The Olympian from Olympia, Washington • 21

Cairone takes 5th in nationals at Squaw Valley See sports whirl on page D3 Section The Olympian Tuesday April 6 1982 Tuesday's Sports launch year in Metrodome Pressure on rookie Maler i scorecard Baseball Today The Seattle Mariners kickoff the 1982 baseball season tonight la spanking new Hubert Hnmphrey Metrodome at 1:30 Yon can see It live over Channel 11 or It will be broadcast on KVI (570 am) Floyd Bannister will be on the monnd for the Mariners and rookie Jim Maler will be at first base See story on this page for reaction to starting the rookie season Yesterday nervous starting the year just have to work through it It can be hard but I think I can handle the pressure I go out there and do the job I'm capable of doing keep the This is fifth professional baseball season He will turn 25 on Aug 16 He played a lot of football as a linebacker at University of Miami as a freshman in 1977 after a standout career as a football player at Coral Gables (Fla) High School But he decided his future was in baseball In the fall of 1977 he transferred to Miami Dade Community College in order to be eligible for the January 1978 free agent draft Hie Mariners picked him in the first round making him tiie fifth player chosen Although Maler has the first base job he knows he has to produce offensively to keep it think I have the ability to play in the major leagues and do a great job this point the first baseman going to be out there playing my heart out all I can When Maler was called up by Seattle last Sept 1 it was apparent he was going to be given a shot at Bochte's first base job While Maler is the only rookie starter for the Mariners he is not the only new face in the starting lineup Hie M's wiU open with four new acquisitions Manny Castillo (Kansas City) at third A1 Cowens (Texas) in right Jim Essian (Chicago White Sox) at catcher and Todd Cruz (Chicago White Sox) at short They will be joined by holdover second baseman Julio Cruz left-fielder Bochte designated hitter Richie Zisk and centerf ielder Joe Simpson On the mound it will be lefthander Floyd Bannister at 9-9 the winningest pitcher last year He faces Pete Redfera (9-8) SEATTLE (AP) The pressure on rookie first baseman Jim Maler of the Seattle Mariners is enormous He admits the pressure is there he said a lot on the line and just human nature to be nervous Just bound to press somewhat in this When the Mariners launch their sixth American League season in new Hubert Humphrey Metrodome tonight (5:30 Channel 11) Maler will start at first base Bruce Bochte first baseman the last four seasons and a proven major league hitter will open in left field despite a potential problem Playing in the outfield in the past has given Bochte sore knees Seattle manager Rene Lachemann decided he needed bat in his lineup For the present Maler will hit seventh though Maler an offensive terror with Spokane in the Pacific Coast League last season struggled this spring In 16 exhibition games he hit only 231 with one home run and seven RBI But he did come on strong with his bat the last week of spring training I first got to spring training everybody knew that I was Maler said in a weekend interview could just see it was tight and I just wasn't swinging the bat like I could But I hit the ball a lot better in the last week of spring At Spokane last season the 6-foot -4 230-pound former University of Miami football player hit 305 with 19 home runs and 99 RBI He was called up by Seattle at the end of 1981 So his entire major league experience is 12 games and 23 at bats last season know coming into this season that I don't have a lot of Maler said know I'm going to be First baseman Jim Maler (Auociated Press Laserphotoi Strike averted as umps agree Cold white cloud hangs over of ing Day loss to the Chicago Cubs the first year salaries will increase an average of 40 percent and over the four years of the contract the increases average 60 Phillips said some categories the increase is more than 100 percent over the term of the Phillips said an umpire who made the first-year minimum of $18000 in 1981 will have a salary of $26000 this year and enjoy increases to $28000 $30000 and $37000 over the life of the contract terms of this contract reflect recognition of the contributions umpires make to this great game We are pleased that we reached it without the necessity of a work There was an acrimonious seven-week strike by the union in 1979 behalf of both leagues I would like to say we are very pleased with this MacPhail told a noon news conference announcing the contract think it's fair and we are glad to see the umpires get recognition in the upgrading of their salaries The pension plan negotiated is comparable to the better ones in the country" The 1982 major league baseball season free of any strike threat for the first time in four years remaines literally under a cloud that threatens to turn the nation's pastime into a winter sport Six of the 10 openers scheduled for today were postponed by the threat of unseasonally chid weather and snow Several other games were endangered by a cold snap that gripped the nation The season began Monday afternoon in Baltimore and Cincinnati The Orioles defeated Kansas City 13-5 and the Reds succumbed by a 3-2 score to the Chicago Cubs in a game shortened to eight innings by rain they call us the boys of summer?" Montreal pitcher Charlie Lea asked rhetorically and a little incredulously Monday not long before the Expos' season opener was postponed until Wednesday because of tiie prospect of a winter storm warning in Pittsburgh Early today the opener between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies also was postponed Today's remaining National League openers had San Francisco at Los Angeles St Louis at Houston and Atlanta at San Diego In the American League Toronto at Detroit Cleveland at Milwaukee and Boston at Chicago were postponed until Wednesday by cold weather and Texas at New York was called off until Thursday due to the snow storm Snow already had begun to fall in Milwaukee Monday afternoon and the Detroit and Chicago forecasts called for temperatures near freezing Seattle at Minnesota was also on the AL schedule The Trade PHOENIX Ariz (AP) Phoenix All-Star guard Dennis Johnson says perturbed by persistent newspaper reports indicating the National Basketball Association team plans to trade him during the off-season know they're rally rumors but I have to deal with them starting to bother the former Seattle SuperSonics player said Monday going to trade me they should say so If not they should stop the rumors All they have to say is they think I did something bad I should be told I know I have a job to do and do it But my name has been in the papers too much when it doesn't concern basketball Johnson added I not playing well? Am I not acting right? My mind is totally messed Johnson the secraid NEW YORK (AP) The only strikes the umps will be calling this season will be on the batters in front of them Just a few hours before the call of was heard Monday in Baltimore and Cincinnati the Major League union and the American and National leagues agreed on a new four-year contract which according to union attorney Richie Phillips umpires in the top one percent of all salaried employees in this The minimum annual salary $18000 under the old contract is now $26000 and the maximum previously $50000 is $75000 Hie agreement also will permit the league presidents Lee MacPhail of the AL and Chub Feeney of the NL to assign umpires to the playoffs and World Series based on merit rather than the rotation system used in recent years have the best umpires and now we will have the best of the best working the special said Phillips He and the two league presidents reached the agreement around sunrise Monday after a 12-hour bargaining session and about 10 hours before home plate umpire John Kilber threw Cincinnati Manager John McNamara out of the Reds' rain-shortened 3-2 Open- Tallman blanks Zags PULLMAN Wash AP) It was another standout day for framer Capital High Cougars as Doug Tallman threw a two-hit shutout and Mike Miller cracked two hits in four trips to power the Washington State Cougars to a 7-0 victory over Gonzaga Monday The shutout second of the year gave Tallman a 4-1 mark and stretched the winning streak to seven WSU is 2-0 in league play 18-5 overall In addition to the hot bat of Miller Ron Tostenson drove home three runs with three hits Rick Poznanski hit a solo home run in the third inning while Jeff Emersen and Fred Bogart rapped two hits each The Bulldogs are 0-2 in the conference and 17-14 overall infield single drove in a run in the first and he singled home two more in the fourth Monday's game was a makeup from Sunday which was rained out Local fans can catch the Cougars in action Wednesday at 3 pm at Pacific Lutheran Friday at Portland University for a doubleheader beginning at noon and Saturday at the University of Washington for a noon doubleheader The major league season got underway with two games Monday Bump Wills (above) ripped a leadoff home run and another new Cubbie Keith Moreland homered later as the new Cubs trimmed Cin- cinnati 3-2 in the National League In the only other lidlifter Baltimore blasted Kansas City 13-5 in the American League with four home runs including A1 Bumbry's grand slammer See stories on each game on page D2 Monday was also an important day for the umpires and it appears now that the only strikes they will be calling will be mi the players in front of them The Major League Umpires Association came to an agreement with a basic settled that will raise their salaries to a top scale of $75000 Se story on this page Former Capital High Cougars starred for Washington State as Doug Tail-man pitched a two-hit shutout and Mike Miller rapped two hits in 7-0 conquest of Gonzaga See story on this page On the prep scene Turn water toppled Aberdeen 3-0 to take over first place in the Black Hills League while Shelton knocked off North Thurston 3-1 South Bend also whipped Rainier ISA in class action The games are recapped on page D2 Basketball The NBA Trade rumors have former Sonic Dennis Johnson (see story this page) upset but he leads the Phoenix Suns into the Kingdome tonight at 7:30 for a crucial contest Phoenix winner of six if its last eight is battling for a possible playoff spot The Sonics are in second six games ahead of the Suns and 2Vi games behind Los Angeles which plays at Houston tonight Golf becoming increasingly difficult for American golfers to win tournaments in other lands due to the rapid improvement foreign players Seveal such as Sev-erlno Ballesteros Gary Player Peter Oosterhuis and David Graham have a good chance at annexing the green coat from the Masters Tournament which begins Thursday See story on the foreigners in the sport on pageDS Paul Molitor sits in snow-covered dugout Auociated Pm Laeerphoto game was not in jeopardy because of the opening of rumors irritate the new Hubert Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis Johnson was acquired by the Suns in a June 1980 trade with Seattle and said he has worked hard to dispell talk that he is a disruptive influence on a team attitude has improved and his actions on the court have MacLeod said has really worked much harder this year than he did last But asked if Phoenix would deal Johnson MacLeod hedged and said: wouldn't touch that rate Colangelo said: have not discussed trading Dennis Johnson unfortunate I can see why this would bother him other clubs have-brought his name up in trade talks we've told them not Time Ini Ur ip wilfEcpu llifecd periodically in The Olympia oa Ike acwipaper caa moaiior and improve Ho pietarc repmdae Hon leading scorer this season with an average of 194 points per game reportedly is not seeing eye-to-eye with Phoenix head Coach John MacLeod on certain matters Before the All-Star break Johnson was criticized for some poor performances by MacLeod and General Manager Jerry Colangelo Since then however Johnson has helped propel Phoenix toward a late-season drive for a Western Conference playoff berth The Suns take a 42-32 record and a four-game winning streak into fanlight's game in Seattle against the Sonics (48-28) who are in second place in the Pacific Division six games ahead of third-place Phoenix Jack Sikma Sikma player of week NEW YORK (AP) Jack Sikma of the Seattle SuperSon-ics averaged 245 points per game and 143 rebounds in four games last week and was named National Basketball Association player of the week for the period ending April 4 the NBA said Monday The 6-foot-ll Sikma who leads the NBA in rebounding with an average of 124 twice had 29-point 18-rebound performance against Denver last week Sikma beat out Jamaal Wilkes of Los Angeles Ray Williams of New Jersey and Marques Johnson of Milwaukee to win the award I I.