out the final three Seattle Mariner hitters he faced to virtually guarantee himself a spot in the Cleveland Indians' bullpen.

AP Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens, last year's American League Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award winer, remains out of training camp while team officials ponder his latest contract proposal. 'Sounds' new middle man icould be Mike Konderla work with. And to enjoy And you could get your money sooner. Because you talk to just one person. No committees, no interview after interview, no delays.

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More money to BUD BURNS ISports Writer TAMPA, Fla Mike Konderla knows exactly what his role will be 'this summer. "Middle relief," said the big Tex-. jan. "I've been pitching middle relief 'in this organization (Cincinnati) since the middle of 1982. 1 don't think anything will change." It probably won't insofar as the 6-1 3, 230-pound right-hander is concerned.

He seems suited for the role. During the last two years, Konderla has appeared in 85 games and has "picked up 16 victories. Six of the wins came last year as Denver, then Cincinnati's Triple A affiliate, roared to a Western Division championship. Though it was a modest number, Konderla's six wins loom larger when one learns that the Zephyrs' winning margin over Iowa in the divisional race was a scant two games. "It was great that we won," Konderla said.

"But I wasn't satisfied with my season. I wasn't consistent enough. That's what I'm trying to get now. Consistency, you've got to have it to be successful." Actually, no one expected Konder Hauliers toift want pm linw yn ciiM pi until niMy watla hmm eq uiiy edit Una Associated Press General Manager Lou Gorman of the Boston Red Sox said yesterday agents for AWOL pitching ace Roger Clemens had made "a new proposal" in negotiations for a new contract Gorman said that the fact the agents, Alan and Randy Hendricks, called "is encouraging." However, Gorman didn't sound too enthusiastic about the proposal. "I'll have to study it but on the surface it would seem to still average out to $1 million a year for two years," Gorman said.

The Red Sox flatly rejected Clemens' demands for $2.4 million for two years before he walked out of training camp on March 6. The Red Sox offered $500,000 and $375,000 in incentives originally. When Clemens, the 1986 American League MVP and Cy Young Award winner, walked out they renewed his contract for 1987 at a negotiable figure of $400,000. Since then, the club has altered its offer, keeping the base salary at $500,000 but improving incentives to $475,000. In rejecting that the Hendricks countered with a proposal to pay Clemens a flat $975,000 without in stiff Mfi ma1 if While most of Redsland was flooded yesterday, the Sounds were able to take turns in the batting catch against live pitching.

"At least that was a change," said catcher Joe Oliver, who like a number of other Sounds is afraid the bad weather is beginning to dull their sharpness. Although they haven't been able to play since March 25, the team is beginning to look like one that would be competitive in the American Association. If clubhouse scuttlebutt can be relied upon, the Sounds will be bolstered today when the Reds rid their roster of catcher Terry McGriff and pitcher Bill Scherrer. McGriff, a good-hitting catcher whose work behind the plate earned him all-star honors at Denver last season, is also a good handler of pitchers. Scouts say the only thing he lacks is experience.

In all probability, he will be backed up by Buddy Pryor, who hit .232 at Vermont last year. Scherrer was a non-roster player who performed well this spring. la to be pitching this early, and particularly as well as he is. During the off-season, he had bone chips in his right elbow removed which bothered him throughout the season. "Most people didn't expect me to be throwing so soon," he said.

"Eight weeks after I had the operation I was throwing about 82 and now I'm up to 86 (miles per hour)." Until a week ago, Konderla had been working with Cincinnati. "The Reds told me they weren't going to put me on a 40iman roster, but would invite me to camp so I could get an extra month's work. That really helped. Despite all the rainouts, I'm ready to go." Konderla's specialty is the knuckle-curve, a pitch a former University of Texas hurler, Burt Hooton, used to carve a successful major league career. "Did you pick up the pitch from Hooton?" "Not really," said Konderla, "but Burt has helped me with it He worked with me for a week before I came to spring training." Konderla hopes to be throwing his knuckle-curve this summer for the Nashville Sounds.

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