Chicago Tribune - May 31, 1980

Vail (.403) slugs Phils, earns Cub job

By Robert Markus

IN BETWEEN the reality of thunder and the threat of tornadoes, Mike Vail played like a one-man storm Friday to lead the Cubs to a 10-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in windy Wrigley Field.

The sparsely employed outfielder cracked four consecutive hits, including a two-run homer, to raise his average to .403-and, more important, to finally convince Manager Preston Gomez that he’s an every-day player.

Vail, who had been used primarily against left handers, will be in the lineup from now on no matter who pitches for the opposition.

"I don't care if they pitch Cy Young against us," Gomez said. "Vail is going to be in the lineup until he stops hitting. The way he’s playing, he deserves to be in it."

Another longtime utility man who’s finally getting a chance to play, catcher Tim Blackwell, hit a three-run homer -his first in the majors -to help stake Rick Reuschel to a 6-0 first-inning lead. Four of those runs were unearned because of Pete Rose's first error this year.

REUSCHEL STRUGGLED to his first complete game of the season, yielding 13 hits, including a pair of homers.

"Considering the wind, that was a great job," said Blackwell, who also helped his battery mate by gunning down Garry Maddox on an attempted theft of third after Maddox had stolen second.

That was in the third inning, when the Phils had pared the Cub lead to 7-5 and had Reuschel reeling. "Maybe he [Maddox] was counting on a bad throw," said Blackwell. "I had just skipped one down there to second and was lucky it didn't go into center field."

"I was very surprised he went," said Reuschel, 'and I was glad Tim threw him out."

The portly right hander appeared to get stronger after that, stoically ignoring the wind and the presence of the most fearsome 1-2 punch in baseball this spring - Mike Schmidt and Greg Luzinski.

Although both got hits in the three-run third and Schmidt scored after leading off with a double in the fifth, neither could add to his home-run total.

THE PHILS' HOMERS were by Bob Boone in the second and Bake McBride in the ninth, both on pitches that "were up," according to Blackwell.  “That ball Boone hit was helped by the wind.  But, basically, Rick was throwing a good sinker and some good breaking balls.

Blackwell did not seem overly impressed with his homer, which capped the six-run first against Phils' starter Dan Larson. The wind was blowing out to left field and did not appear to affect Blackwell's shot, which he pulled to right on a 3-2 pitch after Larson had balked in the third run of the inning.

"I hit it pretty good," said Blackwell, who had gone to bat 551 times without a homer in a big-league career that includes parts of seven seasons. "I. always felt that if I played on a regular basis, I would hit.

"Now I'm playing [because Barry Foote is ailing], and the hits are falling. I need one of those lucky days to get my average up. But I can’t have one as lucky as Mike Vail's. I tell you, he s a mash."

VAIL, WHO HAD been unhappy about sitting on the bench despite hitting .333 and .335 in his two years with the Cubs, was unaware that he had been promoted to fulltime starter.

"I've got a different feeling about things now," he said. "I feel I've had the chance to prove what I've always thought about myself - that I'm a good hitter and a decent fielder. If I don't play the next day, I can accept it now.

"When I come in tomorrow, I'll just see the lineup on the board and do whatever it says. Maybe I'll get to pinch hit with the bases loaded."

Saturday's card will tell him to go out to right field. Slugger Dave Kingman finally is scheduled to start in left, where Vail played Friday.

"Dave took a shot in his shoulder yesterday," said Gomez, "and he will be in the lineup tomorrow. But Mike Vail will remain in the lineup."