Syracuse Herald-American - October 5, 1980

Phillies Clinch, 6-4

by United Press International

MONTREAL (UPI) — Dallas Green, a towering manager buffeted by towering egos, freely admitted he had set out to chide the Philadelphia Phillies into a rampage that would take them to their fourth division title in five years, and eventually to the World Series.

The Phillies clinched the National League East title Saturday with a 6-4 victory over the Montreal Expos, handing Green his first championship in his first full season with the club.

"It was a frustrating year in many ways, but this moment is so sweet," Green said in a Philly dressing room ringing with raucus shouts of celebration.

"We had a job to do at the beginning of the year. We had to build character on this ball club and build a winning attitude. It just hadn't been there last season.

“I know I made some people mad," said the 6-foot-6, 250-pound Green. "But I couldn't care less."

Green in recent weeks had scolded several players for failing to hustle. He had also benched several. His actions drew the ire of many of the team's highly paid veterans, including Mike Schmidt, Bob Boone, Garry Maddox and Greg Luzmski.

Montreal manager Dick Williams, bitterly disappointed at the Expos' failure to win the title on the final weekend of the season for the second consecutive year, still managed a compliment for the Phillies.

Veteran catcher Boone, who had not been pleased at being platooned with rookie Keith Moreland, stroked a single in the ninth inning that tied the game 4-4.

Schmidt, who slammed his 48th homer of the season into the leftfield seats to win the game in the 11th. said the Phillies were a team that profited from turmoil.

"I'm sure that all the problems we've had this year gave us something extra down the stretch," he said.

Tug McGraw, who led the "you gotta believe" N.Y. Mots of 1973. called his three innings of scoreless relief one of the most satisfying performances of his life.