Allentown Morning Call - April 4, 1980

Phillies vote to remain a Florida family

By Jack McCallum, Call Sports Writer

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Mike Schmidt stepped out into the bright sunshine yesterday morning as a group of reporters looked on anxiously, trying to, read Schmidt's face. 

"Well, let's clear the damn field," said Schmidt. "We got some baseball to play." 

Yes, fans, if it makes you feel any better, the Philadelphia Phillies voted yesterday – in the best family tradition of the Andersons, the Nelsons and the Cleavers, not to mention the Pittsburgh Pirates – to stay together in Florida and practice, despite the fact that they will receive no further compensation until the beginning of the regular season next week. 

"We thought that the important thing was to stay together," said Larry Bowa, shortstop turned player representative and now a shortstop again. "It was strictly on an individual basis but no one was against the idea of staying. We all thought it was best." 

The apparently unanimous vote to stay (no reporters were allowed in the team meeting which lasted about 30 minutes) confirmed what most observers felt would be the Phillies' course of action. But with the sudden breaking of a few other baseball camps in the nearby area (the Mets in St. Petersburg and the Blue Jays in Dunedin) no one was completely sure. 

Yesterday morning's meeting began at 10 o'clock with a few words from Phillie owner Ruly Carpenter. Carpenter then left the meeting to the players and met with the press. 

"I merely went over the directive (from the owners' Players Relation Committee) and told the players I had to comply with it," said Carpenter. "Then I told them that I had read about the problems in the other camps and said we didn't want that here because it was bad for the organization and bad for baseball. 

"Then I talked briefly about 1976 (that was the year of the spring training lockout by the owners while a new contract was negotiated) and how the Phillies stayed together during that crisis and came out of the chute strong. It was the year of our first divisional title and that start had a lot to do with it. I told them that it was my sincere hope that they stay together as a unit but that there was nothing I could do if they didn't." 

Well, there was one thing Carpenter could do, and did. He closed Veterans Stadium for workouts until Thursday, the day before the opening of the regular season against Montreal. So, that alternative was taken away from the players if any wanted to head north to stay in shape.

"It was very simple why I did it," said Carpenter. "My manager and my coaches are down here and this is the only place where official workouts can take place." 

Mintues later, the team meeting was over and the players, all in uniform and all present and accounted for, came out. of the clubhouse and took the field. 

Bowa was asked if he agreed with the owner directives which included the cutting off of all expenses immediately and another clause which ordered players to be in shape Opening Day according to the stipulations of the last basic agreement. 

"Look, whatever we didn't agree with amounted to no big thing," said Bowa. "The important thing is that we're all out here. I think we've got a different type owner than a lot of teams. We're behind him (Ruly). And whatever program Dallas (manager Dallas Green) sets up, we're going to follow." 

That program, according to Green, will be similar to the one the Phillies followed in the two weeks of spring training before the Grapefruit League games began on March 14. 

"We're going to do just what we did over at Carpenter Complex (where the Phillies began their training)," said Green, who was smiling for the first time since the player strike was called Tuesday afternoon. "We'll be going back to basics as well as creating all kinds of game situations. I think we can create enough game-type situations to almost compensate for the absence of regular games against other teams."

Green, however. said he will not play organized intrasquad games. 

"At this point. I'm convinced that the most important thing is the creation of game situations with live pitching," said Green. "That's all we need. There is no way to accelerate the type of work a pitcher gets. If we can get the pitchers throwing enough in these live situations, we'll be all right." 

Green was asked how he reacted psychologically to the players' decision to stay. 

“"I think it's super,” he said. "It shows our guys have some dedication. We set a goal for ourselves in 1980 (presumably, the Eastern Division title)  and this is one ol the ways they're showing me they want to get it.

"How will the Phillie fans react? Well. I hope they realize that the fact we're here means a lot. If it doesn't honestly convince them this team wants to play ball. I don't know what will." 

With that. Green turned away and began directing practice in his booming voice. Gus Hoefling was leading the team in group calisthenics and general manager Paul Owens was walking around, smiling, slapping people on the shoulders and forgetting their names. It looked like any other day in spring training as some fans sat in the sun and watched the drills. 

"Is this all they 're going to do all day?" a youngster complained to his father.

If he only knew how grateful the Phillies' management was that they were doing this much. 

NOTES:  In a move that surprised absolutely no one,  Nino Espinosa  was placed on the 21-day disabled list. He comes off April 24, the day before St. Louis comes to Veterans Stadium for a three-game series… At the same time, the Phillies have delayed placing relief pitcher  Warren Brusstar  on the D.L. until he sees a noted shoulder specialist,  Dr. William Granna.  It is just a coincidence that Granna is located in Oklahoma City, the site of the Phillies' Triple-A farm team and the projected outpost for Brusstar this season.