Allentown Morning Call - April 3, 1980
None of the Phillies have dared to cross Green yet
By Jack McCallum, Call Sports Writer
CLEARWATER, Fla. To give you an idea of how clear the major league players are themselves on their playing status for the next week, we give you Larry Bowa on two separate occasions yesterday.
Larry Bowa speaking at 9 a.m. at Cocoa where the Phils spent Tuesday night: "I would imagine everybody would stay down here and work out. You tell Doug Bird the relief pitcher had complained that he didn't have the money to stay in Florida for a week that he can come stay with me. I'll be here."
Larry Bowa speaking three hours later in the clubhouse at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater: "If Veterans Stadium is open, I don't see why we shouldn't work out there. It might do us good to get used to it. Sure, it's cold but we have batting cages and the Nautilus machines to use."
Ahhh, NOW we understand. Thanks, Larry.
The Phillies' position as a team – if, indeed, they do take a unified stand – will be determined in a meeting this morning at Jack Russell.
On Tuesday night, most of the players seemed to feel they would stay in Florida, but that was before they knew for sure that management would cut off their living expenses. Also, it was before they knew that a directive from the owners' Players Relations Committee (see related story) ordered owners to encourage their players to stay in camp and work under the supervision of regular managers and coaches.
One would think the directive would almost force the players to stay in camp; none of the Phillies, even those making half the gross national product as a yearly salary, have cared to cross manager Dallas Green so far this exhibition season. And, according to the directive, Green will be out there pitching batting practice as he's been all spring. But in this most confusing of labor conflicts, there are no longer any certainties.
In truth, a week without a paycheck for a few of the younger or less-known players is not something to take lightly. But even that was compensated for yesterday morning when Bowa, the club's player representative, distributed checks of $1,600 to each player. He explained they were for uncollected royalties on dues paid last season to the Players' Association.
And the Phillies have been paid their weekly $374.50 expenses through Monday, according to traveling secretary Eddie Ferenz. Apparently, those monies will be deducted from their regular paychecks once the season starts, but may be reclaimed again when or if the new basic agreement is signed.
Both Bowa and teammate Bob Boone, the player representative for the National League, felt the players surprised the owners with their decision to strike now but to open the season. Bowa put it this way as Bowa will: "We caught them with their drawers down."
At the same time, however, many players' drawers were down. too. Boone was asked if before the meeting he considered the alternative that was eventually chosen as the best one.
"It was one of the alternatives going on and. to a man. the players began to see it was the best one," said Boone.
Boone was asked if he had any indication at Tuesday's meeting that the players' negotiating team would change its position on compensation for free agency.
"We're willing to negotiate on it," said Boone. "Look, we'll do anything to get the owners to the bargaining table. We just want for them to give us a response on something. They say they'll make some movement but then they don't tell us what the movement is. We're saying, 'Give us a response. Maybe we'll surprise you and sign it.”
NOTES: The award for the most repeated players' quote of the week will undoubtedly be going to: "Between now and May 22nd, there's enough time to hammer out five agreements." At last count, Bowa said it four times yesterday and Boone said it twice…
For the most part manager Green shied away from commenting on anything yesterday. His best quote was: "I've got to call Paul Owens and Ruly Carpenter now. Unless they've already started talking to Jack Daniels"...
It may be a sin to talk baseball in all this but the fact remains that the Phillies have two or three hard cuts still to make. There are now 31 players in camp – if camp is what it should be called – including pitchers Nino Espinosa and Warren Brusstar. both of whom will almost certainly start the season on the disabled list.
There are nine pitchers whose jobs are all but sewn up and the battle for the 10th, and final spot, is between Rawly Eastwick. Doug Bird and Scott Munninghoff Eastwick is probably the only realistic trade bait.
Green reportedly likes Munninghoff but pitching coach Herm Starette feels he needs another year in the minors.
Give Phils’ Carpenter an ‘A’ for an effort at humor on sad day
By Jack McCallum, Call Sports Writer
CLEARWATER. Fla. – Phillies-owner Ruly Carpenter said yesterday afternoon he will comply with the directive from the owners' Players Relation Committee to keep spring training facilities open and do everything possible to keep supervised practice sessions going until next week.
"I'll be disappointed if our players don't stay here," said Carpenter to a group of reporters outside the Phillies' public relations office at the Holiday Inn. "Hopefully, they have the professional dedication to stay here and get themselves ready. I think they do."
Carpenter will get the answer to that question this morning after the players meet at Jack Russell Stadium at 10 a.m. to see who is planning to stay and who is planning to go north.
At the same time. Carpenter said there has been no change in the owners' position on compensation for free agency, the main sticking point in negotiations and, really, the reason the Players' Association voted to strike Tuesday afternoon.
"We're staying strong on the compensation issue," said Carpenter. "We feel some form of compensation is very important."
Like every owner. Carpenter was telexed a copy of the four-part directive from Ray Grebey, chairman of the owners' negotiation team. The owners were instructed to: a.) terminate all payments to players immediately until the season starts; b.) keep camps open and supervised; c.) pay transportation north to all players d.) require all players to be in physical condition to start the season. It is obvious that Carpenter is not enthralled with all the directives.
"Well, I've got a directive in my hand and I'm going to follow it." said Carpenter. "But I've got mixed emotions on it. I won't comment beyond that."
Neither would Carpenter comment on whether he thought the players' agreeing to start Opening Day was a "show of good faith" as they say it is.
"I can't comment on anything about their strategy," said the 39-year-old Carpenter, one of baseball's youngest owners. "But the real plus, as I see it. is that the season is opening and that we have time to get back to the (negotiating) table. I'm personally glad the season is opening.”
Carpenter was asked if he thought the directive represented a concensus of the owners: Minnesota Twins president Calvin Griffith, for example, was quoted last night as saying he'd prefer to lock the players out of spring training.
"Well, you know, the players have differences, too," said Carpenter. "I just read something in the paper about (Johnny) Bench ana (Tom) Seaver having their differences in the Cincinnati clubhouse. (Seaver is strongly behind player action Bench is not.) So I can't pretend that the owners are all of one mind.
"But I'm also sure that Ray Grebey has to be conscious of a consensus. I think that what has been handed down is a pretty reasonable representation of what the owners want."
Carpenter was asked why the owners didn't take a more militant position and lock the players out of camp.
"When you own a club and this situation develops, you're kind of caught in the middle," answered Carpenter. "You'd rather give in and open your facility than conduct a semi half-assed practice somewhere. We're saying that we'd rather have it under our direction.
"We'll have intrasquad games and let the pitchers get in their work. No, it's not a real competitive situation in that our guys are up against the Parkers and the Stargells every day, but we'll try to have situations whereby guys like Luzinski and Schmidt are hitting against a Carlton. So. we'll get our work in."
Carpenter also said he was glad official workouts can continue because "there are a couple of decisions to make on our roster and I'm sure they have a lot more to see.”
"They" in this case are manager Dallas Green and general manager Paul Owens. Owens said that, provided workouts continue, those final squad cuts will not be made for a few days.
Part of the players' strategy in going out now was to take away revenue from remaining exhibition games, revenue that the players say would be put into a "strike fund" to protect the owners from a long stretch of silent turnstiles. Carpenter was asked to comment.
"Look, let's be realistic about that. No insurance company in their right mind is going to sell strike insurance to us with the uncertainty of the situation. So I think that takes care of that charge."
Carpenter feels his players will be able to put out of their minds the thought of another impending strike after Opening Day.
"In 1976. before the last basic agreement was signed, we played like hell on fire." answered Carpenter. "Then, after the agreement was signed, we lost 14 of our next 16. So, if there's a long strike, we should be in good shape."
On a sad day. give Ruly Carpenter an “A” for an effort at humor.
How owners plan to handle the rest of spring training
CLEARWATER, Fla – The owners' Players Relations Committee has handed down a four-part directive on how to handle the rest of spring training. Here are the main points:
(a.) All payments to players under contract should be terminated immediately and the club is not responsible for any living expenses until the contract is renewed by the player strike ending on Opening Day.
(b.) Spring training should be resumed immediately with official supervision from regular managers and coaches.
(c.) Players who reported to camp in March will be given transportation monies to that city where the team opens the season.
(d.) All players are required to report for Opening Day in shape, according to the terms of the last Basic Agreement between management and the union.