Wilmington Evening Journal - May 22, 1980

Phils uneasy over strike despite win

By Hal Bodley, Sports Editor

PHILADELPHIA – Pete Rose sat in front of his locker in the subdued Phillies' clubhouse. He was either depressed or in deep thought. Maybe both.

"I'll tell you one thing," Rose finally said, breaking the silence. "If I took as many days off as they (negotiators) have, I wouldn't have 3,000 hits. I'd only have about 800."

Although the Phillies are staunchly supporting Marvin Miller and the Major League Players Association, they were more than a little unhappy last night that a settlement with the owners has not been reached.

The Phils had hist stormed from behind to shock Cincinnati 9-8 with two runs in the ninth inning, but their fifth victory in seven games had an empty ring to it.

"I still have faith," Rose added. "I think an agreement will be worked out before the Thursday midnight deadline. The thing that bothers me is so many days have gone by when they didn’t even negotiate. They've had since last year and I think something could have been agreed upon. Now, it's down to 24 hours."

What will Rose do?

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go back home to Cincinnati. The University of Cincinnati has an Astroturf field. I could work out there, take a lot of ground balls. I know what I have to do to stay in shape. Maybe I'll stay here. I don't know."

A summer without baseball is just about the worst thing that could happen to Pete Rose.

"I've had the uniform on every summer since I was 8," he said. "If it (strike) happens, I just hope it doesn't last very long."

"I'm low right now," Manager Dallas Green said as he sat in his office an hour after the game. "I'm just sitting back waiting for a catastrophe to happen."

It should have been a happy time because it appeared the Phillies were finally getting their act together. They are in second place in the National League East, are scheduled to play Houston in a weekend series beginning tomorrow night, then host first-place Pittsburgh in four games beginning Monday night.

"I guess I'll come into the office tomorrow (Thursday)," said Green. "If there's a strike, we have to decide what we're going to do with the coaching staff and others. After that, well... I've got to put my tomato plants in and could take the family to our place at Fenwick Island. I don't know what it's like down there during the baseball season."

Last night's game was loaded with offense. In fact, in the three-game series 40 runs were scored by the two teams on 67 hits, including 10 homers.

"Not much pitching, but good offense," said Green.

Neither Cincinnati starter Tom Seaver nor the Phillies' Larry Christenson lasted very long. Wildness cost Seaver, while Christenson left when the Reds, trailing 7-3, started a comeback in the fourth inning.

The Reds eventually took the lead 8-7 in the seventh off reliever Ron Reed, but the Phils won in a wild ninth off reliever Tom Hume.

Mike Schmidt opened the ninth with a low liner that took a wicked hop over third baseman Ray Knight's head. Schmidt turned, the hit into a double with daring baserunning and scored when Greg Luzinski followed with a single to left.

The fleet Lonnie Smith was sent in to run for Luzinski and after pinch-hitter Del Unser walked, Garry Maddox flied to right.

Manny Trillo then hit a soft liner to right field. Dave Collins, who had moved from center to right when Ken Griffey left with an ailing left knee, charged the ball. He stuck his glove up, but it bounced away for an error.

Smith, who apparently thought there were two out, broke from second the instant the ball was hit. He easily scored and what might be the final Phils' game of the season was over.

"I didn't see Smith breaking from second," said Collins, whose 15-game hitting streak came to an end. "I never took my eyes off the ball. It was kinda glaring in the lights and at the last second it fishtailed. No excuses. I should have had the ball.

"I've never dropped a ball before with the game on the line. I guess there's a first time for everything. I'm not happy with the way I played tonight. I didn't contribute offensively, and then defensively I cost us the game."

Luzinski, who came off the recent road trip with a .243 batting average, is now hitting .271. His 11th home run cave him the major-league lead and was his fourth in his last nine at-bats. His 11th homer last year came on July 28.

"Around the batting cage tonight a strike seemed like a certainty," said the Bull. "The telegram came from Marvin Miller and that spelled it out. I'm in a pretty good groove now and hope I have it when I come back."

Baseball ‘headed pell-mell for a strike’

Associated Press

NEW YORK – With a strike deadline only hours away, baseball negotiators faced a nearly impossible task today, meeting one last time in an effort to reach an agreement on a new contract that would prevent a halt to major league baseball.

There was little hone that a strike could be averted after another round of fruitless talks yesterday.

"Unless there is a complete change of heart, we're headed pell-mell for a strike," said federal mediator Kenneth Moffett. "We're in deep trouble."

Moffett said no progress was made at yesterday's session when the Players Association presented a revised proposal to owner representatives.

Sitting at the end of the table and hear Ing the two sides, it sounded to me as if we were a month away from a deadline instead of 30 hours," the mediator said.

Marvin Miller, executive director of the players' union, said there would be no avoiding the deadline in his talks with management.

"A strike creates pressure," Miller said. "Removing the deadline creates no pressure."

Miller said player representatives of all 26 major league teams were sent telegrams restating the will of the union's executive board which voted unanimously on April 1 to strike unless a contract is negotiated by May 23.

"Games Thursday night will be completed. The strike begins May 23," Miller said. “Nothing changes that except an agreement."

But the two sides seem miles away from any settlement.

"We did not make any progress," Miller reported. "We have negotiated for six months and produced nothing even approaching an agreement, even with a strike deadline. That's the best shot for progress. Now they propose removing the deadline and then work for an agreement. They say if we reach one, it would be retroactive. Well, I learned a long time ago that if you're offered zero retroactively, it's still zero."

Ray Grebey, chief of the management negotiating team, dismissed a Player Association proposal made yesterday which Miller said had "substantially revised downward" a number of union demands.

"It contained nothing new that we hadn't already talked about," Grebey said. "And there was a serious omission. It didn't deal with compensation."

Miller bristled at that description.

"I love the way he obscures the truth," the union chief said. "It's true that the proposal dealt with no issues not discussed before. But he led you to believe it didn't change anything and that's misleading."

Miller said the players had offered reduced demands in the areas of minimum salaries, pension contributions and 'split" contracts for players who perform both in the major and minor leagues in a single season.

"There were other important revisions and deletions," Miller said. "But it produced virtually nothing in the way of movement.”

The movement management still insists on from the players is acceptance of a formula for compensating clubs losing "premium" free agents. The last proposal on that matter was made last week. At that time the owners suggested ranking played by pitching or batting appearances in order, to determine whether they would qualify for compensation as free agents.

The players association rejected that idea, saying such a formula would classify .222 hitters and pitchers with earned run averages of over 6.00 as "premium" free agents.

Management responded yesterday with a four-page information sheet distributed to all players. It said that only nine of last winter's 44 free agents would qualify for compensation under their proposal. Some who would not have fallen into "premium" classification, the owners said, included Rudy May, Fred Norman, Tony Perez and Rennie Stennett.

Meanwhile, clubs prepared for what seemed an almost certain interruption in the season. Although weekend advance ticket sales remained strong in many cities, teams were readying refund plans for fans.

"Our ticket sales have never been better," said Jack Schrom, vice president of public relations and marketing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. "The threat of a strike has not put a dent in us in the least. In fact, we have well over a half million seats sold for future games, conservatively speaking, The money's in."

If there is no strike, the Pirates expect about 80,000 fans this weekend for a series against San Diego. If the strike comes, the team said refunds would be made.

Cincinnati hoped for 100,000 for a three-game series against Montreal, slightly higher than the team drew over Memorial Day last year. Fans have not asked for refunds yet and the club has not made any refund plans yet.

In Baltimore, the Orioles sold 37,000 advance tickets for a weekend series against Detroit. It would be the club's first weekend home series this season. "We don't want to say anything at this moment about refunds," said General Manager Hank Peters. "We'll make those announcements at the proper time."

Milwaukee has sold between 65,000 and 70,000 seats for a six-game home stand against Minnesota and Seattle which is scheduled to begin tomorrow night.

"Seattle and Minnesota traditionally don't draw that well anyway," said Dick Hackett, the Brewers' vice president for marketing. "Right now the team isn't playing all that well. That has a bearing on ticket sales. The threat of a strike also has a bearing on it."

Delaware Phillies’ fans label baseball strike ‘lousy’

By John Bannon, Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA – ‘Twas the game before the clock struck midnight and all was very normal in the fantasy land of baseball.

The crowd, large as usual, had arrived decked out in the splendor of multicolored windbreakers and other rain gear because the skies were indeed threatening and spitting with moisture.

There were programs and paraphernalia to be bought before people settled into their seats.

And, if it was not the perfect night for baseball, it was a normal evening in this kingdom of the Phillies at the Broad Street palace known as Veterans Stadium.

The prince of hustle, that Rose fella, ran out from under bis red crown. The boy with the golden touch gloved one at third. The village strongboy, the Bull, blasted one.

Topping things off, the Phils rallied for two runs in the ninth for a 8-8 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

All of this was pleasing to the subjects of the realm. Only last night there was unrest among that oft-neglected group, known collectively as the paying customer.

This is not uncommon among ballpark patrons. Hot dogs have been known to be too cold and beer too warm. Or worse yet, the home team too beatable.

Only this was different, much different Tonight when the clock strikes the midnight hour, it likely will be a bewitching time.

The game will not go on. The players and owners are locked in contract combat and unless there is a surprise agreement, there will be a suspension of the friendly hostilities on those carpeted playing fields.

Fireman go on strike in Chicago. Teachers do it in Pennsylvania. And now, by God, shortstops probably will. Suddenly, baseball doesn't seem comfortably removed from the rest of the world.

Last night's fans, showing favoritism on both sides of the dispute, had a common description for the coming strike.

“It's lousy,' said Nick Brown of Dover. Joe Green of Wilmington used the same adjective. So did Remo Manetti of Wilmington.

This was a time for anger, hurt feelings and a certain amount of humor.

"I want my money back from the season tickets," said Brown. "I don't want any of this applying the money to next year's tickets. I want it back."

Joe Glazer of Wilmington had the same thought about refunding his money.

They better give it back," Glazer said. "If they try to do anything else, there are going to be some people awfully mad."

Al Santoro, also of Wilmington, was even more definite in his feelings.

“If there's a strike, he said, “this will be the last year I buy season tickets. I'm not coming back.”

Santoro, like the others interviewed, feels the strike is inevitable. Should its duration linger as long as has bean predicted, baseball has lost a fan.

"If it goes on for a long time, I think it's going to be very bad for baseball," he said. "If it goes on, say into July, I won't care if they come back. I won't be coming back."

There were others, though, more lighthearted. Green doesn't find the strike amusing, but he also knows his nature.

"Hell, I'm a fair-weather fan, be said. "If they stay out six weeks and then come back, I'll be right back up here. I’ll be ticked off when they strike, but I won't hold it against them when they come back."

"I heard coming up in the car tonight the full details of the strike insurance the owners have purchased," Green said. "They don't get anything for the first two weeks, but they'll be splitting up a million a week after that.

"I'd expect the strike to last at least six weeks. You have to expect the owners to reap as much benefit from the insurance as they can."

Manetti also thinks he saw his last Phillies' game for some time. He doesn't like the strike, but he's siding with the owners.

“They have to get tough. Things are getting out of hand with the players' demands and all," be said. ''Sure, some of it is the owners' own fault, but it's ruining the game. Now's the time to put some sense back into it.

"I hope they stand tough. It's time now that they resolve. I don't see anything wrong in what they're asking," he said. The players are still going to get their money. All the owners want is compensation. I don't see what's wrong with a team getting a player if it loses a free agent I think they should."

A few rows back along the right-field foul line, Brown was disagreeing.

"I think there's going .to be a strike," he said, "and I blame the owners.

“The courts have already made a ruling. They struck down the reserve clause," he said. "Management wants to get things back the way they were before the court made its ruling. It can't be that way."

All of those interviewed were in agreement on one thing. They were among the 28,099 at the Vet last night because it looked like the last chance for awhile to catch a baseball game.

"Why else would I be here on a night like this?" asked Glazer. "If the windshield wipers had been on high instead of slow, it would have been Liberty Bell tonight."

Besides predicting a comeback at the race tracks – "It means more trips to Brandywine, I guess" – Glazer does see certain annoyances with a baseball-less summer.

"You know what really upsets me?" said Glazer, who purchased a block of tickets for 18 games this season. “The next Monday game had a 8 o'clock start and I was planning to take my kids because of the early starting time. They were looking forward to it and now they're not going to get to come."

Joe's brother, Alan, also sees some rather unsettling effects around the home if baseball disappears.

“I’m going to have to talk with my wife all summer long," he said.. "With no baseball on television, what else is there going to be to do?

"She's going to love it. She hates baseball. She can take hockey and basketball, but she can’t stand baseball."

Barbara Evans of Dover wasn't quite sure what to think of baseball or its labor troubles.

"This is the first game I've ever been to," she said. "I don't know what to think of the strike. It's happening everywhere else you look. They have contracts. I guess you'd have to expect it. I don't see why baseball should be any different.”

Manetti grew up when baseball was indeed very different.

"It used to be such a simple game," he said. "There never was any of this. Kids growing up would play baseball for nothing. It seemed like playing in the major leagues would be enough."

Only in these less than simple times, that isn't enough.

The Phillie Phanatic, alias David Raymond, son of the Delaware football coach, added the final comment to the messy situation.

What does he think of the strike?

He stuck out his now infamous tongue.

Sports Mail:  Baseball players’ strike justified

By Hal Bodley, Sports Editor

Much has been written recently regarding the possible baseball strike, the majority of which has been anti-player. I feel, however, that this is unjustified, and unlike others, I feel that the players are not abusing their right to strike, are not overpaid, and are not ruining the game of baseball.

The major issue at hand is compensation for teams losing free agents. The owners claim that when they lose a player to the free-agent market they should be compensated by the team that acquired the lost layer. In no other industry does a firm have to compensate another firm for luring away an employee, and baseball should be no different. In what other industry did a person, sometimes in his teen at the time, have to sign a contract which bound him for life to a single firm if he wanted to work in that industry?

The situation in baseball before free agency resembled slavery, albeit a sometimes luxurious slavery.

At the same time, I can see the owners' view that too much time and effort is invested in an athlete to lose him as soon as he reaches the major leagues and has a good year. Thus I feel the contract which the players demand 4 years service before one can enter the free agent market is a reasonable compromise. Given that the owners nave made little good-faith efforts to negotiate other than to drop previously absurd demands, I feel the players are justified in striking.

It is often stated that higher salaries lead to higher ticket prices which lead to less fans. However, the statistics contradict this statement. Despite the almost 600 percent increase in average salaries over the past 10 years attendance has steadily risen, hitting a record mark again last year. Ticket prices have not risen 600 percent in the last 10 years, which makes one won der from where all the money has come. Although cable TV and network TV have paid some of this, I am sure a large share has come from the owners and teams themselves, indicating that they are not doing as poorly financially as they might want the fans to believe.

I agree that reading about labor disputes, federal mediators and multimillion-dollar contracts in baseball is sometimes disheartening, but at home I realise that a player is like all of us and should try to earn the most he can for himself and family, and when I am at the ballpark I cheer and boo as loudly now as I ever did.

Laura A. Isken

Wilmington

Phils’ tickets aren’t hot item in Delaware

By Kevin Noonan, Staff Writer

Delaware's love affair with the Phillies seems to have cooled down a bit. At least that's the word from Sig Ettinger, a man who should know.

Ettinger runs Tickettown at Bag and Baggage in Wilmington, one of the main ticket outlets for Philadelphia and Baltimore-area events, mostly sports. And despite the grim outlook to the economy, overall sales are as good or better than last fear, with the big expection of the Phils.

"I'd say there are four reasons for it," said Ettinger yesterday. "First of all, the possibilty of a strike. I think maybe people are fed up with all those players and all the money they make. A man who has to work hard to feed his wife and kids doesn't want to hear about the problems of somebody who makes $100,000 a year. And all of the uncertainty about whether they'll strike or not. The closer it comes to a strike, the more of a drop-off we've had.

"Secondly, we peaked with interest last year with the signing of Pete Rose. He generated a lot of interest, but the newness of that has worn off.

"Third, the lousy year they had last year, finishing in fourth place. After three years of coming close, the people weren't ready for fourth place.

"Fourth, the weather has been bad. Usually a series like Cincinnati, which was just in for three games, draws real well. Not this year, though, and they won their division (NL West) last year."

Ettinger is quick to point out that his relationship with, and his cooperation from, the Phillies' orginization is as good as ever.

"We still have the best relationship with the Phillies, better than with anyone else," he said. "Anytime I have a problem, they are always ready to help. If someone has a birthday or some sort of request, they're always there. They have a class organization."

Chris Wheeler, assistant director of public relations of the Phillies, said there had been "a noticable drop-off in ticket sales for games this weekend and next week.

"People figure why bother to buy them when you're just going to have to bring them back," he said.

But Ettinger feels that the strike is not the sole reason for the dropoff.

"I've discovered, in a lot of years of following sports and dealing with them, that baseball players are the most aloof," said Ettiger. "Add that into the strike situation and it's easy to see that people are a little turned off by everything.

"Obviously it's not the economy solely to blame for the drop-off, although it is undoubtedly a factor. We have buses and group plans, so I don't think it's the gas situation.

"Sales were up for the Sixers. Of course, they were in a winning, playoff situation. But regular-season sales for them were up. Football sales (for the Eagles) are real good. People are getting behind them, and I'm sure (Coach Dick) Vermeil has a lot to do with it. People relate to him and his team, their hard-work ethic. They don't have any prima donnas."

The problem of a drop-off in ticket sales is not just with the Phillies. The Orioles, the defending American League champions, have also had fewer area purchases, at least from Ettinger's outlet.