The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 26

6C Sturdy. April 8 HQS THE tfcNNtSSEAN h't hi hi' Gordon up to task, takes 3 pole at North Wilkesboro American Association First Union 400 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, ESPN Top qualifiers Driver, car MPH 1. Jeff Gordon, Chevy 118.765 I Brett Bodine, Ford 118.677 3. Derrike Cope, Ford 118.353 4.

Bobby Hamilton, 18.346 5. Dale Earnhardt, Chevy 118.098 8. Lake Speed, Ford 117.850 7. Mark Martin, Ford 117.764 8. Joe Nemechek, Chevy 1 17.752 9.

Ted Musgrave, Ford 117.586 10. Morgan Shepherd, Ford ....117.555 2 0 Nashville (WSox) 0 Omaha (Rovals) 1 0 Indianapolis (Reds) 1 Louisville (Cards) 1 1 Buffalo (Indians) 0 1 Iowa (Cubs) 0 1 Okla.Cltv (Rangers) 0 2 Friday' Games Louisville 4, Indianapolis 0 Nashville 6, Buffalo 3 Iowa af Omaha, ppd. weather New Orleans Oklahoma Cilv 3 Saturday's Games Indianapolis al Louisville Nashville al Buffalo Iowa at Omaha New Orleans at Oklahoma City Sunday's Games Indianapolis at Louisville Nashville at Buffalo Iowa at Omaha New Orleans at Oklahoma City Sounds 6, BUFFALO aDrhbi Bisons NASHVILLE Pet. 3 abrhbi the pole to change his attitude. "This is only a part of it," he said.

"We've got our work cut out for us. We'll work hard and try to make the best of this good start." For a change, Chevrolets didn't dominate the qualifying. After Gordon, seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt was the next Chevrolet in fifth place, with a speed of 118.098 mph. Earnhardt is trying to rebound from a wreck-marred weekend at Bristol. "We had a bad week last week, getting in the wall at Bristol," Earnhardt said.

"But we still ran good with half a Monte Carlo." Brett Bodine was second in a Ford. "This is the place to have a turnaround," said Bodine said, referring to the speedway's proximity to the home of long-time owner Junior Johnson. Nashville's Bobby Hamilton qualified fourth in a Pontiac. Sterling Marlin of Columbia, will start 20th. Darrell Waltrip of Franklin, former Nashvillian Jeremy Mayfield and Jeff Purvis of Clarks-ville, will have to try to qualify again today.

Ramsey cf 4 100 Humphrvs Roberlsn lb 32 22 3 111 4 000 4123 4000 4000 2100 2010 FWres 2b Zupcic If Lovulo 3b Looe; lb Marline: dh Marini rf Yelding If Ripken ss Wrona Cron 3b Cotlo dh Valrie rt Milslien ss Orlii Brady Totals 31 342 Totats 30661 Nashvle 000 102 003 -6 Buffalo Ml 100 010 -3 E-Cron, Lovulo. OP-Nashville 1, Buffalo 2. LOB Nashville 1, Buffalo 5. 2B-Ripken. 3B-Cox.

HR-Robertson, Cotto, Lopei. SF Robertson. IP ER BB SO Nashvle Kevser 6 4 2 2 0 2 Mongiello 1.2 0 1 0 1 0 Vierra 0 0 0 0 1 0 Davis 1-0 1.1 0 0 0 1 0 Buffalo FarreH 7 4 3 3 1 3 Harris 0-1 1 1 2 2 2 0 Chanin 1 1110 0 HBP-bv Mongiello (Humphreys). WP-Farrell, Vierra. A 12,398.

Davis finally gets another chance By LARRY TAFT Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. John Davis exit from professional baseball in 1991 was about an unceremonious as it gets. After pitching in relief in five games for their Class AAA team at Richmond, the Atlanta Braves told him that his services were no longer needed. Upon his release, no one called begging him to come back into the game so he headed home to Rancho Mirage, Calif. But baseball has a way of grabbing a man and not turning him loose, so over the last three summers Davis played third base and pitched sparingly in an adult league at night while working in his wife's estate furniture business during the day.

"I thought I could still pitch, but no one gave me a chance, and I was doing OK," said Davis, 32, who pitched in 65 American League games with Kansas City and Chicago in the 1987-89 seasons. "When the strike came up and the major league clubs began holding tryouts, I had some friends who encouraged me to try again. I called the White Sox, they seemed interested and the next thing I know I'm in Sarasota getting ready for the season." Last weekend when the major league owners and players union came to an understanding and replacement players came dispensable, the White Sox assigned Davis to Nashville. Before last night, he'd never been in a game, exhibition or otherwise, with the Nashville Sounds. "I'm really glad to have the chance to be playing again," said Davis, who got the win with 1 13 innings of scoreless relief.

"People can look at this in a lot of different ways. If there had not been the strike, I probably wouldn't be playing today. But if a guy had caught a ball or a hitter hadn't got his bat on the ball as squarely as he did three or four years ago, maybe I'd still be in the big leagues. It's all part of life and part of the game." Like old times: New Buffalo Manager Brian Graham and Sounds President Larry Schmittou go back a long way. When Nashville went to Triple-A in 1985 and Schmittou moved his Dou-ble-A Southern League team from Nashville to Huntsville, Graham played for the Stars.

"I had a good year. I hit .289, and nobody knew who I was," Graham lamented. "We had Jose Canseco and Terry Steinbach and a few other guys that were having great years who went on to good big-league careers. A .290 hitter wasn't that big a deal." Stillwell Stil! well: Indianapolis' Kurt Stillwell enjoyed a good spring for Cincinnati at Plant City, and continued it Thursday night in the Indians' 4-3 win over Louisville, going 3-for-4. Associated Press NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C There's no catching Jeff Gordon, not even in qualifying.

Running his Chevrolet late in the first round of qualifying yesterday for tomorrow's First Union 400, Gordon claimed his fourth pole in seven races this season. His fast lap at North Wilkesboro Speedway was 118.765 mph to put the young NASCAR star in prime position to win his fourth race this season. "A pole today got me pumped up," Gordon said. "I didn't think this was a place where we could get a pole." There are few places where Gordon hasn't gotten one, or at least been close. Gordon hadn't started worse than fourth this year in six races.

He's either been impressive or lackluster. When he hasn't won, he was 22nd at Daytona, 36th at Richmond and 32nd at Darlington. He won from the pole at Rockingham in February, and started from the pole at Richmond and Darlington. Gordon won last Sunday at Bristol, from the second Chaffin's Done with Grand By LARRY WOODY Sports Writer It's back to the future for Chad Chaffin. After a brief, frustrating foray in to the highspeed, high-finance world of NASCAR Busch Grand National racing, Chaffin has returned to Nashville Speedway, where he won the 1993 Late Model Stock Car cham- pionship.

CHAFFIN "This is kind of my 'regrouping season," says Chaffin, who opened with a win last week and will be 1 going for two in a row in tonight's 50-lap feature. The first of five division races starts at 7 p.m. "Last season was disappointing, but I learned some valuable lessons," says Chaffin, who left Busch racing midway in the season and fir --JU How they scored Buffalo third: BrianKeyser pitching. Billy Ripken doubles to left, to third on Rick Wrona groundout (1 out). Ripken scores on Mike Humphreys single to rlht.

Miguel Flores grounds out, Humphreys to second (2 outs). Torey Lovulk) grounds out (3 outs). Buffalo 1. Nashvle a REST OF SERIES: LHP Rafael Novoa will go for the Nashville Sounds in today's 1:05 p.m. CDT game in Buffalo.

LHP Jim Poole counters for the Bisons. At 12:35 p.m. tomorrow, it'll be RHP Steve Olsen for the Sounds against LHP Eric Bell. Both games will be on 1160-AM and 106.7-FM. NEXT SERIES: It'll seem like old times when Oklahoma City visits Greer Stadium for 7:15 p.m.

games on Monday and Tuesday. Former Sound Marty Brown, a farm hand for the New York Yankees when Nashville was its Dou-ble-A affiliate, is on the 89ers roster. He's a former teammates of Nashville pitching coach Don Cooper, who also came through Music City as a Yankee minor leaguer. Another former Sound playing for the 89ers is left-handed pitcher John Barfield. Ticket prices are $7 and $3.

starting position. "I don't know how to explain it or how to react to it," Gordon said, adding that his wife, Brooke, didn't even accompany him to North Wilkesboro because she expected a poor showing on pole day. She would have been surprised. "We've never had problems with missing the show here, but it just seems we've never been close to a pole. This is, to me, one of the toughest places to qualify.

To run two laps around here isn't easy." Gordon called North Wilkesboro his worst track, but he didn't allow career has National, focuses on NASHVILLE SPEEDWAY 1 7 tonight: Feature: Beaman Automotive 50-lapper. Tickets: $8 adults, $1 children 11-younger. came home to Nashville. He ran the final portion of the schedule, winning five of six races. "That was good for my morale, which at the time needed a pickup," Chaffin says.

"Plus, that strong finish helped me land a good sponsor this season Discount Tobacco Storel which is the best deal I've ever had. So maybe things turned out for the best "Now I'm back full-time this season, and my goal is to win another championship. I'm not looking past that" Chaffin won last week's race by holding off Joe Buford, last year's division runner-up. Defending champion Andy Kirby came in sixth and again finds himself in a position of having to come from Oil! Nashvle fourth: John Farrell pitching. Fernando Ramsey grounds out (1 out.) Mike Robertson homers to right on 1-1 pitch.

Bob Zupcic fouls out (2 outs). Chris Cron grounded out (3 outs). Nashvle 1, Buffalo I. Buffalo fourth: Luis Lopez homers to left on 1-0 pitch. Carmelo Marline: grounds out (I out).

Marc Marini grounds out (2 outs). Eric Yelding grounds out (3 outs). Buffalo 2, Nashvle I. Nashvle sixth: Junior Ortiz walks, to second on Doug Brady infield single. Ortiz to third with Brady forced at second on Ramsey fielder's choice groundout Ramsey to second on wild pitch.

Ortiz scores with Ramsey to third on Robertson's sacrifice flv (2 outs). Ramsey scores on Zupcic's infield single. Cron strikes out (3 outs). Nashvle 3, Buffalo 2. Buffalo eighth: Mike Mongiello pitching.

Ripken flies out (1 out). Wrona reaches on two-base error by Dave Milstien. Humphreys hit bv pitch. Wrona to third with Humphreys forced at second on Flores' fielder's choice groundout (2 outs). Joey Vierra in to pitch.

Wrona scores with Flores to second on wild pitch. John Davis In to pitch. Lopes pops up (3 ouls). Nashvle 3, Buffalo 1 Nashvle ninth: Pep Marlin pitching. Robertson reaches on infield single, to second on walk to Zupcic Darrln Chap-in in to pilch.

Cron pops up (1 out). Cotto homers, scoring Robertson and Zupcic. Kerry Valrie grounds out (2 outs). Milstien grounds out (3 outs). Nashvle 6, Buffalo 1995 Sounds schedule GB 1.000 1.000 1.000 Vi .500 1 .500 1 .000 .000 .000 2 cf 30 1 1 4000 3000 4111 3010 3000 4000 4110 3100 All home games begin at 7:15 p.ra.

unless otherwise indicated: APRIL B-9-at Buffalo; 10-11-Oklahoma Cltv; 12-13-New 14-15-Butta-lo; 16-Buffak) 415; 17-19 at Louisville; 21-22 Indianapolis; 23-24 Louisville; 25-26 at Omaha; 28 at Omaha, 29-30 at Iowa. MAY 1 at Iowa; 2-4 Omaha; 5-6 Iowa; 7-lowa 205; 8-lowa; 9-10 at Buffalo; 19-22-Oklahoma City; 23-26-New Orleans; 27-29 al Buffalo; 30-31 at Indianapolis. JUNE 1 at Indianapolis; 2-4 al Louisville; 5-6-Buffalo; 7-8-lndianpolis; 9-11-Louisville; 13-15 at Iowa; 14-19 at Omaha; 20-22-lowa; 23-26-Omaha; 27r 29 al Indianapolis; 30 at Louisville. JULY 1-2 at Louisville; 3-6 Indianapolis; 7-8 at Oklahoma City; 9-10 al New Orleans; 13 Indianapolis; 14 Indianapolis 15-16 at Indianpolis; 17-19-Louisville; 20-21 Iowa; 22-23 Omaha; 24-26 at Iowa; 27-28 al Omaha; 29-31 Buftalo. stretching, batting practice, warm-up tosses and light running.

The lack of a new collective bargaining unit has thrown baseball into a bit of chaos this week as the regular players have reported back to work. Montreal and Kansas City have dealt away their highest paid players, and dozens of third-, fourth-and fifth-year players were wondering whether they'd be offered arbitration or be cast into the free-agent pool yesterday. There are more than 150 free agents on the market, many of them with price tags too high for teams with low budgets or teams that only need to be fine-tuned. Many of the most talented free agents are staying away from Homestead, including Larry Walker, Orel Hershiser, John Kruk and Kevin Brown, because they feel deals are imminent "The marquee players are going to get their money, but there isn't a lot left over for the rest of us," Velarde said. White Sox first baseman Frank (The Big Hurt) Thomas stretches during warm-ups at the team's training camps in Sarasota, yesterday.

3 i Free-agent 'misfits, homies' looldng for a homestead a restart local title again behind to make a run for the title. "There's a lot of racing ahead of us and a lot of good drivers who are perfectly capable of winning the championships," Chaffin says. "It's nice to get off to a good start, but I'm smart enough to know that I'm in for a battle every Saturday." Despite temperatures that dipped into the 30s, a crowd of 7,800 turned out for last Saturday's regular-season opener. That came on the heels of a 22,500 crowd for the Opryland 320. "It's great to see the support," Chaffin says.

"It's been there in the past and NASCAR's presence this season adds to the atmosphere." In addition to the Late Model Stock Car feature, races are also scheduled in the Limited Sportsman, Mini-Modified, Street Modified and Women's Street Modified divisions. A full schedule of racing is set for Highland Rim Speedway in Ridge-top, Tenn. That program starts at 7:30 p.ra uuvmerei TEXACO F4 ire FN LrxAZJ LC iILk 7L 2 A jr JrT r-" if: wmmtvi a fn Wm1' ft I A Fishing Trip Ju )4 i For Two To cw for Two To Southwestern Montana's bw pig noie wver 6 Nights 5 Days. Airfare Included. No Purchase Heceseary To Enter.

See Store For Complete Details. He made $1,125 million in 1994 and had the best season of his career, but was offered only $200,000 by the Yankees earlier this week. "That's an 80 pay cut a tremendous cut and it's just too much. Their cutting off everything but my toes." Many of the players in this unique camp are coming off good years rather than trying to bounce back from injuries or bad years. Indeed, the roster of players who showed up on the first day of camp would make a very decent major league squad.

It could have a rotation of Stottlemyre, Stewart, Bobby Witt, Eric Hanson and Scott Sanderson, an infield of Sabo, Scott Fletcher, Mariano Duncan and Dan Pasqua and an outfield of Johnson, Devereaux and Candy Maldonado. The "manager" is Jackie Moore, a longtime major-league coach who skippered the Oakland A's from 1984-86. The workout was limited to up in Pittsburgh after struggling last year with Los Angeles. Pat Borders, meanwhile, moved from Toronto to Kansas City. Borders got a deal for only $310,000 with the Royals.

Bob Welch re-signed with Oakland for just $225,000 after making $2.9 million last year. Pitcher John Burkett, traded by San Francisco to Texas last December, was not offered a contract by Texas. Others signings were were Kenny Rogers (Texas) and Kirk McCaskill (Chicago White Sox). Yesterday was the last day for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their former players who became free agents, or they lose rights to negotiate until May 15. BRAVES MOVES: Second baseman Mark Lemke, third baseman Jose Oliva and pitcher Brad Woodall agreed to 1-year contracts with Atlanta.

Lemke will receive $155 million in 1995, a raise of $150,000 from last season, in which he hit a career-best .294 in 104 games. Oliva and Woodall each will receive the major-league minimum of TENNESSEAN NEWS SERVICES HOMESTEAD, Fla. Twenty-nine players, a few dozen fans and just one major-league scout were in attendance yesterday as the players' union opened a spring training camp for veteran free agents. Chris Sabo, Dave Stewart, Todd Stottlemyre, Mickey Tettleton, Dave Magadan, Mike Devereaux and Howard Johnson were among the veterans who took part in a light, two-hour workout under a blazing sun at the pink and aqua Homestead Sports Complex. "We're calling ourselves the Homestead Hobos.

We're all misfits," former New York Yankees utilityman Randy Velarde said. Foremost on their minds was having a place to work out, but the free agents also were united in their uncertainty of returning to a job market in which salaries aren't what they used to be. "I couldn't have picked a worse time to be a free agent Bad luck is really falling my way," Velarde said. PENDLETON SIGNS: Florida signed free-agent third baseman Terry Pendleton to a $1.5 million, one-year deal yesterday with an option year for 1996. Pendleton was being wooed by the Colorado Rockies and Philadelphia Phillies, but said he decided on the Marlins because of their dogged pursuit.

"My big concern when I was a free agent in 1990 was that Atlanta wanted me, and not just to fill a void," Pendleton said. "Florida showed an interest in me, wanted me, and they came after me." GIBSON RETURNS: Kirk Gibson, 37, the hero of two World Series championships, agreed to a one-year contract with Detroit. If the Tigers had failed to sign him before midnight, they would have lost rights to negotiate and sign the left-handed designated hitter-outfielder (.276, 23 homers, 72 RBIs last season) until May 15. MORE SIGNINGS: First baseman Mark Grace re-signed with the Cubs for $4.05 million. Houston resigned LF Luis Gonzalez for $14 million.

Bud Black signed witn Cleveland. Jim Gott, 35, wound Register To Become Honorary Crew Chief for A Dat- iiiaj.L TUfl See Store ror 5 Sf fr. i lJlj Goodlettsville Sold r3v The Civitan Club Saturday, April 11 a.m. till 3 p.m. Hot DoqsV.