European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 5, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 a Sohall 92the stars Ano stripes sunday april 5,1992 reliever leads rookies by Jeff Shain United press International last season Chuck Knoblauch won Rookie of the year honors the same year his team won the world series. Mark Wohlers already with world series experience has a Chance to duplicate the accomplishment in 1992. Thanks to a quirk in baseball a Rookie rules the Atlanta Relief specialist remains a top candidate for Rookie of the year honors this season despite owning six games of postseason experience. Under baseball rules a player is considered a Rookie until be exceeds 130 at bats 50 innings pitched or 45 Days on a team s 25-Man roster that is in effect through aug. 31. Won is Wasny to called up until last August putting him beyond o s win debut in new Park from wire reports Baltimore it took the orioles a few hours to get comfortable in their new surroundings but they celebrated the preseason opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards Friday with a 5-3 Victory Over the new York acts before a crowd of 31,286. Met left hander Sid Fernandez took a no hitter into the sixth inning. But the orioles scored five times in the sixth to overcome a three run deficit and held on to Christen the new stadium in style. The winning runs scored on a grounder by Chris Hoiles that skipped through the legs of mets third baseman Dave Magadan with the bases loaded. Quot the Park played big today but i think its too Early to Tell Quot said reliever Mike Flanagan. The new Ballpark has a capacity of 48,041, but the orioles did not offer that Many scats for the exhibition. They wanted to see How the stadium worked with a smaller crowd. In other exhibition games Friday red sox 12, tigers 4 Winter Haven Fla. The Boston red sox finished 27 seasons of Spring training at Chain of lakes Park by beating the Detroit tigers on Tom Brunansky a grand slam and Ellis Burks three run triple. The red sox Are scheduled to move into a new Complex in fort Myers Fla., next year. Frank Viola 1-0 went seven innings giving up two runs on five hits with five reach of the service maximum and pitched Only 20 innings in 17 Relief appearances during the regular season. Wohlers has seen his career take off after being moved to the bullpen two years ago. Last year he pitched at three Levels on the Way to being named minor league player of the year by Usa today. He began last season at Dou ble a Greenville where he converted All 21 save opportunities and posted an 0.57 earned run average allowing just nine hits in 31v? innings. Promoted to triple Richmond he posted 11 saves in 12 chances with a 1.03 Era. That led to his callup to the braves where he responded with a 3-1 record two saves and 3.20 Era. In addition he pitched two innings in the braves combined no hitter against san Diego. The right hander 22, throws a 95 Mph fastball and mixes in a hard Slider that has been clocked at 85 Mph. Quot he a really our future closer a Ood one Quot Atlanta manager Obby Cox said. Other Rookie of the year candidates in the National league this year include Montreal shortstop Wilfredo Cordero cub Pitcher Lance Dickson and met Catcher Todd Hundley. Cordero Only 20, is expected to Battle Spike Owen for the expose shortstop Job. He hit .262 at triple a Indianapolis last year with 11 Home runs and 52 Bis before missing the last three months of the season. Dickson 21, wound up in the majors two months after being drafted by the cubs in 1990. The left hander spent 1991 at triple Iowa going 4-4 with a 3.31 Era that included a one hitter. Hundley hit ,273 with 14 homers and 66 Bis at triple a Tidewater last year. The Cleveland indians have two prime candidates for american league honors in outfielder Kenny Lofton and third baseman Jim Thome. Lofton acquired in a Trade with Houston Over the Winter appears to have taken the Center Field Job away from incumbent Alex Cole. Lofton hit .308 last season at triple a Tucson with 50 Bis and 40 stolen bases Thome hit .337 with 45 Bis for Canton Akron and .285 at Colorado Springs. A file Atlanta a Mark Wohlers. A future closer Quot exhibition games the orioles Drew 31,286 people to Oriole Park at Camden Yards in downtown Baltimore Friday afternoon against the mets. Strikeouts. To Vaughn hit a two run Homer his first of the Spring. Reds 8, twins 3 fort Myers Fla. Tim Belcher allowed one earned run in five innings and the Cincinnati reds finished their Best Spring training in 44 years by beating Minnesota. Belcher finished the Spring with a 4-0 record. The Victory was the seventh in a Row for the reds who won 20 Spring games for the first time since 1948. Royals 5, expos 4 Haines City Fla. Tom Gordon pitched six shutout innings and struck out seven As Kansas City beat Montreal. Gordon 2-1 held the expos to two singles and Jerry Don Gleaton got his second save of the Spring. Gleaton threw two shutout innings after Joel Johnston gave up a grand slam to Delino Deshields in the seventh inning. Blue jays 4, cardinals 2 Dunedin Fla. A Pat Hentgen starting in place of injured Todd Stottle Myre gave up two singles in five scoreless innings and Joe Carter had two hits and drove in a run to Lead Toronto past St. Louis. The win ended a six game losing Streak for Toronto. Indians 9, White sox 2 Oklahoma City okla. Mark Whiten stroked three hits and drove in four runs to Lead the indians. Dave Otto tossed 6v5 innings of four hit Ball allowing Only one run and striking out four to pick up his second win of the Spring. Rangers 2, astros 0 Arlington Texas a Dean Palmer and Juan Gonzalez blasted Solo Home runs off loser Mark Portugal to Power the rangers. Batting Champ Franco placed on 15-Day do by the associated press the Texas rangers Hopes for a fast Start were Hurt somewhat Friday when american league batting Champion Julio Franco was placed on the 15-Day disabled list. Franco bothered by Patella tendinitis in his right knee was put on the disabled list retroactive to March 28. He is eligible to return on april 12. Franco hit .341 last season and was part of the most potent offence in the majors. The second baseman played sparingly in Spring training and it is expected that he still will need to take time off each week once he rejoins the team. The rangers reacted to Francois injury by signing free agent a1 Newman on Friday. The Utility infielder who played last year for Minnesota was Cut by Cincinnati on thursday. Texas readied its roster for mondays opening night game in Seattle by releasing outfielder Gary Pettis. Pettis was placed on irrevocable waivers. He was scheduled to make slightly More than $1 million this season. Pettis hit .156 in 19 Spring games. In other moves Friday Detroit bolstered its bullpen by signing be s Lancaster. Lancaster 29, was Cut by the Chicago cubs on thursday. He was 9-7 with a 3.52 Era in 64 games last season 11 As a starter. The tigers got Lancaster on the same Day they put Dan Gakeler on the disabled list. Gakeler has not pitched since March 6 because of tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Toronto Blue jays added pitching depth by claiming Shawn Hillegas on waivers from Cleveland. Hillegas was 3-4 with a 4.34 Era in 51 games for the indians last season. Also the 60-Day drug suspension of Montreal expo Catcher Gilberto Reyes was overturned by arbitrator George Nicolau. Nicolau ruled that Reyes should be treated As a first time offender and undergo drug re habitation instead of a suspension