Doylestown Daily Intelligencer - August 11, 1980
McCarver To Get Shot At Fourth Decade
by Jeff Worden
The glory of playing in stadiums filled with thousands of people isn't enough to bring former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Tim McCarver out of retirement. Not even a penant race could do the trick.
He realizes he can't sit in the crouched catcher's position as easily anymore. He knows his swing isn't what it used to be.
There's only one reason why he is returning to baseball. He wants to become the first catcher in this century and the 10th player in history to play in four decades.
"I wouldn't be coming back unless it was for the four decades," said McCarver, who Friday announced he would come out of retirement as a Phillies broadcaster and join the team in September, when the roster limit is raised to 40. "You don't hear of many guys who retire at 39 and come back to play one month. It's really important to me."
McCarver's career began In 1959 with the St Louis Cardinals when he was 17 years old. At age 38, he retired last October, one year shy of the record.
"At 17, all I wanted to do was make the majors," said McCarver, between games of Sunday's Phillies-Pirates double-header at Three Rivers Stadium. "After five years, I was just starting to get the hang of it After 10 years, I felt I was in the prime of my career."
"I'm really glad he decided to come back. There might be times when he can help us," said Paul Owens, director of player personnel. "We're not doing this just to be nice."
Phils Embarrassed Selves With Double-Header Loss
by Ron Cook
PITTSBURGH - Paint the man's face black. Give him a rocking chair Pour him a glass of wine. Add some loud music in the background for effect.
Then, Mike Schmidt's imitation of Willie Stargell would be complete.
"Why should myself and my teammates make life miserable just because we lost four games to the Pirates?" asked Schmidt, who plays third base for the Philadelphia Phillies. "We stand a hell of a lot less chance of winning tomorrow by walking out of here down.
"If we get a victory tomorrow and a victory the next day and a victory the next day all this will be forgotten. I know that sounds easy to say but that's the way Pops Stargell looks at it. That's what Pops Stargell tells his teammates."
On this particular Sunday afternoon, none of the Phillies deserved a Stargell star. In the apace of seven hours, they (1) grossly embarrassed themselves, (2) all but fell out of the National League East pennant race, and (3) temporarily pushed their manager Dallas Green over the deep end.
Between Philly's two humiliating losses to Pittsburgh, Green closed his clubhouse doors and screamed bloody murder. His tirade was X rated. The language has been edited for this family newspaper
"You've got to stop being so cool," Green yelled. "Get that through your heads. If you don't you'll be so buried it ain't going to be funny.
"Get off your butts and just be the way you can because you're a good baseball team. But you're not now and you can't look in the mirror and tell me that you are. You tell me you can do it, but you give up. If you don't want to play, get the hell in that office and tell me because I don't want to play you."
Green's pep talk didn't work immediately.
Danny Ozark tried the "hang in there, the cream will rise" approach with the Phils last August after Pittsburgh beat them five straight times at Three Rivers Stadium. Ozark was soon fired, Phllly never did get back into the race.
"What the hell is the big deal? It ain't the end of the world because we lost the series," first baseman Pete Rose said, pointing out Phllly is only six games behind Pittsburgh and Montreal. "What can you do? Cry on the way to the airplane? It's the future that counts. What's going to happen then?"
In the century of so Rose has been in baseball he's heard a lot of managers read a lot of riot acts. He watched the late Fred Hutthlnson throw a bag of balls through a window in Cincinnati. He listened to Sparky Andenwn pick players apart.
Green's performance ranked with the best. Rose thinks it's what Philadelphia needed.
"The manager's meeting was a good one," he said. "I understood what he was saying. I think the other guys did, too. Just because we lost 4-1 doesn't mean it didn't sink in. Sometimes, it takes a little time to sink in.
"What we need is to get on that United and get up over the clouds and the rain and get to Chicago. I don't care if we lose three straight there. The best thing for us is to get out of this town."
Pirates Sweep Phils; Green Lashes Out
by The Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) - The surging Pittsburgh Pirates swept a doubleheader Sunday from the Philadelphia Phillies, who also got an ear-beating between games from Manager Dallas Green.
"We didn't play good ball. That's what hurts more than anything else," Green said after the Phils lost four weekend games here.
The Pirates, winners of seven in a row, move back into a tie with Montreal atop the National League East.
Jim Bibby earned his 14th pitching victory as the Pirates took the opener 7-1 with the help of three RBI by Tim Foli. In the second game, Mike Easler drove in two runs and Don Robinson and two relievers combined on a six-hitter as Pittsburgh won 4-1.
The Phillie clubhouse was closed between games, but reporters gathered outside overheard Green shouting at his team.
"Get up off your rear ends and beat somebody, "Green yelled. '' You've got to stop being so cool, and if you don't get that through your minds you're going to be so far buried it won't even be funny."
After the second game loss dropped the Phils six games off the pace in the NL East, Green was calm as he met the press
"I'm just not going to let them quit on them selves, "he said "I won't quit on them I'm sure the fans in Philadelphia won't quit."
Phillie first baseman Pete Rose who directed an obscene gesture at a few fans who taunted the Phils from behind their dugout in the second game, was asked about Green's clubhouse meeting.
"I've heard a lot of good managers at a lot of good meetings." said Rose "Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't just because we got beat 4-1 doesn't mean it didn't sink in."
Meanwhile, the Pirates stressed that they weren't counting the Phils out.
"The Phillies are a good ballclub," Robinson said after his second game pitching win. They're not going to let this get them down. They'll put their feet back on the ground and they'll start winning again."
Pirate Manager Chuck Tanner said, "You're always worried about the Phillies. They are a solid team just like we are and Montreal is. We just had two well-pitched games against them today."
However, Blbby noted the Pirates are in typical August form in their bid to repeat as World Series champions.
"We've got a good ballclub," said Blbby. "I'm not cutting down on anybody else. But right now we're doing all the things we need to be doing to win ballgames "
Said Pete Rose "What are we going to do? Cry all the way to the airport? It's history."