Reading Eagle - August 1, 1980
Rose Gets A Divorce
CINCINNATI (AP) – Karolyn Rose was granted a divorce Thursday from Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Pete Rose.
A hearing was scheduled for September for a property settlement. Custody of the couple’s two children, Fawn, 16, and Pete, 11, also will be discussed at a future hearing.
The Roses were married on Jan. 25, 1964, in Cincinnati.
Schmidt Is Sure to Pile on a Few More Homers
The Baron’s Corner – Larry Shenk
EDITOR’S NOTE: Larry Shenk is the public relations director for the Philadelphia Phillies.
What do Gavvy Cravath, Cy Williams, Chuck Klein and Del Ennis have in common?
All four at one time reigned as the Phillies all-time home run leader. Cravath hit 117 during his 1912-20 career, then Williams took over with 217 (1918-1930). Klein totaled 243 (1928-33; ’36-44) and Ennis climbed on top with a June 19, 1956 homer at Connie Mack Stadium.
Ennis, who played with the Phils from 1946 through 1956, finished with 259 homers, a mark which stood until the first game of this home stand. That night Mike Schmidt sent a 1-1 pitch from Atlanta’s Larry McWilliams over the centerfield fence at Veterans Stadium to become the Phillies’ greatest home-run hitter.
Being only 30, “Schmitty” is sure to pile on a few more before he hangs up his uniform.
Schmidt spent two years in the minors before joining the Phillies. Ennis went from Olney High School in Philadelphia to pro baseball in the minor leagues in Trenton in 1943, two years in the U.S. Navy and then right into a Phillies uniform in ’46.
“Matter of fact,” recalled Ennis, “I was in the service until the day before the 1946 season opened. The team opened at home and I joined them without spring training.”
Fences Shorter
Del’s impressions of Schmidt?
“He’s a good hitter, no doubt about it, with a damn good stroke,” Ennis said. “I’m not taking anything away from him by any means, but Mike’s playing in parks with shorter fences. It makes a difference, but he can hit them anywhere cause he’s so strong.”
Toughest pitchers for Ennis?
“Warren Spahn was tough. Ewell Blackwell was tough, especially on righthanded hitters, but I hit him pretty good.”
There were no big headlines in 1977 when Cincinnati shipped minor league pitcher Shane Rawley to Seattle for outfielder Dave Collins.
The Reds came out of that one with a big one as Collins has taken over the regular center-field spot. He batted 102 times in 102 games in 1978 and seemed headed for a similar year last summer. But, George Foster was hurt. Collins got a chance, and he’s never seen the bench since.
When Foster healed, Ken Griffey went down and Collins too over there for the rest of the year, hitting better than .300 during both the regular season and the playoffs.
Now, he plays every day and is headed toward breaking a 69-year-old Cincinnati record for most stolen bases in a season.
While speedsters Ron LeFlore of the Expos and Omar Moreno of the Pirates grab all the attention, Collins has slowly sneaked up on the pair.
As the Reds headed into their final week of July, Collins had 50 steals, just 30 behind Bob Bescher’s club record he set back in 1911.
He’s Like Rose
Collins inherited Pete Rose’s leadoff position with the Reds. He also sounds a little like Rose.
“I think I’m as good a lead-off hitter as there is in the league,” he said. “I can run as fast as anyone. I hit from both sides of the plate. I make contact. I get on base and I score runs.”
The guy Collins replaced in center was Cesar Geronimo.
Cesar has a very dubious distinction, he was the 3,000 strikeout victim of BOTH Bob Gibson (1974) and Nolan Ryan (July 4 this year).
“I just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” he quipped.
Reds have been riding third to Astros-Dodgers in NL West but Manager John McNamara feels they’ll be there in the end.
“Considering the injuries we’ve had and the inconsistency of our pitching, I feel fortunate that we’re still within striking distance of the leaders,” he said. “But, we have five games with Houston in September, three at home and we’ve got 12 games left with the Dodgers. So, we’re in a position where we can help ourselves.”
With veteran Tom Seaver and Bill Bonham disabled for a time (they’re back now), Cincinnati featured a “Kiddie Korps” starting staff: Frank Pastore (22), Joe Price (23), Mike LaCoss, Charlie Liebrandt and Mario Soto (24) and Bruce Berenyi (25).