Doylestown Daily Intelligencer - October 24, 1980
Phillies are starting to look ahead to next year
By Milton Richman
NEW YORK (UPI) — Now that some of the tumult and the shouting is dying down a bit. The world champion Philadelphia Phillies already are being bugged about what they have in mind for an encore next year. They anticipated the question and have an answer.
They want to win it all again a second time.
One world championship in 97 years doesn't exactly satisfy the appetite. Usually, it merely whets it for another in a hurry and that's exactly what's happening with the Phillies.
Which brings up some other questions. What do they do with "The Bull," Greg Luzinski, who had such a disappointing season and wasn't used much in the World Series? And what about Larry Bowa. their five—time All-Star shortstop who'll be 36 in two months but still pressed Mike Schmidt for the Series' MVP by hitting .375 and starting seven double plays to break Phil Rizzuto's record.
In Luzinski's case, there's a good chance the Phils will trade him if they can. especially since Lonnie Smith, their 25-year-old rookie, came along as well as he did by hitting .339 in 100 games for them this year and showing no stage fright at all when manager Dallas Green used him in every one of the six Series' contests.
Bowa's name also has surfaced in some of the Phillies' past trade talks but he says if he has his choice, and he does up to a point, he'd like to stay with the world champs. Whether he will not is something of a question at the moment.
The Phillies have what they consider an excellent replacement for him wailing in the wings. He's Julio Franco, a tall, skinny Dominican with tremendous range in the field and considerable power at the plate. Franco, not even 22 yet, was with Peninsula of the Class A Carolina League this season and still is deemed at least a year or so away from the big leagues. That could influence the Philips' thinking about holding on to Bowa a little longer.
"I'd just as soon stay in Philadelphia," said the two-time Gold Glover Thursday while in New York to make a TV appearance for a program called Sports Probe on the USA network. "I'm not saying I wouldn't play anymore if I were traded, but I certainly wouldn't wanna go to any last place club and start all over again."
Bowa has been with the Phillies since 1970. As a 10-and-5 man, a player with 10 years in the league and 5 with the same club, he has the option of vetoing any trade in which he might be involved. He's not sure what the Phillies have in mind for him but he thinks Dallas Green will be back managing the club next year even though Green has expressed a desire to return to his job in the front office.
“Dallas has a few things he wants to do yet." Bowa said.
Like what, for example?
"Well, when Danny Ozark had the club, it didn't matter whether you look fielding and batting practice or not," Bowa explained. "If you wanted to you did, and if you didn't want to, you didn't. It was entirely up to you. With Dallas, either you do or you write out a check for $100 to the Children's Guidance Program in Philadelphia.”