Wallach

BaseballAstros: Designated former Orioles P Terry Clark for assignment. Activated P Todd Jones from 15-day DL.Brewers: Released P Kevin Wickander. Optioned C Mike Matheny to Triple-A New Orleans. Recalled C Kelly Stinnett from New Orleans.Dodgers: Purchased contract of 3B Tim Wallach from Single-A San Bernardino. Optioned 3B Mike Busch to Triple-A Albuquerque.Phillies: Recalled P Larry Mitchell and IF Kevin Sefcik from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Optioned P Ron Blazier to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Milwaukee Brewers reliever and Venezuelan murder suspect Julio Machado, may be freed from prison to play during the 1992 season, according to Venezuelan officials.A Venezuelan superior court judge Tuesday reduced the charges against Machado from intentional murder to unintentional murder, after a request by his lawyers.The reduction of charges opens the door for Machado's attorneys to request that the pitcher be given "provisional freedom." That would enable him to leave the country without bail to play for the Brewers.

Unmoored charm used to be Richard Gere's calling card. Skating over the razor's edge between seductiveness and smarm was his specialty as a performer even before he really mastered it as an actor and rooted it in a character's needs and impulses. Now that he's become a formidable leading man, that knack is just one tool in his kit. He's never shown truer colors or a wider spectrum than as that notorious faker Clifford Irving in The Hoax. And for Irving he forges a quality all his own: a serpentine virility.

Graft "Trading Places" onto "Remington Steele," add a pinch of "Mrs. Doubtfire," and you've got "The Associate," the new film starring Whoopi Goldberg as a Wall Street whiz who realizes she'd be a whole lot more successful if she were a man.So she becomes one.Clever? Mildly. But the film hasn't got an original bone in its body. It's little more than a mix of "Steele," the TV series in which a female private investigator invented a male boss to bring in business; "Places," which milked the stock exchange for laughs; and "Doubtfire," which showed how make-up maestro Greg Cannom could accomplish almost anything with the proper prosthetics.

BaseballDetroit Tigers -- Placed P Mark Leiter on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Wednesday, with a sore right shoulder. Recalled P Buddy Groom from Triple-A Toledo.Los Angeles Dodgers -- Announced 3B Tim Wallach will be activated from the DL today and that OF Raul Mondesi will be sent to Triple-A Albuquerque.Minnesota Twins -- Agreed to terms with OF Kelcey Mucker, a University of Indiana quarterback, and assigned him to their rookie-level team in the Gulf Coast League.New York Mets -- Announced that P Bret Saberhagen will be placed on the DL tomorrow with torn cartilage in his left knee and that they will recall P Bobby Jones from Triple-A Norfolk.

Highest batting averages;/(April 1-8, minimum 10 plate appearances)AMERICAN LEAGUEPlayer, Team ... ... ... AB ... ... R ... H ... ... AvgBoggs, New York .. .. .. 13 ... ... 7 ... 9 ... ... 692Tartabull, New York .. .. 10 ... ... 2 ... 6 .. ... 600Davis, California .. ... 17 ... ... 3 ... 9... .529Baines, Orioles .. .. ...10 .. ...2 .. ..5... .500Sorrento, Cleveland .. ...8 .. ...1 .. ..4... .500Nilsson, Milwaukee .. ...14 .. ...4 .. ..7... .500Trammell, Detroit .. .. .15 .. ...2 .. ..7...

BaseballFree agency: Following players filed: 1B Fred McGriff, DH Harold Baines, DH Eddie Murray, C Mike Macfarlane, P Mike Maddux, OF Dave Gallagher, OF Dave Winfield, OF B. J. Surhoff, P Al Leiter, C Pat Borders, OF Roberto Kelly, 3B Tim Wallach and P Mike Morgan.Orioles: Signed following six-year minor-league free agents: P Don Florence, P Mike Hartley, P Jimmy Myers, OF Jarvis Brown and OF Greg Blosser.Cincinnati Reds: Named Marc Bombard and Jim Lett coaches.Texas Rangers: Gave manager Johnny Oates one-year extension through 1997.

BaseballOrioles -- Signed No. 1 draft pick P Jay Powell to a minor-league contract for a bonus of about $450,000.Boston Red Sox -- Placed C Bob Melvin on the 15-day DL. Recalled C John Flaherty from Triple-A Pawtucket.Cleveland Indians -- Recalled P Albie Lopez from Double-A Canton-Akron. Placed P Mark Clark on the 15-day DL, retroactive to Friday.Florida Marlins -- Activated IF Chuck Carr from the 15-day DL. Sent P Kurt Miller and OF Carl Everett to Triple-A Edmonton.Los Angeles Dodgers -- Placed 3B Tim Wallach on the 15-day DL with a fractured rib. Recalled OF Raul Mondesi from Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Atlanta Braves actually lost a game last week, which should be very comforting for the four clubs that already are doomed to spend the entire season looking up at them. Their 12-1 record is frightening enough, but they are 10-0 on the road. . . . Philadelphia Phillies first baseman John Kruk put a happy beginning on the week when he returned to the starting lineup with three hits in the club's home opener last Monday. He completed his radiation treatment on Wednesday and has every reason to hope that he will recover fully from testicular cancer.

Pennant pressure is building everywhere. The Orioles and New York Yankees are beginning a critical series. The Seattle Mariners are pushing the once-comfortable Texas Rangers. TheLos Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres are so close that they seem certain to take the National League West race down to the final weekend.But there is room to breathe in the American League Central, where the Cleveland Indians broke open the champagne for the second straight season.They will have the luxury of watching the rest of the AL contenders slug it out while manager Mike Hargrove spends the next 10 days lining up his pitching staff and getting his everyday players rested up for the divisional series.