Wilmington Morning News - October 29, 1980
Schmidt merry-go-round spins by for MVP trophy
By Hal Bodley, Sports Editor
NEW YORK – Come Thanksgiving, Mike, Schmidt is going to step off the merry-go-round, collapse in an easy chair and let himself come back to earth.
"None of this has hit me yet," said Schmidt yesterday, here to accept all the brass ring as most valuable player in the World Series. "I've been on such a hectic pace since it ended, I haven't had time to think about everything."
Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn presented the Phillies' third baseman with the MVP trophy and a $9,000 gold watch at ceremonies in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Schmidt, a unanimous selection by a nine-member panel, also had a $5,000 scholarship donated in his name to the college of his choice.
"It is going to my alma mater, Ohio University," said Schmidt. "It will be the start of a scholarship in my name for baseball players from the Philadelphia area."
Schmidt is only the third third baseman to be named most valuable player in the 26-year history of the award which is given by Sport magazine. He led the Phils to their first World Series in 97 years by hitting safely in all six games, batting .381 with two home runs. He had seven runs batted in and two game-winning hits.
"I flew here this morning from South Carolina where I have been participating in Jim Rice's golf tournament," said Schmidt, referring to an event sponsored by the Boston Red Sox' outfielder. "As soon as this program is finished, I will fly to Hilton Head where my tournament will be held this weekend. At least 15 of the Phillies are going to participate."
No sooner will Schmidt finish his three-day tournament, then he will climb aboard another airplane for a 10-day trip to Japan.
"The Mizuno Company is sponsoring s series of eight clinics throughout Japan," said Schmidt "I'm going, along with Pete Rose, Steve Carlton and Cappy Harada of the Major League Baseball Promotion Corporation. That should be an interesting trip."
Schmidt, odds-on favorite to also win the National League Most Valuable Player Award, said it is difficult to say which honor will mean the most to him.
"I've got one and I would like to get the other one, too," he said. "The important thing is that the Philadelphia Phillies won the world championship. It's hard to say which award is the most important. Winning the World Series was the greatest thrill of my life."
Schmidt thinks the Phillies had just as much talent during the years they won the National League Eastern Division and failed to make it to the Series.
"To me, there was a kind of Divine guidance this time for us. The club had the same heart, the same character those other years, but I guess we just weren't supposed to win. This year was different."
Already people are hinting Player Personnel Director Paul Owens may make some trades during the winter meetings that would break up the team.
"That would be a shame," said Schmidt. "I hope he keeps the team intact. For the first time ever, we have a luxury. We have probably the best pitching staff in baseball. Maybe we could part with some of that to make our team even stronger."
Schmidt says he will hold his public appearances down to a minimum in December, then cut them out almost completely in January.
"That is the time of the year when I will devote most of my time to getting ready for the new season," he said. "I am not going to let all of this hamper that. But, truthfully, I enjoy this for a number of reasons. One is that because we won the World Series, I am able to stand up and get some of my messages across. If we had not won, I would not be here today.
"Years from now I will be able to sit back and look at what we accomplished and it will still be very, very important to me. That's for sure."
Green is honored in his ‘hometown’
By Tom Lindley, Assistant Sports Editor
WEST GROVE, Pa. – Philadelphia loves Dallas Green, sure, but it is not the love a hometown shares for its hero.
The 25-foot long banner they strung across Evergreen Street last night told the whole story: "West Grove, Pa. Home of Dallas Green... 1980 manager of the World champion Phillies."
The banner will wave over West Grove long after the World Series-vintage champagne taste has left Green's lips and long after the parade litter has been swept off Broad Street in south Philadelphia.
"It's going to be up there until it blows down, which I hope doesn't ever happen," said Bill O'Connell, president of the town's fire company.
It took almost an hour to get the banner raised properly, which isn't too long when compared with the fact that it took the Phillies 87 years to win their first World Series championship.
Besides, West Grove likes to savor such moments, particularly when they don't come along too often.
"This has got to be the biggest thing to happen here since 1970 when the Red Devils (the high school team) won the state championship in basketball," said Robert Torello.
Several hundred of the town's 2,200 residents turned out for Green's homecoming, which took place under the glare of the town's only traffic light. Green is a native of Newport, Del., but is now a resident of West Grove.
"We wanted to have a parade but Dallas said he was too tired for that," O'Connell said.
As the fire department struggled to get the banner raised properly, the Avon Grove High School band entertained the crowd and Green signed autographs and caught up on town gossip.
"I just had to shake your hand," said a neighbor of Green's. "You know my husband is the one who fixes your vacuum cleaner."
Green smiled, perhaps realizing for the first time in several months that there are carpets other than the one that the Phillies play on in Veterans Stadium.
As Green indicated, these days it is difficult for him to separate fact from fantasy.
"As you can tell from what's happening here tonight, I don't have anything that resembles a normal way of life," he said. "Since I got home, the phone hasn't stopped ringing and the door hasn't stopped knocking. But I guess when it does stop, I'll know I'm in trouble."
Traffic was starting to back up and a few raindrops were beginning to fall when it came Green's turn to address the crowd.
"I just want to say a special thanks to al of West Grove," he said. "I don't want to bring too much hub-bub, but I guess we put West Grove on the map. I hope it stays that way for a long time."
With that the crowd cheered, the fire truck's siren wailed and Dallas Green drove off down Evergreen Street.
McGraw, Owens discuss contract
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA – Tug McGraw, whose clutch relief pitching helped the Phillies win the 1980 World Series, talked briefly Monday with personnel director Paul Owens about a new contract.
Both parties described the 45-minute session as preliminary in nature.
"We talked about the perimiters," McGraw said before leaving for Hollywood to tape several television shows. "We didn't get into specifics about money or years."
It is expected that McGraw will meet with Owens again next Monday after the club official returns from a general manager's meeting.
McGraw, 36, can enter the reentry draft. He has until Nov. 12 to add his name to the free agent list. In that event, the Phillies still would have the right to negotiate with him, but with as many as 12 other teams.
McGraw said he wasn't in any rush to go the free agent route, and preferred to use the time talking to the Phillies. He said he felt that Owens wanted him back.
Owens described his talk with the pitcher as a good meeting.
McGraw is coming off an excellent season in which he won five games and saved a number during the Phillies' stretch drive to the National League East title. He also was prominent in the NL playoff victory over the Houston Astros.
In the Series, McGraw came in to save the final two games and enabled the Phillies to earn their first world championship in the 98-year history of the franchise.