BASEBALL MEETING NOTES : Ozzie Smith Remains St. Louis Institution

Ozzie Smith will get his wish, to stay in St. Louis, well beyond the day he can no longer field a ground ball.

His agent, Debbie Ehlmann, said Smith, 37, agreed to accept the Cardinals offer of a $3-million salary for 1993 and each remaining season on his career. To qualify for the $3 million for the following season, he must have 400 plate appearances and be cleared by an independent physician.

Smith also gets a six-year, $1.2-million personal services contract upon his retirement.

“All along I’ve stressed how important it was to spend the rest of my career in St. Louis,” the St. Louis shortstop said. “Why, at this stage of my career, would I want to go anywhere else?

“I’m looking forward to it, I really am.”

Last season, Smith, who has been with the Cardinals since 1982, hit .295--the second-highest average of his career--and led the team with 43 stolen bases.

Free-agent reliever Todd Worrell told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the Dodgers have talked with him about a three-year contract that he expects to be worth around $8 million. But Claire, who said he and Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda have talked with Worrell, said no offer has been made.

Claire is intent on signing a top-flight closer and is scheduled to meet with Worrell’s agent, Richie Bry, in the next few days.

Black poet Nikki Giovanni suggested Sunday during a banquet intended to help heal the rift created by allegations of racial and ethnic slurs by Marge Schott that the Cincinnati Reds’ owner step down.

Giovanni was the featured speaker at the banquet of the National Council of Negro Women. Schott was invited to attend the event in an effort to ease tensions between her and the black community.

But Giovanni, who teaches poetry and literature at Virginia Tech, criticized Schott and the Reds during her 35-minute speech.

“We step down, because it is the right thing to do,” Giovanni said, looking at Schott, seated about 10 feet away. “People are right to be upset. People are right to demand a redress to grievances.”

Schott was led by aides out of the banquet hall at a suburban hotel without commenting on Giovanni’s speech.

A poll published Sunday in the Cincinnati Enquirer showed that one in five Cincinnati-area residents surveyed thought Schott should be forced to sell the Reds, while about 60% believe she has done a good or excellent job running the team.

Notes

The Atlanta Constitution reported the Braves have offered the Cy Young Award winner Greg Maddux a deal worth about $31 million for five years. The New York Yankees have offered Maddux a $34-million package. . . . The Angels will offer arbitration to free agent infielder Rene Gonzales and will announce today their plans for pitcher Bert Blyleven, catcher Mike Fitzgerald and infielders Hubie Brooks and Ken Oberkfell. It’s not likely they will offer Brooks or Oberkfell arbitration. . . . Fred Claire, Dodger executive vice president, said it is doubtful that the club will offer arbitration to any of its five free agents: catcher Mike Scioscia, infielder Dave Anderson and pitchers Bob Ojeda, Jay Howell and John Candelaria. If teams do not offer their free agents arbitration by midnight tonight they cannot sign them until May 1. . . . The Dodgers’ award for finishing with the worst record in baseball is the first pick in today’s Rule V draft, when players with three years professional experience or more who are not on a 40-man roster can be drafted for $50,000. . . . Former Dodger Rick Dempsey turned down an offer to manage at Frederick, Md., in the Baltimore Orioles’ organization and has been hired as manager for the Bakersfield Dodgers in the Class-A California League to be closer to his Westlake Village home.

Times staff writers Helene Elliott and Maryann Hudson contributed to this report.