The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 48

SECTIOk Scoreboard2 Major Leagues3 Classified7 Saturday, April 13,1985 Trouble Tigecs' TOtlh aunts rs Syim! acing Detroit Triumphs 9-3 Greer Exhibitions Results of previous exhibition games involving major league teams at Herschel Greer Stadium YearScore Alt 1981 New York 10, Sounds 1 17,318 1983Toronto 7, St. Louis 6 13,742 1983Sounds 5, New York 4 13,641 1985Detroit 9, Sounds 3 16,182 By LARRY WOODY The Tennessee State Fair Board yesterday moved to take legal action against new Nashville Speedway owner Gary Baker if he fails to make back rent and utility payments it claims he owes. Baker has 15 days to reply to the Board's demands. Unless an agreement is reached by that time, the Board will file a lawsuit in an attempt to recover approximately $7,200 for which it says the new track owner Is responsible. "When he bought the contract he assumed past liabilities," said board member Tex Townsend.

Fair manager Ted Vaughn listed those liabilities as approximately $6,000 in utility bills dating back to December and $1,200 due for the past three months rent on office space. The $102,000 Baker paid the State Fair Board for the 1984 track lease does not include the additional debts, according to the board. "Looking back, it was a mistake to have even accepted that check," said Mack Smith, another board member. "It probably ended up costing the track the NASCAR sanction." The fair board, in a letter drafted by Metro legal adviser John Kennedy, also demands Baker begin repairs on the roof of the State Fair office complex as well as other exterior improvements. "We've had a problem with the roof for years," said board chairman John Wilson.

"It's about time we got it settled." By JIMMY DAVY Don't boo the World Champion Detroit Tigers. Just moments after the full house of 16,182 at Greer Stadium reacted badly to Detroit's travel plans, the Tigers exploded for six runs in the 10th inning and beat the Nashville Sounds 9-3. When the exhibition game entered the 10th inning tied 3-all, the public address announcer informed the huge crowd that the Tigers were leaving after one more inning even if the decision wasn't settled. The booing had hardly subsided when the Tigers broke open the game with five runs roughing up fifth Sounds hurler Chuck Cary in his only inning of work against the par- ent club. The Sounds, which to this point had enjoyed remarkable pitching for the second straight night, went down in order in the bottom of the 10th and Detroit, 3-0 in its American League start, headed for Kansas City.

Until the 10th inning, the Tigers had been held to four hits by Brian Denman, PaulAfoight, Victor Cruz and Bryan Kelly. The fact that Tiger stars Lou Whi-taker, Kirk Gibson and Larry Hern-don departed the game after cameo starting appearances in no way detracted from the effective work of this quartet Less formidable, but more important opposition turns up at Greer Stadium tonight as the Sounds resume their Class AAA American Association series with Buffalo. Game time tonight is 7:30, with Nashville attempting to make it two in a row in a quick Eastern Division start In the wake of last night's sudden death at the hands of the Tigers, Sounds manager Lee Walls made it clear that he is not going to be pleased with anything but a route-going quality performance. ff "We played good for nine innings, then the ball got too hot" said Walls. "We should have beaten them." Asked how important an exhibition final score is to a team, Walls shot back, "The final score is important to those kids out there.

They want to be Detroit Tigers." Walls said that he personally was more interested in the continuing development of this Sounds team. "We were trying some things out there. We need to work more on our cutoffs (from the outfield)," he said. His remarks about cutoffs applied to the decisive 10th inning Detroit rally, when the actual tie-breaking run was scored by Rusty Kuntz after two bad throws to home plate. Kuntz had opened the 10th with a single past Sounds third baseman Tom O'Malley and stole second base.

Outfielder Barbara Garbey singled to left and Kuntz appeared stopped at third. The throw from Mark Smith to the plate missed the cutoff man and couldn't be handled by Sounds catcher Dwight Lowry. Kuntz headed home when the ball went to the stands behind the plate, but even then it appeared he was going to be out That was before pitcher Carey made a wild throw past his catcher The Tigers went on to score five more runs and rushed for the chartered plane at Metro Airport 7 (Turn to Page 4, Column 5) a Nashville tax attorney Photo by T.J. Hamilton Tiger third base coach Alex Grammas jokes with Darrell Evans, who barely gets back to third base after thinking about going home during Detroit's game against the Sounds at Greer Stadium. on ite hcampi icsQrs ftdy cam who last month took control of the bankrupt racetrack which is leased from the State Fair, did not attend yesterday's meeting.

Subsequently informed of the development, Baker said the board's move was "ludicrous." "That bill is part of the debt of Nashville International Raceway and that corporation has been placed in bankruptcy in California," said Baker. "The Federal Court has jurisdiction over all of that I don't have a thing to do with it and the fair board knows it, or at least they should. "I think they may be trying to start a controversy just for controversy's sake," added Baker, pointing out he has already paid his April rent even though a new lease has not yet been signed. Baker also expressed concern that continuing problems at the track could jeopardize his chances of regaining its NASCAR sanction next season. "Sometimes I get the feeling there is somebody who doesn't want to see us succeed," he said.

In a related development, Baker's father, CS. Baker, presented a proposal to the State Fair Board that (Turn to Page 5, Column 1) By LARRY WOODY Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the American League Tigers IL The reign of terror inflicted on the league last season by the world champions is not over, according to manager Sparky Anderson. It's just begun. "We're a better team this season than we were last year," said Anderson prior to last night's exhibition game with the Nashville Sounds. "Do you realize the average age of our players is 28.5? That's very young for a team at the top.

"So when you consider that we're a year more mature and experienced, with a stronger have to be better." Anderson, whose team has jumped to a quick 3-0 major league start this season, is quick to add that he isn't predicting a repeat of last year's sensational break out of the blocks. The Tigers won their first nine games and 35 of their first 40 on their way to turning the pennant race into a romp. They went on to win the AL East by 15 games. each other. There's no bickering.

"And I've always been a great believer in the idea that good people make a good team," said Anderson. "I won't tolerate anything else." Anderson said he was impressed with Greer Stadium and the Tigers' -new Triple-A Nashville farm club. "It's a fine ball park and I know what great fan support they have here," he said. "I look forward to working with Lee (manager Lee (Turn to Page 4, Column 5) "There hadn't been a 40-game start like that in the one hundred or so year history of basebail," said Anderson, who at age 51 approaches the game with the fervor of a Little Leaguer. "To do it again would be impossible.

It can't be done. And I don't dwell on streaks anyway, winning or losing. Each day I say, "This is the big one Anderson said bad days are apart of the game and that learning to live with them is essential to longevity in the sport "Some days you can't do a thing right," he said. "So you say, OK guys, we might as well get back on the bus. There's no sense in worrying about it" There's more behind the Tigers' success story than batting averages, fielding percentages and pitchers' ERAs, said Anderson.

"I'll tell you the real strength behind this ball club," said Anderson. "It's outstanding people. You talk to our players' parents, to their wivesthey're all fine people. This is a team of players that truly likes ree Tied Atop Masters Problems Late in 2nd Round Cost Watson Lead if fijfj; Al I JOHN BIBB Sports Editor 4 The Leaders Craig Stadler 73-67140 Payne Stewart TomWatson. 69-71 140 Saturday Ayem The Followers Gary Hallberg 68-73141.

Gary Koch 72-70142 Seve Ballesteros 72-71143 Lee Trevino Ray Floyd 70-73143 Bruce Uetzke 72-71143 Sandy Lyle 78-65143 Jim Thorpe 73-71 144 Scott Simpson 71-73144 AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) Tom Watson appeared to have command of the Masters golf tournament when he was two strokes clear of the field with three holes to go in yesterday's second round. But a bad break on the 16th on a ball that stopped rolling, then started again and a bunker on the 17th sent him back to the pack and into a three-way tie for the lead. It also opened the gates to literally scores of potential challengers in this 49th renewal of the event that has become golf annual spring rite. "Realistically, anyone six or seven shots back now is still within reach of winning the tournament" Watson said.

And that includes 48 players. Had he finished with a string of pars, that number would be 24. But it was not to be. Watson, the man who has dominated world golf in recent years, struggled home bogey-bogey-par for a 71 and reached the tournament halfway point at 140, four shots under par. He shared the lead with Craig Stadler, the man called "The Walrus" by his fellow tourists, and Payne Stewart, a casual sort who was wearing lavender plus-fours and a matching cap.

Stadler, three times a runner-up but not yet a winner this season, started play more than an hour in front of the other contenders, scattered eight birdies across his card and shouldered his way past 25 players with a 5-under-par 67. Stewart shot 71. Gary Hallberg, the first-round leader, could do no better than a 73 and was another shot back at 1 41, three under par for two trips over the Augusta National Golf Club course. Gary Koch managed a 70 despite a bogey-bogey finish and was at 142, two under par. Sandy Lyle rallied from an opening 78 with a 65, one shot off the tournament record, vaulted over 61 players and Joined a group at 143, one under par.

"Yesterday was disappointing. Today, it was amazing," said Lyle, a native of Scotland. He was tied with PGA champion Lee Trevino, veteran Palmer: Still the King AUGUSTA, Ga. The green velvet of the Augusta National golf course was glistening with overnight dew yesterday morning when The King met his court on the knoll overlooking his kingdom. And when the clarion voice of the starter on the first tee sounded his name, Arnold Palmer, amid a thunder of applause from the throng gathered for the occasion, once again pawed and lunged his way into the hearts of golf devotees.

More than one in the gallery wore battle-scarred "Arnie's Army" buttons, and as he moved into position to swat his first drive, someone shouted "Go, Ar-nie!" the most famqus campaign cheer in the game's history. Palmer, 55, is not an ounce heavier now at 180 pounds than he was in the glory days 30 years ago when spring after spring he was called upon to defend his Augusta National fief against all challengers. Yesterday, he was in the process of adding yet one more page to the living scrapbook that is the Masters golf tournament This time he was a lone warrior, relegated to this sentinel role because of an opening-round 83 on Thursday. It was the highest score Palmer had recorded in 111 competitive trips around his once virtually invincible domain. Characteristically, Palmer brushed aside the 83 by suggesting it came (Turn to Page 4, Column 1) 'it Ray Floyd and Bruce Lietzke, golfs most successful cross-handed putter, who shot 71 in the mild, cloudy weather.

Trevino, 45, had a 73. Floyd, twice a PGA champion and a former winner here, had the same total despite a ball in the water and a double bogey on the 12th. Curtis Strange, like Lyle an early starter, also shot 65, improving 15 strokes from his opening 80. "I won my own little war," said Strange, the season's leading money-winner whose awful opening had put him in danger of missing the cut for the final two rounds. "Missing the cut doesn't set well with me, I hate it" said Strange, who pitched in for an eagle-2 on the third hole and chipped in for birdie on the 14th.

Jack Nicklaus, however, couldn't make the magic happen as the five-time Masters champion, holder of a (Turn to Page 4, folumn I) UPI Telephoto Arnold Palmer plays alone on the storied Augusta National course durig the second round of the Masters golf tournament. Palmer shot a 72, but failed to make the cut. i..