Orioles reserve outfielder Lonnie Smith, 11 years removed from a midseason stay in a drug rehabilitation center, remembers the words of a professional.

"My rehab doctor told me drug abusers make the best con men in the world," Smith said. "Usually, it takes one to know one and even then you can't always tell.

"I was playing for Atlanta in '91 when Otis Nixon had his problems and I never saw the signs. It's not as easy to spot as some people think. If a user wants to hide it he can, unless he's completely gone."

Darryl Strawberry, who admitted himself into a drug treatment facility Thursday night, hadn't reached that stage when Smith saw him before a spring game in Florida last month.

"It surprised me," Smith said of the Strawberry news that cast a pall over the Los Angeles Dodgers. "When I saw him in spring training, I thought he had his life together. Evidently, there was something deeper inside him that was bothering him."

Strawberry's vanishing act from the Dodgers disappointed Smith, who voluntarily admitted himself for treatment in 1983.

"I think it's sad," Smith said. "And I think Darryl could have handled it a little better. I think he should have gone directly to the Dodgers, instead of drifting off on his own."

No one was happier than manager Tommy Lasorda when the Dodgers signed Strawberry to a five-year, $20.5 million contract before the 1991 season, a contract that has two years and $8 million remaining.

Slowed by a weak back that eventually required surgery, Strawberry totaled 10 home runs and 37 RBIs the past two seasons.

Lasorda tolerated the lack of production, but he couldn't bring himself to accept Strawberry's drug use. Lasorda comes from a generation that has trouble with the entire concept of drug use. Lasorda aired his frustrations honestly, instead of riding the politically correct bandwagon.

"I don't buy that it's an illness," Lasorda said. "I say it's a weakness. When you're putting something in your body that you know can do you harm, that you know can ruin your life, that's a weakness."

Smith has heard those sentiments.

"A lot of people feel that way and everyone is entitled to his opinion," Smith said. "Usually, the ones who feel that way are the same people who distinguish between alcohol and marijuana. In reality, other than one being legal and the other illegal, the only difference is one's a dry high and the other's a wet high. Both give you the same hangover. Both are addicting and both can lead to harder drugs."

When Smith's cocaine abuse began to scare him in 1983, he sought help. He is glad he made that choice, even though it led to a misconception that he was a repeat offender. Now Smith joins baseball in wishing Strawberry well in his drug treatment.

"I know Darryl, but not as close as I wish I had known him," Smith said. "The Darryl Strawberry I knew was a nice guy, a guy who went through a lot of ridicule in New York and remained a nice guy."

Even if he rights himself in drug treatment, Strawberry's chances of returning to the Dodgers are close to nil.

"I don't know that he will," Dodgers general manager Fred Claire said in a published report. "We are not holding a spot for Darryl Strawberry. It makes no sense to do that. His future is very uncertain as far as playing for the Dodgers again. This team isn't waiting for Darryl Strawberry to come back. He has a contract, but we haven't given up any of our rights. We're looking at that contract."

Teammates voice support

Quotes gathered by Ken Daley of the Los Angeles Daily News:

From Detroit's Eric Davis, Strawberry's close friend: "When you have things going on inside your head, it's easy to hide. Darryl is not one who shows his emotions off the field to a lot of people. In fact, probably one of his biggest problems is his ability to open up to other people when he needs to. That's why this has made me so upset. I felt I wasn't there for him somehow. I sit back and ask myself what could I have done.

"I'm just concerned about Darryl the individual. He has to live without baseball at some point in his life anyway. If he comes back and plays baseball, that's great. But if he comes back and has his life together, that's even better."

From Tim Wallach, who had a locker next to Strawberry all spring and was a teammate of Tim Raines in Montreal when Raines used cocaine: "That's what's weird. I can look back and I played Montreal when there were some problems, and I had no idea then. It's hard to explain. I would have thought nothing [about Strawberry]. Nobody had an idea."

Claire: "There was not a time we didn't ask hard questions. With someone who's got a drug problem, there's big-time denial. There are always a lot of rumors, but you've got to have hard facts. He has been asked on numerous occasions."

Holy Delgado, what a batman

Opening week Rookie of the Year, hands down, goes to Toronto catcher-turned-left fielder Carlos Delgado, who hit his third home run Friday. His first two were tape-measure shots at SkyDome.

His first, just to the right of the Hard Rock Cafe, traveled 424 feet, into territory only Fred McGriff had reached. His next, off the top panel of Windows Restaurant, flew 445 feet. Only Cecil Fielder and Jose Canseco reached that glass.

"For a big guy, he doesn't lunge," veteran Dodgers scout Mel Didier said. "He has a great swing. If he's consistent, he could be the next Juan Gonzalez."

Not quite there yet

The National League's answer to Delgado isn't as advanced. Cliff Floyd, the Expos' 22-year-old power-hitting prospect who had 100 RBIs for Double-A Harrisburg by the All-Star break last season, struggled against major-league pitching this spring and did not have an extra-base hit until doubling in the final exhibition game.

Expos manager Felipe Alou talked GM Kevin Malone into keeping Floyd in the majors to start the season, but his status will be re-evaluated on the day our taxes are due. Former Orioles first baseman Randy Milligan, who had a much more productive spring than Floyd, will be used primarily as a pinch hitter to open the season.

Will Corderror

Montreal shortstop Will Cordero committed one error in Grapefruit League play, leading the Expos to believe he might be ready for a big improvement from last season, when he had 36 errors.

But Cordero was charged with three errors in his first three regular-season games.

"There is no point in talking to him about it," Felipe Alou said. "All that was done last year. We're just going to keep running him out there. He's a man and he has to correct this himself."

Ancient Mariner

Thanks largely to Goose Gossage (309 saves) and Bobby Thigpen (201), the Mariners opened the season with a bullpen that had 520 career saves. Only seven, all by Jeff Nelson, came in a Mariners uniform. Bobby Ayala (three career saves) begins the season as Seattle's closer.

Gossage, released by Oakland late in spring training, reported to Seattle for a tryout the day before the team left Arizona. He went with the team for weekend exhibitions in Vancouver, faced six batters, retired them all and made the team.

Gossage, 42, was in uniform for his 21st Opening Day.

GM on the hot seat

Tom Grieve is in his 10th year as the Texas Rangers general manager, which places him behind only Toronto's Pat Gillick and Oakland's Sandy Alderson for time on the job.

Gillick's teams have won five division titles, two AL pennants and two World Series titles.

Alderson's teams have won four division titles, three AL pennants and one World Series title.

Grieve's teams have finished second twice.

Eighty general managers have been hired by other teams during Grieve's tenure. He is under pressure to win this year.

"He's not under any illusions that a last-place team would not affect him," Rangers club president Tom Schieffer told the Dallas Morning News. "There's a feeling we're going to win. I also think there's a feeling that we need to win. There really isn't any reason this team shouldn't win."