Pittsburgh’s Still The Team To Beat

By Hal Bock, Associated Press Sports Writer

And now, for an encore from baseball's most closely-knit Fam-il-ee, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Their world championship last year was no accident and the Pirates liked the sensation so much they're gunning for a repeat performance in 1980. Don't think for a moment that they can't do it again.

Oh sure, there were a couple of cracks and crevices in the Family formation. Pitcher Bruce Kison (California) and backup in infielder Rennie Stennett (San Francisco) fled for free agent dollars, but the basic elements are intact. Spell that co-MVP Willie Stargell (.281, 32 homers, 82 runs batted in), Dave Parker (.310, 25-94), Phil Garner (.293. 11-59), Bill Madlock (.298, 14- 85), Tim Foli (.288) and Omar Moreno (.282, 77 stolen bases).

Most of all, though, there is the Pirate bullpen headed by beanstalk Kent Tekulve (10-8, 31 saves).

Montreal gave the Bucs a run for the NL East title right down to the last day of the season. And while Pittsburgh returns with substantially the same cast, the Expos have made some important changes.

The most significant is the addition of speedy Ron LeFlore (.300, 78 stolen bases) for the outfield. That frees Warren Cromartie (.275) to work at first base with veteran Rusty Staub (.267) in place of departed Tony Perez. Andre Dawson (.275, 25-92) and Ellis Valentine (.276, 21- 82) and LeFlore give the Expos an impressive outfield and third baseman Larry Parrish (.307, 30-82) and catcher Gary Carter (.283, 22-75) carry lively bats.

Don't let last year's fourth place dip confuse you about Philadelphia. This is still a very talented ball club and it could challenge for the top spot if new manager Dallas Green can keep everybody happy and healthy.

That's never a problem with first baseman Pete Rose (.331), who plays every game at 100 percent efficiency. Manny Trillo (.260) and Larry Bowa (.241) are a capable second base-shortstop combination and third baseman Mike Schmidt (.253. 45-114) is a frightening slugger. A lighter Greg Luzinski (.252, 18-81), Garry Maddox and Bake McBride form a solid outfield.

The pitching is a bit thin after Steve Carlton (18-11) and that could be Philadelphia's downfall.

St. Louis has some quality performers. There's the co-MVP first baseman Keith Hernandez (.344), who may be the National League's next dominant player, and shortstop Garry Templeton (.314), the first player ever to get 100 hits in a season from each side of the plate. Then there's catcher Ted Simmons (.283, 26-87), silent George Hendrick (.300, 16-75), and well-traveled Bobby Bonds, who is making his seventh big league stop.

Preston Gomez is the new manager of the Chicago Cubs and he must build an offense around left fielder Dave Kingman (.288, 48-115), who led the majors in home runs. He has some tools like Larry Biittner (.290), Bill Buckner (.284, 14-66), Barry Foote (.254, 16-56), and Jerry Martin (.272, 19-73) but the overall picture is bleak.

There is a new front office setup for the recently sold New York Mets with Frank Cashen installed as general manager.

With the club being sold over the winter. there was a hold on player moves so the same faces are back. Some of them are solid major league performers like Lee Mazzilli (.303, 15-79), who has switched to first base this season, catcher John Stearns (.243, 9-66).

The Picks: Pittsburgh, Montreal, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Chicago, New York.

Green Feels Better About Pitching

John W. Smith, Asst. Sports Editor

CLEARWATER – Dallas Green put the Philadelphia Phillies through their final full-scale Florida workout Tuesday, and pronounced himself comfortable with his new batting order, convinced his team will score a lot of runs, and more confident about his pitching than a week ago.

The Phillies were scheduled to stage a brief workout this afternoon before boarding a late-afternoon flight to Philadelphia. They’ll hold an open workout Thursday night at the Vet and open there against Montreal Friday night.

After much thought and discussion, Green has settled on a batting order of Rose, McBride, Maddox, Schmidt, Luzinski, Boone, Bowa and Trillo. He had decided to start with Rose last winter, but toyed with various combinations following Pete.

He explained his reasonings:

“McBride pulls the ball well, can handle left-handers, and has been hitting as well as I’ve ever seen him. I think Garry fits the classic No. 3 role – whatever that is – as well as anybody. He’s a career .290 hitter, he got great speed, and he’s pretty consistent.

Wants To Use Speed

“Using Mike fourth keeps our speed up pretty high. Bowa’s going to hit seventh instead of eighth because I want him to steal. Manny can still play hit-and-run hitting eighth, and he’s a pretty good breaking-ball hitter.”

Dallas says he doesn’t plan to do a lot of right-left switching with the lineup, but doesn’t consider himself locked into it. “I know some guys like to get comfortable in a spot, but we’ll use the lineup that’s best for the whole team.”

What about working in Greg Gross and Lonnie Smith?

“I told you at the beginning I’m a 25-man guy. I still am – recognizing that the eight guys I put out there are supposed to do a job for a majority of the season.

“At the same time, they know that I’m gonna take them out of the lineup defensively, and to rest them. And I’m gonna use my judgment when it’s best for the team and for them as individuals.”

Green is taking north a squad which in spring-training games had nine players who hit .318 or better, led by Greg Luzinski’s .405. (The others: Schmidt, McBride, Rose, Gross, Unser, Moreland, Smith and G. Vukovich.) Luzinski had a spring slugging average of .662. But Schmidt, who had 18 RBIs out of 43 at bats, slugged .953!

“Greg looks like he’s gonna have a super year,” said Green about the 1979 disappointment. “And if the guy in front of him has the kind of year it looks like he’ll have, it could be awesome. Schmidtty has put on a few pounds – of muscle. You’ve got to say he’s stronger.

One concern is Trillo, with his .190 spring average. “He’s not had a good spring, but he’s starting to come out of it,” said Green.

The big question, of course, is the starting pitching, after Steve Carlton, who goes Friday.

“The pitching isn’t where I would like it to be. The strike hurt us. But I feel a little better than I did at the beginning of the strike.

“We were able to get our pitchers more ready, and some of the other teams weren’t able to do that.

Kutch’s Korner:  Canadiens Again

By Dave Kutch

It's Stanley Cup Playoff time again in the National Hockey League and guess which team has been gathering steam like a runaway locomotive in the second half of the season?

No fair peeking North of the border.

Yes, of course, it's Montreal again. The Habs have seemingly overcome their internal problems, the retirement of goalie Ken Dryden, and the exile to Buffalo of former coach Scotty Bowman.

Montreal has won all four Stanley Cups since the Flyers won their two in 1974 and 1975. The Habs finished the regular season with a 21-game unbeaten streak (15-0-6), placing third overall with 107 points, topping the 100-mark for a record sixth straight season.

The Flyers should be Montreal's opponent in the finals. The Flyers started like a house afire, losing only three of 51 games before the All-Star break. But Philadelphia went only 13-9-7 in its final 29 games.

Inconsistent defense and a punchless power play have been Flyer weaknesses. The de-fense alternates between resembling a stone wall and a funnel. And goalies Pete Peeters and Phil Myre have yet to discover mediocrity.

Both look super one night and terrible the next.

Sometimes the Flyers seem to be better off short-handed than when holding a numerical advantage in players.

Baseball Picks

As usual, the American League East ap-pears to be the best league in baseball. If Commissioner Bowie Kuhn wants to make a sensible innovation to the game, he could declare that this year's playoffs will be among the top four teams in the American League East and thus avoid the mismatches that occurred in last year's League Championship Series.

My choice — and sentiment plays a definite part in it — is the aging Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox may have gotten the top gem in the free agent market when they picked up veteran Tony Perez from the Montreal Expos.

Perez is a proven team leader. Putting him in a lineup which already includes a proven clutch performer like Carl Yastrzernski, gives the Red Sox a lineup that is strong from top to bottom.

Boston is also strong up the middle — after it gets past the catching position. Carlton Fisk's sore elbow is the problem. Gary Allenson will start, barked up by recent acquisition from Philadelphia, Doug Rader.

Rick Burleson is a premier shortstop; Jerry Remi a fine, if fragile, second baseman: and Fred Lynn a highly skilled (offensively and defensively) center fielder.

Outfielder Jim Rice, third baseman Butch Hobson and designated bitter Fisk combine with Perez and Yaz to give the Bosox a real murderers row. And the all-right-handed pitching staff will be tough to beat at Fenway Park.

Following the Red Sox will be defending champion Baltimore, New York (still hasn't replaced Thurman Munson at catcher), Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland and Toronto.

In the West, Texas should slip past California for its first pennant. Kansas City should finish third, Chicago's youthful White Sox fourth, Minnesota fifth, Billy Martin's Oakland A's sixth and Seattle seventh. 

Phils Choice in National

I look for the Phillies to return to their form of two years ago and win the National League East. The Phillies shouldn't suffer so many injuries as a year ago and Pittsburgh isn't likely to get good seasons out of everybody again.

Montreal should beat the Pirates out for second, largely because the Expos have the second best (behind Earl Weaver) manager in baseball in Dick Williams. But the Expos have not improved themselves enough over the win-ter and their youngsters are likely still a year away.

The heavy-hitting St. Louis Cardinals (bolstered by the addition of Bobby Bonds) should finish fourth. The presence of Bruce Sutter and Dave Kingman should keep the Cubs fifth while the Mets hold down their accustomed spot in the cellar.

In the West, the pitching-rich Houston Astros should finally win a pennant. The light-hitting Astros may win by default as both Los Angeles and Cincinnati seem bent on self-destructing. The Dodgers should beat out the penurious Reds for second. Completing the standings will be San Francisco, San Diego and Atlanta.

I look for the Phillies to meet the Red Sox in the World Series with the championship flag flying over Fenway for the first time since 1918.