Chicago Tribune - October 14, 1980
World Series preview
Philadelphia vs. Kansas City
Schedule
Game 1 – Tuesday, Kansas City at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m. Chicago time, in Veterans Stadium (capacity 64,976).
Game 2 – Wednesday, Kansas City at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m. Chicago time, in Veterans Stadium.
Game 3 – Friday, Philadelphia at Kansas City, 7:15 p.m. Chicago time, in Royals Stadium (capacity 40,628).
Game 4 – Saturday, Philadelphia at Kansas City, 12:45 p.m. Chicago time, in Royals Stadium.
Game 5 (if necessary) – Sunday, Philadelphia at Kansas City, 3:30 p.m. Chicago time, in Royals Stadium.
Game 6 (if necessary) – Tuesday, Oct. 21, Kansas City at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m. Chicago time, in Veterans Stadium.
Game 7 (if necessary) – Wednesday, Oct. 22, Kansas City at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m. Chicago time, in Veterans Stadium.
Probable lineups
Kansas City Royals
Player, Pos. Avg. HR RBI
Willie Wilson, lf .326 3 49
U.L. Washington, ss .273 6 53
George Brett, 3b .390 24 118
Hal McRae, dh .297 14 83
Amos Otis, cf .251 10 53
Willie Aikens, 1b .278 20 98
Darrell Porter, c .249 7 51
Clint Hurdle, rf .294 10 60
Frank White, 2b .264 7 60
Starting pitchers – Dennis Leonard (20 wins, 11, losses, 3.79 earned run average), Larry Gura (20-11, 2.95), Paul Splittorff (14-11, 4.15), Rich Gale (13-9, 3.82).
Relief pitchers – Ken Brett (0-0, 0.00, 1 save), Renie Martin (10-10, 4.39, 2), Marty Pattin (4-0, 3.64, 4), Dan Quisenberry (12-7, 3.09, 33), Jeff Twitty (2-1, 6.04, 0).
Reserves – Catcher-Jamie Quirk (.276, 5, 21); Infielders-Dave Chalk (.250, 1, 20), Onix Conception (.133, 0, 2), Pete LaCock (.205, 1, 18), Rance Mulliniks (.259, 0, 6); Outfielders-Jose Cardenal (.340, 0, 5), John Wathan (.305, 6, 58).
Manager – Jim Frey.
Philadelphia Phillies
Player, Pos. Avg. HR RBI
Lonnie Smith, lf .326 3 49
Pete Rose, 1b .282 6 64
Mike Schmidt, 3b .286 48 121
Greg Luzinski, dh .228 19 56
Bake McBride, rf .309 9 87
Manny Trillo, 2b .292 7 43
Garry Maddox, cf .259 11 73
Larry Bowa, ss .267 2 39
Bob Boone, c .229 9 55
Starting pitchers – Bob Walk (11-7, 4.56 ERA), Steve Carlton (24-9. 2.34), Dick Ruthven (17-10, 3.55), Larry Christenson (5-1, 4.01), Marty Bystrom (5-0. 1.50).
Relief pitchers – Warren Brusstar (2-2, 3.69, 0 saves), Tug McGraw (5-4, 1.47, 20) Dickie Noles (1-4, 3.89, 6), Ron Reed (7-4, 4.05, 9), Kevin Saucier (7-3, 3.42, 0).
Reserves – Catcher-Keith Moreland (.314, 4, 29); Infielders-Ramon Aviles (.277, 2, 9), John Vukovich (.161, 0, 5); Outfielders-Greg Gross (.240, 0, 12), Del Unser (.264, 0, 10), George Vukovich (.224, 0, 8).
Manager – Dallas Green.
How they compare
Starting pitchers – Slight edge to K.C. Philadelphia has the super pitcher in Carlton, but the Royals' one-two punch of Leonard and Gura certainly is the equal of, it not superior to, the Carlton-Ruthven tandem. Splittorff and Gale vs. Christenson and Walk or Bystrom? Not much difference. Because of the playoff script, though, Royals' ace Leonard will get a chance to start three games if needed. Phils' Carlton has a two-game maximum.
Relief pitcher – A toss-up. Each team has one outstanding stopper (the Phils' McGraw, the Royals' Quisenberry) and little trust, in anybody else. The southpaw McGraw (screwball) and the right-handed Quisenberry (submarine delivery) are effective against any kind of hitter. The Royals' Martin and the Phils' Reed also can be effective, but both were shaky down the stretch.
Offense – The two teams look like clones, even though the Phils will benefit from the designated hitter rule (which will enable them to start both the speedy Smith and powerful Luzinski instead or just one or them). Each team has a pair of .300 hitters (K.C.'s Brett and Wilson, Philly's McBride and Smith). Each has power (K.Cs Brett and Aikens, Philly's Schmidt and Luzinski). Each has speed to bum (K.C.'s Wilson, Washington and White, Philly's McBride, Smith and Maddox). Each has a highly-emotional, inspirational player (K.C.'s Brett, Philly's Rose). Philadelphia starters have a 109-101 edge in home runs, K.C. starters have a 625-558 edge in runs batted in. The Phils are strongest against lefties – and the Royals start two of them. Kansas City is strongest against right-handers – and Philadelphia starts three of them.
Defense – Slight edge to the Royals. Very slight. Washington has greater range at shortstop than Phils' Bowa. Wilson is a superior to either Smith or Luzinski in left field. And Porter is a better defensive catcher than Boone, who figures to have trouble stopping the K.C. running game.
Managers – No edge here. Both Frey and Green are rookies. Frey seems slightly more imaginative, seems to go with his starting pitchers longer. But with the use of the designated hitter in this Series, the often predictable Green won't be burdened with too many heavy decisions.
TV-Radio
WMAQ-TV, Channel 5; WBBM-AM (780).
Phils could win second Series game in their history, but that’s all
By David Israel, Chicago Tribune Press Service
PHILADELPHIA – Before you switch on the television, snap off the pop top, get comfortable, and start drinking in this World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the Philadelphia Phillies, there are some things you ought to know.
It's all right to make plans for next Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. This affair will be settled by Sunday. The Royals' will have it wrapped up in five games.
With Dennis Leonard, Larry Gura, and Rich Gale rested and ready to work the first three games, the Royals have better starting pitching than the Phils, who are starting someone named Bob Walk in the opening game.
Three years ago, Walk was 6-11 for Peninsula and Spartanburg; this spring he was not good enough to come north with the big team.
IN PHILADELPHIA, Walk Is famous for going to the bullpen to warm up without his glove, coming to bat without his bat, and being arrested at Dodger Stadium as a kid for hitting Don Sutton with a tennis ball.
Call him the wing without a prayer Tuesday night.
The Royals enjoy an advantage in the bullpen, too.
In a series like this, relief pitching becomes a battle between your two best short men. If anyone else is in the game it means, quite simply, that the contest is not close enough to be concerned about.
And in this deal, Dan Quisenberry is a whole lot more dependable than Tug McGraw.
While his endurance and enthusiasm attracted much notice in the National League Championship Series, it was little noted that McGraw failed to help the Phils in three of his five opportunities.
McGRAW SAVED THE first game and finished the fourth game in fine fashion. But he gave up the go-ahead run to Houston in the eighth inning of the second game, lost game three in the 11th inning, and relinquished two runs and a similar lead in the eighth inning of the fifth game Sunday night.
Quisenberry, meanwhile, was just as good against the New York Yankees in the playoffs as he was against the American League all season. He saved the second game, won the third, and did not give up an earned run in 4⅔ innings.
The Royals also have better defense, better hitting, and more speed than the Phillies. The Phillies have more power, but they have been terribly concerned about conserving energy of late. Their only chance is if Mike Schmidt breaks out of his slump and hits a home run a game.
REGARDLESS OF who wins, you can be sure that this Series will belong to two fellows – George Brett and Pete Rose.
About two or three times a day, a baseball announcer, a manager, or a scout will tell you that baseball is all about one thing or another. Usually, they utter tired cliches and miss the point that baseball is about entertainment for the fans, salaries for the players, and profits for the owners.
In this case, though, baseball is all about one other thing. It is all about George Brett and Pete Rose playing against each other in the World Series.
Rose took an early lead in their one-on-one battle during the workouts at Veterans Stadium Monday afternoon when he noted that U.L. Washington, the Kansas City shortstop chews tooth picks as avidly as many ballplayers chew tobacco.
"WHAT I'M REALLY worried about." Rose said, "is sliding into second base and getting that tooth pick stuck In my nose."
That put the World Series in perspective. But Pete is good at putting a lot of things about baseball into perspective.
Once, for instance, he was asked what his goals are each season.
"To win the division," he said. "And then to win the last game of the year.
MORE PERSPECTIVE: The Royals have been in business 12 years. This is their first World Series. "
The Phillies have been in business for almost a century. This is their third World Series. They have won one World Series game. The winning pitcher on that lovely autumn afternoon was Grover Cleveland Alexander. The year was 1915.
The Phillies do not want to admit they are even a little bit drained after their exhausting victory over the Astros in the playoffs.
What the Phillies keep telling you is they have momentum going, and that you want to play every day when your momentum is running. So, they say, the Royals, have the problem because they rested for a couple of days in New York while the Phillies got the benefit of playing 20 wonderful innings in the Astrodome.
What this all means is that the Phillies have a curious sense of what momentum might be. Maybe they think that in baseball, as in football, momentum belongs to the team that scored last.
For these Phillies, momentum means having gone 17 innings without a run from Friday afternoon until Saturday evening. Momentum means blowing two leads in the deciding playoff game before scratching by 8-7 in the 10th, Momentum means leaving 40 runners on base in five games. Momentum means running on empty.
Give me Kansas City's kind of momentum. Five victories in six games the last week of the regular season. Three straight in the playoffs. And a weekend off in New York.
WHETHER THE Phillies win or lose, there is something rather extraordinary in the making for this city.
If the Eagles, who have a respectable chance of emerging victorious in the National Football Conference, make the Super Bowl, every big league team in Philadelphia will have made it to the final game of the 1980 season.
The Flyers lost to the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup finals.
The 76ers lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association finals.
Now the Phillies.
On the whole, W.C. Fields really might have meant it this year.
Phils turn to rookie – they have no choice
By Robert Markus, Chicago Tribune Press Service
PHILADELPHIA – The last lime Bob Walk stepped onto a major league pitching mound he "found" himself against the Chicago Cubs. The next time the Phillie rookie goes to the mound he'll find himself in the biggest game of his young life.
The 23-year-old right hander Monday was named to start the first game of the World Series Tuesday night by Manager Dallas Green, who has no one else to threw against the American League champion Kansas City Royals.
The Phillies depleted their pitching staff Sunday night while beating the Astros in Houston to win their first National League pennant in 30 years.
"We had to use the devil out of them," admitted Green, who threw Marty Bystrom, Larry Christenson, and Dick Ruthven into the game Sunday. The other Phillie starter, Steve Carlton, pitched Saturday and will start Wednesday night.
The Kansas City staff is well-rested after clinching the pennant Friday and Royals Manager Jim Prey nominated right hander Dennis Leonard to start against a team loaded with right-handed power.
Frey, who earlier had said he expected to use only three starting pitchers in the series, named lefty Larry Gura for Wednesday and right hander Rich Gale for Friday night's game in Kansas City.
A FEW MONTHS ago the choice of Walk to start the World Series opener would not have raised too many eyebrows. On Aug. 1 he had an 8-1 record, but then he took a long walk on the wild side, losing command of his pitches and tumbling to a final 11-7 mark with a 4.56 tamed run average.
"He ran into a little slump in terms of poise and control," Green said, "but he bounced back and pitched super when we had to have a clutch win against Chicago. I have no qualms at all about starting him."
"When I first heard about it," Walk said, "I thought, 'Why would they start me?' And then it dawned on me that we'd used all our starting pitchers in that last game.
"I have confidence that I can go out and pitch and get the Royals out. When I do have problems it's usually because I get too many three-ball counts. I tend to overthrow a little and every windup is different than the one before.
"In that last start against the Cubs I got into a rhythm and hopefully got it together again. I can throw strikes. I've done it before."
So has Leonard, who may be the most unheralded 20-game winner in the game. In fact, he has won 20 or more games in three of the last four seasons, one of baseball's best-kept secrets.
"That doesn't bother me," Leonard said. "Kansas City doesn't have a lot of media coverage. I always get off to a terrible start and if I was pitching in New York they'd rip me apart. In Kansas City I may not get recognition, but when I do bad I don't get chopped to bits, either."
This year was no exception for Leonard, who won 13 of his last 17 decisions and added another victory against the Yankees in the playoffs after starting out 7-7.
THE ROYALS MAY have one slight edge because of the physical condition of the two pitching staffs. I think we're a ' little more rested," Leonard said, "but that will only count in the first two games." It may only count in the first one if Carlton can bounce back again on three day's rest.
But the Phillies' Pete Rose isn't so sure there's an advantage at all. "I'd rather be where we are than where Kansas City is," said the Phils' first baseman, "because I'm a firm believer in momentum. The Royals haven't played since Friday. It's good to get your pitching rotation set up, but the guys who are swinging the bats would rather play every day."
There will be nine guys swinging the bats for each team in this Series because this year the American League's designated hitter rule is in effect. Detroit Tiger ; Manager Spark Anderson, who was in four World Series while managing Cincinnati, sees this as a slight advantage for the Royals, because Hal McRae has been a DH all year. "When you're not used to doing it, it can be strange," Anderson said. "McRae, that's his job. He knows how to prepare himself."
"Maybe I will come In a little more comfortable," McRae said, "but if their guy goes out and gets a couple of hits right away there will be no advantage. It's easy to adjust when you're going well. When you're not getting base hits you feel like you're not doing anything. There's no chance to make up for it."
Green would not name his designated hitter, "until we've gone over our scouting reports," but the assumption was that it would be Greg Luzinski against all kinds of pitching.
THE PHILLIES CAME HOME to a tumultuous welcome Monday after their thrilling and dramatic series in Houston. A large crowd greeted them at the airport and another throng of worshipers shrieked a welcome when they arrived at Veterans Stadium for a workout at about 3 p.m.
The weather for Tuesday night's opener is expected to be crisp and clear. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach near 60, but a 50-degree reading was anticipated by the 7:15 p.m. [Chicago time] start.
Most baseball experts expect the Royals to win in their first appearance in the Series. But Anderson thinks the teams are fairly even. "They're two super clubs," he said. "Defensively they're both so good. If someone does have a bad Series defensively, though, it's going to beat 'em."
Green discounted talk that the Phils would find it difficult to climb back up to an emotional peak after the scintillating series in Houston. "I know we've got to come down off the cloud," he said, "but we went through it all in September."
"I really sense," Rose said, "that in the last six to eight weeks this ball club really grew up and learned a lot about winning and losing. In years past they cheated themselves as far as winning the World Series was concerned, and that's their goal."