Allentown Morning Call - August 14, 1980

Schmidt hits 30th but Phils lose

CHICAGO (AP) – Jerry Martin's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Chicago Cubs a 2-1 victory over his former Philadelphia Phillies teammates yesterday. 

Ivan DeJesus drew a leadoff walk from Dick Ruthven, Bill Buckner singled to left and Steve Dillard also walked, loading the bases. Ron Reed then replaced Ruthven and gave up Martin's game-winning fly ball to center field. 

The Phillies tied it 1-1 in the ninth when Mike Schmidt led off against " winner Dick Tidrow, 5-3, with his 30th home run of the season, tops in the National League. 

The Cubs broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth.

Len Randle led off with a double to left off Ruthven, Tim Blackwell bunted him to third and Blackwell was safe at first when catcher Bob Boone slipped on the wet turf. Larry Biittner, batting for Mike Tyson, then lined a double to right-center. 

Blackwell, trying to score behind Randle, was cut down at the plate on the relay from second baseman Manny Trillo. 

Rain held the game up twice, totaling 1 hour, 38 minutes, in the seventh inning.

National League rejects designated hitter

DEARBORN, Mich. ( AP) A move to incorporate the designated hitter rule into the National League was defeated yesterday at baseball's summer meeting. 

Five senior circuit clubs voted against with four in favor. Three clubs abstained.

The, American League since 1973 has allowed clubs to include a batter designated to hit for the pitcher. 

However, National League President Chub Feeney said the DH would be considered again at baseball's winter meetings in Dallas in December. 

"I'm not surprised at today's vote," said Feeney. "It's gotten fairly close from time to time, but it fluctuates. The vote was 10-2 the last time we took it about a year ago." 

John Claiborne, general manager of St. Louis and a former executive in the A.L. with Boston and Oakland, said the clubs voting for the DH were Atlanta, New York, St. Louis and San Diego. 

Claiborne, who placed the DH on the agenda, said Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Montreal and Cincinnati voted nay, and Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Houston abstained. 

Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn said he had supported the DH because he is "eager to see the two leagues together… I think it's been good for the American League and I think the fan sentiment has been good." 

In other business, Lee MacPhail, president of the American League, said the majority of owners in the A.L. clearly favored a major reordering of the playoffs under which three division winners plus a wild card entrant would meet prior to the league championship. 

"I don't envision anything before 1982 on three-divisional play," MacPhail said. "We don't want to do it until both leagues are ready." 

MacPhail said the aim was to continue playing the World Series in late October and that perhaps the regular season schedule would be cut to 156 or 158 games from the present 162.

MacPhail also said there was no support for expansion in the A.L. 

"We'd like the National League to catch up before we consider any further expansion," MacPhail said. The N.L. has 12 teams, the A.L., 14. 

On team finances, Kuhn said, "Only 11 clubs were profitable in 1979… That's up slightly from the eight clubs that were profitable in 1978. 

"Baseball's popularity, I think, has never been higher. But when you look at the economic side, it's another matter. The free agent situation is not entirely to blame, but it certainly has added to the problem.

"There are people in baseball who think there are some clubs on the verge of bankruptcy," he said. He did not name the teams with financial difficulties. 

MacPhail said violence on the field also was discussed during a joint meeting of the leagues.

"We haven't found there's any increase," MacPhail said. "We have found there's a difference in attitude, with the hitter going out to the mound after the pitchers." 

MacPhail said the clubs were urged to talk to their managers about how aggressive their pitchers should be. 

"The owners urged me today to take an even stricter stance," MacPhail said.

Feeney said the National League, which has no curfew rule, passed legislation to suspend play at 12:45 a.m. with the contest to be resumed later or played over. 

Other business during the joint session dealt with the new basic agreement between the clubs and the Major League Players Association.