BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJOR LEAGUES : Receiver Smith Too Old for Two Sports

The Seattle Mariners were all set to give Phoenix Cardinal wide receiver J.T. Smith a tryout--until they found out he is 35.

Smith, a two-time Pro Bowl selection in his 13-year NFL career who last played baseball while attending high school in Texas, took batting practice and fielded some fly balls Tuesday at Tempe (Ariz.) Diablo Stadium for Mariner farm director Jim Beattie.

The Mariners agreed to give Smith an official tryout Wednesday on the assumption that he was 30 years old, as they had been told by Smith’s friends who requested the tryout on Smith’s behalf.

But Mariner management saw a television report of Smith’s informal workout and found out Smith’s actual age. They decided that 35 was too old to start a baseball career and canceled Wednesday’s tryout.

Pirates Hit Clemens Hard in First Game

Roger Clemens, last seen being dragged from the mound in the playoffs, didn’t get kicked out Thursday. He got knocked out.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner was tagged for five runs and five hits in two innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Boston Red Sox, 10-7, at Winter Haven, Fla.

“Right now, there’s no reason for me to try to punch guys out or throw on the corners,” Clemens said. “I threw a lot of strikes in the middle. I wanted to throw fastballs and breaking balls, which I did. My velocity was OK. It was a good, overall workout.”

Boston Manager Joe Morgan made a rare spring trip to the mound when Clemens got in trouble, and lifted him when Pittsburgh finished batting around. Clemens struck out one, walked none and gave up three earned runs.

“So far, so good,” Clemens said. “The second inning seemed to go a little longer than I wanted it to, but that’s all right. I hope I give up all of my runs down here and pitch a shutout on opening day.”

In other game action, Baltimore beat the Chicago White Sox, 8-0, on a combined four-hitter by Ben McDonald, Jose Mesa, Dave Johnson and Kevin Hickey. Sam Horn hit a three-run homer for the Orioles. . . . Atlanta beat defending NCAA champion Georgia, 2-0, on Sid Bream’s two-run, fourth-inning homer. . . . The Chicago Cubs beat Arizona State, 5-4, overcoming four RBIs by Mike Kelly.

In other news: Rickey Henderson arrived at Oakland’s training camp in Scottsdale, Ariz. Henderson, in the second season of a four-year, $12-million deal, wants to be one of the five highest-paid players in baseball and wants the deal done by opening day. “It’s pride, period,” Henderson said. “Every time I hit that dirt (stealing a base), it’s pride. I don’t think my contract is fair. I don’t think it goes with the way I play the game. I don’t think I’m 40th or 50th on the list.” Said General Manager Sandy Alderson: “If Rickey feels betrayed by the system, then we can empathize with him. We feel betrayed by the system, too. It’s not working. When 80 or 90% of the players are not happy with their contracts, then the system is not working.”

Steve Howe pitched two scoreless innings in a New York Yankee intrasquad game at Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. . . . Former Dodger Ken Howell, expected to be Philadelphia’s ace, will be sidelined until at least June after surgery was scheduled for next week for removal of a bone spur from his pitching shoulder. Dave LaPoint, released by the New York Yankees last month despite a $900,000 guaranteed contract, was invited to spring training by the Phillies as a nonroster player. . . . Catcher Joe Oliver ended his two-day walkout and returned to Cincinnati’s spring training camp. Pitcher Jack Armstrong, however, said he would continue to stay away until his contract is changed. Oliver said he wanted to avoid a $500-a-day fine that would have begun Thursday. Oliver was renewed for $185,000 and Armstrong for $215,000.

Third baseman Tim Wallach, hoping to finish his career with the Montreal Expos, agreed to two-year contract extension worth $7.5 million. Wallach, 33, will be paid $1,725,000 in the 1991 and 1992 seasons, then $3.5 million for each of 1993 and ‘94, with a $500,000 signing bonus. . . . The New York Mets said they would meet with Frank Viola’s agent later this month in an attempt to agree to a contract extension beyond 1991. . . . Bryn Smith, beginning his second season with St. Louis, will be the starting pitcher in the Cardinals’ season opener at Chicago on April 9.