Reading Eagle - May 14, 1980
Horner’s Hit Pleases Cox
ATLANTA (AP) – It was only a blooper, but Manager Bobby Cox couldn’t have been happier for Bob Horner, the Atlanta Braves’ slugger who has been in the organization’s doghouse most of the year.
“I’m glad, because he needed that,” Cox said after Horner ended an 0-for-21 slump with a pop fly single to right that gave him his first run batted in of the year as the Braves downed the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 Tuesday night.
It was Horner’s only hit and came in the second when Atlanta built a 4-1 lead that eventually dwindled to 4-3 before Dale Murphy belted his fifth home run and Chris Chambliss a run-scoring triple in a three-run eighth to put the game on ice.
“It was just a flare to right, but I’ll take it,” said Horner, making only his second appearance since being reinstated by the Braves after the third baseman refused to report to the Class AAA Richmond farm team when he was optioned there three weeks ago.
“I hit some balls tonight better than I hit that one,” said Horner. “I was happy. I don’t want to stand up there in the box and make outs. I like to get my hits, too. I feel great at the plate. I feel good swinging. I feel a heck of a lot better about my game now.
“Anytime you miss three weeks in the middle of the season, it takes a little while to get ready again,” he added.
The Braves thus gave Doyle Alexander, 1-2, his first victory in six starts, with the lanky righthander holding the Phillies to one unearned run and three hits before he was lifted in the eighth when the margin was cut to one run on Garry Maddox’ two-run single.
“Alexander used his changeup effectively tonight, but he’s still a fastball pitcher,” said Manager Dallas Green of the Phillies.
“I didn’t have much left,” Alexander said of his failure to go the distance. “As long as you win, that’s the main thing. I threw a lot of sinkers and changeups.”
The loss went to Randy Lerch, 0-5, who have up four runs and seven hits in the first two innings before settling down and allowing only one base runner over the next five innings.
Owners Make A New Offer
NEW YORK (AP) – A new proposal covering the key issues in the baseball contract dispute has been presented by management negotiators to the Major League Players Association.
The offer was made during two hours of talks Tuesday. The two sides then adjourned so Marvin Miller, executive director of the union, could study the package proposed by Ray Grebey, chief negotiator for the owners.
A management spokesman acknowledged the proposal deals with the most serious issues in the talks – compensation for teams who lose players to the free agent draft and the percentage of television revenues to be paid to the players pension fund.
In a story in today’s editions, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported what were said to be highlights of the management proposal.
They included:
- Substantial revision of the proposal covering selection rights for clubs losing “ranking players” in the free-agency reentry draft.
- A 70 percent increase – to $14.4 million from $8.3 million – in the clubs’ annual contributions to the player pension and insurance plan.
- Increases in player allowances for regular season and spring training expenses.
The newspaper also said there was a change in the contract language.
A “ranking player” would be defined as one who is selected by more than seven clubs in a limited number of rounds, to vary according to the number of players in the free agent pool each year, and one who ranks among a certain upper portion of the leaders in his league.