Allentown Morning Call - August 17, 1980

Change did Phillies good in 11-6 win

NEW YORK (AP) – The Philadelphia Phillies only needed a change from Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh to Shea Stadium in New York to make a complete changeover in their offense. 

In sweeping the first three games of the series, the Phillies pounded out 49 hits, 19 of them yesterday , when Garry Maddox's four hits and Mike Schmidt's , three led them to an romp over the New York Mets.

"I knew we weren't as bad as we looked in Pittsburgh," said Phillies Manager Dallas Green. 1' "And we're not as good as we're looking now offensively. Everybody's doing it, particularly the bottom half of the batting order." 

Maddox, who had been slumping, went 4-for-5 and reached base every time up, scoring two runs and knocking in two: 

"Hitting comes and goes, but batting Coach Billy DeMars gave me a couple of tips which straightened me out," Maddox said after the game.

Pete Rose, who went 2-for-4 before being rested, said, "We got chewed out good after Pittsburgh. We're swinging the bat now. Different players are hitting and this is unusual because everybody is contributing." 

Bob Boone, who had three RBI, added, "The law of averages caught up with our batting and everyone is loose and confident now." 

Boone's first RBI came on an infield grounder in the second inning after Manny Trillo had opened the frame with his fourth homer of the season off righthander Craig Swan, 5-9. 

New York tied the game in the second with two unearned runs off Bob Walk, 9-2. Both runs scored on an infield single by Joel Youngblood with the second coming across when third baseman Schmidt threw wildly past first on the play. 

Schmidt's homer followed a fourth-inning double by Pete Rose, capping a three-run Philadelphia fourth and knocking out Swan. Swan, making his first appearance since July 16, allowed seven runs on 10 hits before being relieved by Dyar Miller With two out in the fourth.

Baseball headed for record year on basepaths – 5 players on target for 80 stolen bases

By Hal Bock, AP Sports Writer

Baseball's offensive arsenal contains a varied array of weapons that seem to move in cycles. 

For many years, the long ball was in fashion, with clubs favoring heavy hitters who could power home runs. Some teams still go in that direction. 

But for others, attacks are built on speed – the stolen base and the extra base. And statistics indicate that baseball could be headed for a record season on the basepaths in 1980.

With about seven weeks left in the season, five players are on target for 80 stolen bases this year and that's remarkable when you consider that the 80-steal level has been accomplished only nine times in modern baseball history. 

What's more, runners are stealing at their highest rate since 1976 and could reach the record total of 3.403 stolen bases established in baseball's dark ages – 1911. 

The chief thief so far has been Montreal's fleet Ron LeFlore, who led the majors with 74 steals last week. He figures pitchers' styles have caused the speed revolution. 

"Years ago, pitchers threw mostly fastballs," he said. "There were no sliders and not a lot of breaking pitches, but there were a lot more guys hitting 40 and 50 homers. So you have to combat breaking-ball pitching with speed and that means stolen bases. 

"Pitchers are conscious of me when I'm on base. They know I'm going to steal and they become uneasy, and I take advantage of that. I have the edge because they don't know when I'm going to go." 

How high can LeFlore go? Lou Brock's single-season record is 118.

"I don't know about Brock's record," LeFlore said. "That's a lot of steals and a lot of running. But it's not impossible. Brock stole that year even when his team was 10 runs ahead. I don't play that way. That's why I don't think about 118. But I'd like to steal 100 bases because I'd be only the third man to ever do that." 

Kansas City's Willie Wilson stole 83 bases last year and had swiped 48 midway through last week. Like LeFlore, he plays on the fears of the pitchers. 

"I'm not stealing as much this year because last year I ran myself down," he said. "I only steal now when we need it. But I still have the same effect on pitchers as if I was stealing a lot. Once they know you can go, they always have that fear. I use that against them now and it becomes one more weapon." 

Wilson won't talk about stealing techniques. 

"I do things with my feet. It gives me a better jump. I also use deke moves. Exactly what I do, however, is secret." 

Oakland's Rickey Henderson seems destined to succeed Wilson as the AL theft king. He was leading the league with 60 steals through midweek. 

"I always like to be in a running situation," he said. "I hate to stay on the same base too long.”

Henderson stole 247 bases in the minors, so speed is nothing new to him. Still, he must wait for the green light from Manager Billy Martin before he goes. 

"I could have stolen more bases if I was able to run on my own, but Billy doesn't let me," he said. "I think as we get to know each other better, he'll begin to do that." 

Philadelphia rookie Lonnie Smith has given the Phillies an injection of speed with 24 steals, not bad for a first-year man. 

"My philosophy is just to get a good-sized lead, the best jump I can, and go," he said. "I get one foot on the turf and most times that is good enough to steal a base. I run to satisfy myself. I like to steal because it gives me satisfaction." 

Maury Wills, manager of the Seattle Pilots, was the man who reintroduced the stolen base as a weapon when he swiped a record 104 for Los Angeles in 1962. 

"The jump, that's the key element to stealing a base," he said. "To get a good jump, you have to have knowledge of a pitcher's move. You have to study and learn which keys to look for. You start out asking for help from other players. Then, you're on your own."