New Jersey Newspapers - June 26, 1980
Camden Courier-Post
McBride key to Phillies’ win
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
PHILADELPHIA – When Phils' Manager Dallas Green went looking for a hero during last night's 2-1, 10th-inning victory over the Montreal Expos, it's a good thing he didn't ask for a show of hands.
Bake McBride, who cracked a home run, made a super catch and gunned out an Expos speedster at the plate to push his teammates to within 1½ games of the division leaders, would have never been able to get his dish rag of an arm above his head.
"We got one heck of an effort from Bake tonight," said Green. "And, it couldn't have come at a better time."
NOT THAT the much-maligned right fielder was the only Philly to come through on a crucial Veterans Stadium evening that began with stomach cramps that sidelined slugger Greg Luzinski and ended with Mike Schmidt breaking a 1-1 deadlock with a bases-loaded single.
Rookie Bob Walk finally lived up to expectations, checking the powerful Montreal offense on just four hits in a pitching duel with Expos hurler Bill Gullickson.
Reliever Ron Reed picked up the victory, closing the final two frames with goose eggs and setting the stage for a 10th-inning rally that began with a walk to pinchhitter Gregg Gross and a "fake out" play in which Pete Rose hinted he was going to bunt Gross to second and then moved him to third instead with a screaming double into the right field corner.
"YEAH, WE had the Bastard Play working," said Green with a smile. "We've used Pete to sacrifice bunt in that situation on other occasions, but there is no better guy to do it (fake a bunt and then swing away) than Pete. He can do what he wants with the bat."
Green also had praise for Schmidt, who watched the Expos fill the bases for him by intentionally walking McBride and then battled reliever Scott Bahnsen with a series of foul balls before stroking his game-winner over the "drawn-in" Montreal defense.
Circumstances don't usually dictate the walking of Bake to get to Schmitty. This time around, an open base to send McBride must have seemed like a blessing. Currently batting .307, the lanky outfielder seemed to be everywhere.
THE IRONIC part is that the whole thing began with the kind of play that has induced fans to complain each season about the big guy.
It happened in the fourth inning, when the Expos' Warren Cromartie ripped a sizzling grounder under the outstretched glove of Rose at first base and into right field, a different kind of hit in that, despite the hop-producing quality of Astro Turf, the ball hugged the ground all the way to McBride.
"Those kind of hits always hop up because of the turf," said Bake with a look of embarrassment. "That's why I was fooled and ended up with the thing hitting my foot and rolling all the way to the wall."
CROMARTIE ROARED into third base on the play. And, when Brad Mills followed by taking dead aim at the fence in right-center field, McBride made amends, crashing into the fence as he made a fine leaping catch of the ball.
Seeing Cromartie tag up and score on the catch hurt Bake almost as much as his right elbow, which went numb and completely limp after the impact.
"I thought about coming out of the game" admitted McBride. "When I got back to the dugout, I couldn't raise my arm high enough to scratch my nose."
A MAN with more pride than folks tend to realize, he wasn't about to invite all the complaints about his being fragile and not playing hurt. He stayed in there, crashing a solo homer over the right field fence in the sixth to tie the game.
A dandy fielding play by shortstop Larry Bowa, in which he went to the opposite side of the second base bag to rob Chris Speier of a hit, aborted an Expos rally in the seventh inning.
It was in the eighth, however, that Montreal's golden opportunity to walk off with a victory was stopped dead in its tracks. McBride threw the switch.
RODNEY SCOTT tripled to open the inning. Young Walk kept him at third by forcing Andre Dawson to ground out to Schmidt. But, when Gary Carter lofted a flyball to right field, the fleet-footed Scott braced for a dash to the plate.
Out in right, McBride was still wondering if he'd ever be able to brush his hair again. When he saw Carter's potential game-winning sacrifice fly, he lined himself up perfectly, caught the ball on a dead-run and prayed his arm wasn't about to fall off.
"I figured I had just one throw in the arm," recalled Bake as he sat in the trainer's room after the game, his elbow hooked up to a therapeutic device.
CALL IT deja vu. Two years ago, Bake did almost exactly the same thing, throwing out the potential winning run with a sore arm. He threw a strike to the plate on that occasion and he did it again this time.
Catcher Bob Boone almost had to wait for Scott before applying the tag, McBride's peg was so utterly classic. And, after that, the crowd of 31,416 knew it was just a matter of time before the Phils closed the gap between themselves and the leaders of the National League East.
That space may get even tighter tonight if southpaw Randy Lerch can crank up a solid pitching effort against Scott Sanderson in the finale of the three-game series with the Expos.
Walk comes of age in the nick of time
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
PHILADELPHIA – The kid didn't know it was a "make-or-break" situation and that he was perhaps one lousy pitching performance away from a bus ticket back to the minors. Not that it mattered at this point.
Bob Walk had decided he'd done enough thinking and worrying about impressing the Phillies with his expertise on the mound. This time out, hotshot Montreal Expos or not, he was just going to quit fooling around and throw the dumb ball over the plate.
Oh, there was an element of risk in it. Montreal had battered the Phils' pitching staff for 18 hits the previous evening, a fact that made the rookie hurler wonder if he might be wise to use the "moving" version of his fastball.
He was committed, however. While loosening up bis arm in San Francisco, the tall, lanky youngster with the pencil-thin mustache had reverted to a more conservative grip on the baseball.
As expected, it clipped the wings on his fastball, but at least he knew where it was going. What good was a heater that sailed around the Cape of Good Hope if opposing hitters simply turned up their noses and let it become just one more ball on the scoreboard?
"That has been part of the problem," explained the 24-year-old California native. "I never thought of myself as having control problems until I got here and the batters refused to go fishing for pitches.
"Oh, they'll chase a slider low and away once in a while, but not as often as the batters do in the minor leagues."
Like Phils' pitching coach Herm Starrette said all along, it's all part of growing up. And, the 6-3, 185-pound Walk surely traded in his short pants last night as he dazzled the Expos with a four-hit, eight-inning performance that led the way to a 2-1 Phils' victory.
"Most important, Walk got the ball over the plate," said Manager Dallas Green, who was delighted that he wouldn't have to make a decision on the fate of the righthander. At least, not, right now.
"I'll admit that, after his outing in San Diego, Bob had me worried. I've been hoping all along that we'd get this kind of effort from him. From his statistics in Okie City, we knew he must have been able to do it.
"But, you can only wait so long. Tonight was make or break. Take that any way you want. "No, I didn't tell him. Would you?"
The possibility that his big chance was rapidly going down the tubes occurred to Walk. But, to dwell on it would have simply added to the pressures of adjusting to life in the majors,
He had heard all the horror stories about how young pitchers arrive in the big leagues full of fastballs and vinegar, only to fret their way into a confidence crisis that left them just one way to throw... up.
Imagine Walk's surprise when he realized he was falling into the same old traps of trying to play Einstein with his pitch selections, looking to nip the corners of the plate with pinpoint control and doing everything on the mound, but throwing the ball.
"They told me that they didn't want me to do too much thinking," he said with a smile. "They told me they'd show me films of myself fooling around out there. You know, walking off the mound, going for the resin bag. Once they made me aware of it, I realized they were right.
"When I do that, I usually get in trouble. A slider to the outside corner isn't me. I never really took that much time before. I always just threw the ball. I didn't do all that other stuff until I got here."
Blame Willie Stargell, who welcomed Walk to the big time by crunching a home run. Blame Bill Robinson, who hit the next pitch to the warning track. And Walk began to wonder, "Geez, how good are these guys?"
"Maybe I wouldn't have taken so long to get where I am tonight if that hadn't happened,” he said with a grin. “I thought that if I got the ball over the plate consistently, I would stay here. After that, I wasn't so sure."
Walk can now see just how easy it is for a young pitcher to get into bad habits in the majors and how the resulting problems and pressure can make you wonder how you ever made it through Little League alive.
"If you let it get to you, it can snowball," he said. "Pretty soon, you're out of here."
Pretty soon was just around the corner for Bob Walk. But he passed his first survival test It's a good sign.
The Press of Atlantic City
Phillies Nip Expos In 10 Innings, 2-1
Phila. 2, Montreal 1
By Harry Hoffman, Press Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies’ Manager Dallas Green calls it “the bastard play.”
Pete Rose is down in a crouch faking a bunt to draw in the third baseman and then trying to hit the ball by into left field. Rose crossed up his manager and the Montreal Expos Wednesday night when he pulled Stan Bahnsen’s pitch into the right field corner.
That solid double in the 10th inning started the Phillies toward the run that brought them a 2-1 victory at the Vet to even the important series with the division-leading Expos at 1-1.
Pinch hitter Greg Gross, batting for winning pitcher Ron Reed, 6-1, started the bottom of the 10th by working Bahnsen for a walk. Then Rose doubled him to third base.
“I actually missed the signal on the second pitch,” Rose said. “But he came inside to me and I just went with it. I don't think I’ve hit a ball harder than that this season.”
Bahnsen was forced to walk Bake McBride intentionally! with no one out to set up the force play at home. Then the Montreal outfield was forced to play in shallow even though slugger Mike Schmidt was at the plate. If Schmidt hits a long fly then the run scores anyway. The visitors’ only hope was to get him to hit the ball somewhere they could make a play and keep the game-ending run at third base.
Schmidt, after fouling a couple of 1-2 pitches, lined the ball to left-center for a single over the glove of Andre Dawson and Gross hustled home with the run that pulled the Phils back within a game and a half of the Expos as they approach tonight's series finale.
Prior to the game-winning efforts by Rose and Schmidt, the night's two heroes were young pitcher Bob Walk and right fielder McBride.
Walk, who has been struggling desperately to prove to his manager he deserves to stay in the big leagues, pitched eight real tough innings. He gave up only four hits and the only run he allowed in the fourth inning was unearned.
“I've been putting extra pressure on myself, "Walks said, “trying too hard. Tonight I just went out there and did it without thinking too much about what I was going to try to do.”
McBride, who had cost the young pitcher a run when he allowed Warren Cromartie's single to get by him for a two-base error in the fourth inning, kept Walk from being a loser. McBride stroked his fifth homer in the sixth inning off right-hander Bill Gullickson to tie the score at 1-1.
Then in the eighth inning, McBride made the defensive play of the night. Rodney Scott started the inning with a triple Dawson bounced out to Schmidt at third as Scott was forced to stay put. Then Gary Carter hit a sinking line drive toward right field. McBride not only caught the ball low to the turf, but also came up throwing. His tremendous throw to catcher Bob Boone beat the very swift Scott for a tag play that kept the Phillies alive.
Walk also received new life.
“This was a do-or-die situation for the young man,” Green said. “I don't have to spell it out for you guys. No, I didn't tell him. I would not put that kind of extra pressure on a young player. But it's obvious I haven't been happy with the way he has pitched the last couple of times out. He needed a job like the one tonight to stay in the rotation.”
Skipper Williams Thinks Expos Ready to Mix It With the Best
Tales of Hoffman by Harry Hoffman
PHILADELPHIA — Dick Williams smiled at the comment followed by a question. In fact it might have even been a sneer. The manager of the Montreal Expos has been known to sneer an off-base prober down before.
“If there were a knock of any kind against your club's 96-65 record last season it was you got through the entire season without a serious injury… This season, a lot of key players have gone down… and still you are in front of the pack, That sort of eliminates that one knock,” was the way the conversation started.
“I never was worried about the ability of my bench last year, and I’m certainly not worried about it this year,” Williams said. “A manager goes with the players he has. Maybe we were a little fortunate as far as injuries were concerned last season. But the players out there were not using mirrors to win 96 games. We came very close to winning the division-title and I think we are even a better club this year. We'll find out as the season goes along.”
When the Expos arrived in town Tuesday night they had three regulars on the disabled list. Third baseman Larry Parrish, who hit .307 and bashed 30 homers last season; right fielder Ellis Valentine, who contributed 21 homers and a .276 average in 1979; and pitcher Bill Lee, who led the Expo staff with a 16-10 record.
Another top gun, outfielder Andre Dawson, returned to the lineup just five games ago while shortstop Chris Speier also missed a few games with an injury.
“I guess I've been a little surprised by the way young Brad Mills has filled it at third base,” Williams said, “but I knew Rodney Scott could play shortstop as well as second base, arid I also was certain Rowland Office would not hurt us in the outfield. As far as the pitching goes, I knew we had some tough young prospects in Charlie Lea and Bill Gullickson.”
Another thing the Expos have is a manager who knows how to pull the most out of the available talent. He's led teams into the World Series three times. Twice he won it all with Oakland in 1972 and 1973. In 1967 he and the Boston Red Sox took St Louis to seven games before falling. Three times he has been voted Manager of the Year and he may be well on his way to a fourth.
“I've been around the league once and I haven’t seen a club I like any better than ours,” was Williams’ assessment. “We can run with any of them. We can hit for average and power. Our pitching may be a little young, but I like the arms and a leader like Steve Rogers gives us stability.”
The Expos stole five bases without being caught once while grinding out a 7-6 victory in 10 innings over the Phils Tuesday.
Ron Lelore, the leadoff man the Expos got from Detroit, has 38 stolen bases, second to major league leader Omar Moreno of Pittsburgh.
Second hitter Scott stole three bases in the series opener and now has 24 thefts in 25 tries. Third hitter Dawson has stolen 15 bases.
The Expos have pulled off 10 double steals so far this season. However, they also have hit 49 homers and have a team batting average hovering .260.
“Sure, we like to run. Running help keeps your team alive and the other team wary,” Williams said, “but we also have the bats that can put together big innings. However we don’t sit around waiting for the big innings to happen.”
Tuesday was a good example. Montreal scored single runs in seven of the 10 innings. They stroked 18 hits against five Phillie pitchers. Every time the Phils tied the score, the Expos went back up by a run until Warren Cromartie's single in the 10th drove home what proved to be the decisive tally.
Parrish and Valentine are both working out with the team, and Lee will be available in another week.
“Really, I don’t know what moves I'll make when the three players become available,” Williams admitted. “It won’t be easy sending anyone back down. Maybe I'll send a couple of coaches or even the manager.
“What I'm saying is I like my squad from the starters right through the bench. Anyone beats us this season they’ll have to do it on the field. They won't do it in the newspapers or anyplace else.”
Any other questions?