Allentown Morning Call - June 12, 1980

Phillies may be hearing from Rich Murray again

By Dan Shope, Call Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA – It wasn't Bill Murray, Jan Murray or even Eddie Murray. The Philadelphia Phillies should be so lucky. 

The man who helped the San Francisco Giants beat the Phils 7-4 last night was none other than… are you ready? RICH Murray. 

As usual, the Phils made a star out of a no-name. But this 22-year-old kid may be heard from again. Although certainly from his bat and not his mouth. 

Murray, who knocked his first major league hit Monday night against Steve Carlton, entered the game with just two hits in 14 at-bats. 

But after five years in the minor leagues, where he averaged .272 last season in Phoenix, Rich seems to have found some believers. Mainly the Phillies and the 37.844 fans who filed into Veterans Stadium. 

Rich, who's the younger brother of Eddie Murray, power man for the Baltimore Orioles, started hitting the baseball like his namesake.

In the first inning against Randy Lerch, Rich clobbered the first pitch into the left-field stands for the first home run of his career, a broken-bat, two-run job. 

Lerch was still around in the third, and Murray again took dead aim. 

He waited several pitches this time. But then he smacker a RBI single past shortstop Larry Bowa. 

Then in the seventh, Murray again connected with a first pitch, this time from Dickie Noles, and sliced another RBI single. 

Final total: A homer, two singles, four RBIs and two runs scored in five at-bats. 

When Rich entered the Giants locker room, he was greeted by a round of cheers from his teammates. 

But most happy was winning pitcher Ed Whitson (3-7), who gave up only six hits, including a two-run home run to Greg Luzinski in the eighth. 

Before last night, the Giants had been shut out four times and scored only 10 runs in Whitson's last 10 starts.

"I thought I was in heaven," laughed Whitson. "It's about time for me to celebrate." 

Strangely, Murray was not exactly in high spirits. At least he didn't seem that way when a horde of reporters crammed near his cubicle. 

Rich put his chin down and started mumbling. A reporter then asked him to speak up. And he did. 

He was asked what it was like to face Phil Niekro, Nolan Ryan and Carlton in his first three major league appearances. 

Rich held up his hands like it was nothing. "It's okay," he said. "They're just pitchers in the league. I didn't have any problem. I knew I'd hit eventually. 

"Everybody wants to be in the big leagues. It's the only place to be." 

But Murray would never have been in Philadelphia last night if regular first baseman Mike Ivie was not disabled. 

But when Ivie was put out of action, Rich was given the call last Thursday. Since then, he's impressed Giants' Manager Dave Bristol. 

"He's a young kid who likes to play," Bristol said. "He went 0-for-7 at the start. But I wrote his name in (the lineup card) again. 

"He's got power and the right name." 

Certainly the right name. Last night his brother, Eddie, powered a homer. And Rich was almost as happy about that performance as his own. 

Phillies' Manager Dallas Green was in a different mood. He certainly did not like the way his pitchers looked. 

And Lerch was the No. 1 problem. He lasted just into the third inning while giving up six hits, two walks and four earned runs. 

Asked what he thought of Lerch's job. Green pondered a few seconds, then responded. 

"That was not what I was looking for," Green said. "The first time I went out to talk to him, I was mad. I told him to use some toughness. I said that only he could pop the ball. I couldn't do it for him. 

"They were sitting on his fastball. He wasn't throwing anything. That I could see. He wasn't getting people out." 

A few minutes after the talk, Lerch was in the showers. 

The Giants took a 2-0 lead on Murray's home run in the first and never trailed.

They added two more in the third on Murray's hit and a sacrifice fly by Johnnie LeMaster. 

The Phils did come back with a pair of runs in the sixth when leftfielder Larry Herndon misplayed a single by Bob Boone, allowing Pete Rose and Luzinski to score.

But then Jack Clark came to life, finishing the game with a home run. triple and double to bring home two of the next three runs in the seventh and ninth.

Lavelle wants to come back East

By Jack McCallum, Call Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA Paying no heed to Horace Greeley, Gary Lavelle wants to come East. In the worst way, young man. 

"St. Louis, Boston, Pittsburgh, but probably not New York," said Lavelle before the Giants-Phillie game at Veterans Stadium Tuesday night. "And, of course, Philadelphia. I'd like to play here." 

So, there you have it. Gary Lavelle's Four Places I'd Like To Be Soon list. The Giants, as well as the Bay Area newspapers, have a copy of that list.

"I've talked to Mr. Lurie (Bob Lurie, the club president) about it," said Lavelle, a graduate of Liberty High whose parents still live in Bethlehem. "He knows I have the desire to go somewhere else but he says he'd like to see me stay here.”

Perhaps. But Lavelle's name has surfaced recently in trade rumors. The Giants, a serious contender in baseball's worst record race, need a lot of things but most of all they need a power hitter to back up Jack Clark. They have been talking to St. Louis which needs relief pitchers, and Lavelle's name has been mentioned. And nobody would be happier not to hit against Lavelle than the Cardinals; he is 9-0 lifetime against them with a 1.44 ERA. 

A trade involving Lavelle has grown more possible lately because of the emergence of 27-year-old rookie Al Holland who has become the Giants' number one lefthander out of the bullpen, a role Lavelle held for the last three years. Lavelle. on the other hand, is 0-5 but hasn't been pitching so badly that teams would lose interest.

"If they feel they'd like to go to a younger guy, then that's their prerogative," said Lavelle who, at 31. has not yet applied for Medicare. "But I don't like the way I'm being handled here. I've done the job the last few years here and I still feel I can do it. 

"I'm on the last year of my contract with my option year coming up next season. I would hope something would happen in that time." 

Lavelle's disenchantment with San Francisco is not based totally on his inability to win this season or the appearance of Holland. Even when he was at his best like last year when he posted the second lowest ERA of his career, 2.51. or in 1978 when he led National League relievers in wins with 13, or in 1976 when Sparky Anderson called him one of the best relievers in baseball he felt like he wanted to cross coasts and get closer to his roots. 

But things have definitely worsened for Lavelle since Dave Bristol took over as Giant manager at the end of last season for Joe Altobelli. 

Lavelle is not a manager-ripper but when he says he doesn't like the way he's being handled, he's talking about Bristol.

Going into Tuesday night's game. Lavelle still led all Giant relievers in innings-pitched with 28 but most of those innings came early in the season. Lately, Holland has been the main man and with good reason going into Tuesday night's game he had not allowed an earned run in his last eight appearances 12 innings), and his ERA for the season is a microscopic 0.75. 

However, Lavelle's ERA is a solid 2.89 which does not exactly match up with an 0-5 record. 

"Wins and losses are a funny thing when you're a reliever," said Lavelle, who pitched two scoreless innings in the All-Star game at the Vet in 1976. "I was the pitcher of record in San Francisco a couple of weeks ago and we had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 13th. We didn't get a run out of it and I got the loss. Breaks are a big part of it. I've lost two games on unearned runs, for example. 

"Look, I'm not saying I'm pitching all that well, either. But this is something that all relievers go through. Look around the league. Sutter (Bruce of the Cubs) and Tekulve (Kent of the Pirates) have all had their problems. The thing is, it takes innings-pitched to get back in a groove. 

"The only difference between me today and me a few years ago when I was going real well is maybe location of pitches. A couple of inches can make a little difference. Right now. I have missed some spots with my pitches. But I'll get back in it. I see no reason I couldn't be the pitcher I was a couple of years ago.”

Whatever happens to Lavelle. a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he will be able to handle it better than most ballplayers. When things were going well for him, he credited his success (which many found surprising after eight years in the minors) to his faith. And that faith is apparently stronger than ever. 

"If God wants me to stay in the Bay Area, then that's His wish." philosophized Lavelle. "If He wants me to move, then it will be in His-time. That is fine with me." 

And it probably is. But just to be sure. Gary Lavelle has left a copy of his Four Places I'd Like To Be Soon list faceup on his bed at night.