Camden Courier-Post - January 1980

In Brief:  Phillies’ forum

Several members of the Phillies will be on hand at Compton's Log Cabin in Westmont Thursday night for an free open forum on baseball.

"Eddie Compton has been a friend of the team for a long time," said center fielder Garry Maddox. "We felt this was a good way to show our support."

Several people became ill after eating at Compton's last month and Maddox feels the club's presence will offer support.

"A group of them got together and decided to hold a hot stove session," said Chris Wheeler of the Phillies' publicity department. "They're going to eat and sit around and talk baseball with the public."

General Manager Paul Owens, Manager Dallas Green, Larry Bowa, Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, Bob Boone, Randy Lerch and Maddox are the Phillies who will participate.

Memo tells of baseball strife

BOSTON (AP) – Spring training is only eight weeks away, but major league owners and the Players Association are locked in a cold war over a new basic agreement.

A memo outlining initial demands by the owners and the players, and made available to The Associated Press, indicates the two sides are about as far apart as the United States and Russia.

Imagine a player such as Claudell Washington earning the same pay as sluggers Jim Rice and Fred Lynn for their first five years in the major leagues?

That's one of the owners' proposals.

Imagine players with the right to demand to be traded after just three years with a club?

That's one of the players' demands.

Initial demands in labor negotiations often are exaggerated, but some by both club owners and the players this time around appear preposterous.

The owners have built a war chest, reportedly about $1.5 million. And the association, led by hard-nosed negotiator Marvin Miller, is showing no fear, determined to add to the many concessions obtained at the bargaining table in the 1970s.

No one in baseball wants to talk about a strike, such as in 1972, or a lockout, but more than a few club executives are worried about a possible shutdown of spring training camps unless progress is made in negotiations.

Miller told The AP in a telephone interview that the 12-page memo he sent to the union's members, generally is a report on a meeting of the association's executive board Dec. 4-5 in New York while baseball held its annual winter meeting in Toronto.

"The minutes were mailed to about 1 ,000 association members, so they hardly can be considered confidential or secret," Miller said.

Miller said he didn't think it "appropriate" for him to release a copy of the memo. However, The AP gained access to a copy through another source.

Most of the memo, mailed by Miller's office Dec. 14, consists of a report on various discussions by individual club player representatives at the executive board meeting. However, it also contains what the association claims are both the initial demands of it and the owners.

The owners' proposals as listed in the memo:

1. Players would be paid a salary accord ing to a scale based on an undefined, unidentified criteria. This, the association said, would eliminate individual negotiations, multiyear contracts and salary guarantees, affecting 75 per cent of players on 40-man rosters in the major leagues.

2. The owners would significantly increase compensation to a club losing a player to free agency. This compensation would be either through an amateur draft pick or, for "more valuable" free agents, additional "manpower" compensation.

3. The owners suggested an undefined improvement of benefit levels of the pension fund, but not for retired players.

4. Interleague trading, this year from Feb. 15 to March 15, would be expanded to April 1 or seven days prior to the start of the regular season.

5. The clubs would have the right to send an injured player to the minors to "play themselves back into shape" without asking for waivers or using an option on the player.

6. Clubs would be allowed access to confidential medical information prior to the completion of any trade.

The Players Association proposals:

1. There would be a substantial increase of the clubs' contribution to the pension plan. This would include all members of the association (presumably including those retired).

2. FREE AGENCY

A. Clarify all phases of requirements.

B. A player may elect to exercise his free agency after four years of major league service (instead of six years). When a club who picks a player in the free agent draft, which would be held on Jan. 15 under this proposal, and makes no bonafide offer to the player, the club would lose its negotiation rights.

C. Compensation through the amateur draft for lost free agents would be eliminated and, prior to selection in the free agent draft, the player may discuss terms with a club.

D. After three years with a club a player may demand to be traded. The club would have to comply with this demand prior to March 1. (Under the old agreement, only a player with 10 years in the majors and the last five with one club can pick a club he'd be willing to join).

Miller told The AP that current negotiations "are at the same stage as they were four years ago, seven years ago."

"They're in a stall, and it doesn't make any difference who is doing the negotiating for them (owners)," he added.

Phillies rally around honorary teammate

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

Everyone who knew Ed Compton agreed the guy deserved a better fate. But it was a number of Phillies players who decided to do something about it.

"We're all coming over for dinner next Thursday night," center fielder Garry Maddox told him over the phone. "Me, Bowa, Schmitty, Bull, Pope, L.C., Blade, Boonie, Vuk, McCarver and Ashburn."

Compton didn't know what to say. All his life he'd been a Phillies' fan, never dreaming that the athletes he liked so much would be the ones to rally around him when the going got rough.

These have not been the best of times for Compton, who spent most of his life trying to build up the reputation of the Log Cabin Restaurant, which bis father opened 45 years ago in Haddon Township.

All those years of doing things the right way didn't seem to count for very much a few weeks back, when Compton received reports that some people had suffered flu symptoms following a luncheon at his place.

Despite the fact none of the 80 employees who regularly ate their meals at the restaurant suffered similar symtoms, Compton knew his reputation was on the line.

He reacted the way you might expect a guy who still wears a crewcut to react. He stiffened his back and dialed the number for the health department people.

Compton recalls how the inspectors came in during the middle of the usual lunch rush, and, after checking out the place, noted that a number of patrons had dirtied the floor with their muddy shoes. Basically, that was it.

Or, so it seemed.

There also was the matter of some tests being run. So. Compton ordered his own doors shut and waited for vindication.

What he got was guilt by assumption.

The next night, 1 was sitting at home watching the news when the story about patrons at the restuarant getting sick flashed across the screen. And, like a lot of people, I was ready to assume the worst – until it dawned on me that my brother and I had taken my parents there for mom's birthday dinner the night before.

I may not be the Galloping Gourmet, but I know a good meal when I get one. A week later, the same assessment could be made. The damage, however, had been done.

Compton never said a word, not even to his friend, Phils' traveling secretary Eddie Ferenz.

This is how the Phillies became involved in all of this, because seven years ago, Ferenz talked Compton into making a West Coast trip with the team.

Members of the front office still chuckle about bow Compton asked a group of people to join him for dinner at the finest restaurant in San Francisco, a former member of the Phils' traveling party joining the group at the last minute without realizing it was Compton 's treat.

To make a long story short, the guy got drunk and proceeded to give the silent Compton a piece of his mind, noting quite loudly that Ed was an outsider, a "green fly," which is the baseball term for a free loader.

In what is still regarded as a record-setting show of restraint. Compton just kept on being pleasant... right up until the time he signed the $500 tab and excused himself.

That was the day the Phillies made Ed Compton one of them. Although, when you consider all the special dinners and celebrations the man delighted in throwing for people associated with the organization, it may well have been the other way around.

Now, what you should keep in mind is that professional athletes are accustomed to preferred treatment. It comes with the territory and is quite easily taken for granted – especially when nothing is ever asked in return.

Which is why Garry Maddox and Larry Bowa decided to do something about Compton's situation the other day. And why no one said no to the suggestion that they all gather at his place for an open forum with the patrons on baseball.

The full impact of the phone call he received from the Phils' center fielder still hadn't hit Compton yesterday as he sat in his restaurant, shaking his head and saying. "I never expected this kind of gesture from those guys. I never expected anything."

Baseball draft today

NEW YORK – The Toronto Blue Jays, who had the worst record in major league baseball last season, have the No. 1 pick today at 12:30 in the regular phase of the 15th annual free agent draft of amateur players.

The Boston Red Sox will have the first choice in the secondary phase – made up of players previously chosen but unsigned.

The draft will be conducted here from the offices of Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn via telphone hookup. It will be held today and tomorrow.

The regular phase is determined by the reverse order of winning percentage last season, with the American and National League clubs alternating choices.

Kaline, Snider named to Hall of Fame

NEW YORK (AP) – Outfielders Al Kaline and Duke Snider were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America today.

Kaline. 45, who played 22 seasons for the Detroit Tigers, became the 10^th man in history to be named to the shrine in Cooperstown, N.Y. in his first year of eligibility.

Snider, 53, who starred for the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, was elected in his 11^th year of eligibility.

A total of 385 ballots were cast by 10-year members of the BBWAA, with 289 representing 75 percent needed for election. Kaline received 340, or 88 percent of the vote, and Snider, who fell 16 votes short of election last year, had 333, or 86 percent.

Pitcher Don Drysdale. a former teammate of Snider's, finished third, 51 votes short of election. The late Gil Hodges, another Dodger standout, was fourth with 233 votes, five less than Drysdale.

It was the second straight year that Hodges finished fourth in the voting.

Relief pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm was the only other player to receive at least 200 votes, finishing fifth with 209.

KALINE'S BID to become the 10th player elected in his first year of eligibility was backed by impressive statistics. He batted .297 for 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, hitting 399 home runs and completing his career with 3.007 base hits.

Signed off the sandlots of Baltimore in 1953. he never played a game in the minor leagues. When he led the American League by hitting .340 in 1955 at age 20, he became the youngest batting champion in history.

Snider, who has been eligible for Cooperstown since 1970, received his highest vote total last year with 308, finishing second behind Mays. He batted .295 with 407 home runs in 18 major league seasons.  

Phils draft 4 pitchers

PHILADELPHIA – Four pitchers were selected by the Phillies yesterday in two phases of the annual January free agent draft.

Righthander Tony Ghelfi from LaCrosse, Wis., was the Phillies' selection in the first round of the regular phase and the 14th player taken overall. Ghelfi, who attends Iowa Western Junior College, is 18 years old.

The Phillies' second-round selection was another righthander, Ron Richardson of Albany, Ore. Richardson is a 6-foot, 5-inch 18-year-older. The two other selections were lefthanders Jim Harris and Steve True. Harris is a sophomore at Ranger Junior College in Ranger, Texas, and True is attending Seminole Junior College in Seminole, Okla.

Hard work by Boone eases operation woes

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – When an all-star athlete undergoes knee surgery, it's usually standard operating procedure for everyone within a thousand miles to break into a cold sweat.

Players of that caliber just don't walk into town every day. And, there is always the possibility that complications or the athlete's own lack of desire during rehabilitation could jeopardize his career and the future of the team.

That's why the attitude of people toward Phillies' catcher Bob Boone's trip to the operating room last September is so surprising. You'd think he just stepped out to have new heels and soles put on his shoes rather than having the ligaments in his left knee repaired.

Boone, who is already running in preparation for the 1980 season, believes that if there has been a blasé attitude on the part of people toward his surgery, it's the nicest compliment they can pay him.

"When anyone just assumes that I'm going to be coming back as good as new, it shows me they know I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the job done," said Bob.

"The fact that people aren't overly worried is an indication they have confidence in me."

That confidence is surely not misplaced. Boone has always been a man of determination, thriving on personal challenges.

Anyone who saw him make the transition from third baseman to catcher will verify that fact. Especially after watching him spend hour after hour in spring training, insisting that one coach or another throw pitches that would bounce in front of him.

He came away with split fingers and bruised arms. But, he learned how to block a wild pitch with his body so that the ball ricocheted in front of him.

Bob's belief in self-improvement through hard work has enabled him to not only become one of the most accomplished and sought-after catchers in baseball today, but it's also transformed him into an impressive physical specimen.

"Some guys are willing to endure the pain and sacrifice of improving their strength and coordination," explained Phillies fitness expert Gus Hoefling. "Then, there is the rare individual who isn't just willing to make the effort, he loves doing it. Bob Boone is one of those men."

What does this have to do with Bob's knee? Everything.

"I'm a firm believer in self-discipline," he explained. "What can be more challenging than taking yourself to the limit and then trying to go even farther?

"That's why I liked the Kung Fu exercises so much. That's why I've used the Nautilus machine to get myself at least 20 percent stronger than I was last season.

"It all comes into play when you're faced with something like rehabilitating a knee. There is no easy way out. There are no shortcuts. You know that when you watch guys like John Bunting or Bill Bergey of the Eagles make the sacrifices hour after hour, day after day."

Two weeks after his operation, Boone looked up at the ceiling in his Medford home and announced to the vacant room, "I can't just lay here on my butt! I won't!"

There was pain. Lots of it. But he wanted the rest of his body to be ready for the day when his leg cast would celebrate its six-week birthday and become history.

"Probably the greatest strain was mental," said Boone. "Up at 6 a.m. for the trip to the stadium. Three to six hours working with the trainers. An hour or two on the Nautilus. For a while there, it was dark when I left the house in the morning and dark when I got home.

"I never even saw daylight. And, I think it would have gotten to me if it hadn't been for our trainer Don Seger and his assistant Jeff Cooper. Always positive. Always encouraging. Never once showing the slightest sign of strain. You can't teach people to have attitudes like that."

With a dozen different treatments machines and exercises brought into play, Boone was able to take a knee that had just eight percent mobility and rehabilitate it to 134 degrees. Which is just four degrees shy of his healthy right knee.

Boone's rehabilitation schedule, which is targeted for a healthy opening day of spring training, began with one basic rule – the key to a successful operation is the work you put into it after surgery.

Small wonder nobody's been staying up nights worrying about Bob Boone.

Luzinski learned a lesson the hard way in ’79 season

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – Greg Luzinski made a mistake. He knows it now. And, he won't make it again.

"I've had some time to think about what happened to me last season," explained the Phillies' burly left fielder. "One thought keeps coming back.

"I think about George Foster of the Cincinnati Reds, who also pulled a leg muscle during the year. Only, George didn't try to tough it out. He was smart. He told people how hurt he was and then he went on the disabled list.

"Foster took the time to get himself healthy again. And, when be came back and started doing his thing, people said he had a heck of a year considering the time he was able to play."

It has been a while since The Bull (who took a different approach than Foster) has talked to anyone about anything. He has been busy at Veterans Stadium getting his legs in shape and working with Coach Billy DeMars in an all-out effort to put the thunder back into a batting stroke that was once considered a classic.

He knows there are people out there who believe he will never be able to generate the kind of power and consistency that made him one of the most respected hitters in the National League.

He knows there are people out there who flatter themselves by thinking they are among the "most knowledgeable" fans in America, but don't even have enough sense to figure out that the Greg Luzinski they booed last year was the direct result of the man making the wrong decision for the right reasons.

"This whole thing has changed my thinking about injuries," said Bull. "And, I'm not making excuses. I don't have to do that. I've got my short batting stroke back. I can feel it... the same stroke that I know will produce 35 to 40 home runs if I can keep it going.

"But, you asked me. And, I'll tell you.

"I think my leg was hurt worse than I ' thought. I tried to come back too soon. I taped it up and went out there. Which is no big deal. We had others on the team last year who pushed themselves physically despite injuries.

"What's important is that my going out there produced all kinds of bad hitting habits for me. I kept trying to find myself at the plate while I was still hurting. That just made it worse."

There were days when Greg couldn't get out of bed because of the pain in his pulled left thigh muscle. He said nothing because he was angrily fighting the whirlwind of frustration that was pulling him down – the pressures of a team that desperately needed him to regain his batting prowess, the tension of wanting to save a manager (Danny Ozark) whose job became less secure with each defeat, and the lack of understanding demonstrated by a number of fans.

"Dr. (Phillip) Marone said the only way the leg was going to get better was for me to stay off it," recalled Luzinski. "But, I don't think anyone else realized how bad it was, because I downplayed it."

Now that he's healthy, Greg has had little difficulty in fitting together the pieces to the puzzle of his batting stroke. He sees now how his bad left leg forced him to cut down on his stride into the ball, thus instigating a bigger. less effective swing with his upper body.

"I don't hit that way. My swing is short and compact." said Greg. I'm back to that now. We filmed my swing this week and compared it to the swing I had a few years ago when I was going good It is the same swing.

"And incidentally, before you ask. my weight at the end of last season was just three pounds heavier than when I was hitting so well. I'm working now. Ruly (Carpenter) is happy that I'm trying to improve myself."

Luzinski. who will once again be using his Cherry Hill tennis facility to host a celebrity tournament (Feb. 9th) to help the American Cancer Society, is looking forward to helping the Phillies make a comeback. He also sees the 1980 season as a personal challenge. He is not, however, looking to vindicate himself with the fans. He thinks he learned a lesson the hard way in 1979 and he suspects some people in the stands should rethink the kind of year they've had.

"Some of them showed their colors when they booed Behn Wilson in the middle of the win streak," said Bull "They booed Henry Bibby. And, they booed Ron Jaworski in the first half of a game he came back to win. The Houston Oilers lost and 80.000 fans turned out for them The Eagles lost and 100 showed up That should tell you something. Some of the fans are trying to live up to their national reputation "

Looks like Bull means business this time around.

Snider would like to pull Pee Wee into ‘Hall’

By Will Grimsley of the Associated Press

NEW YORK – The odyssey of the old Brooklyn Dodgers, around whom author Roger Kahn spun a romantic web in the "Boys of Summer," took a poignant twist when another of the magical clan, Duke Snider, strode that yellow brick road into baseball's Hall of Fame.

The "Duke," now a snow-haired, distinguished-looking figure of 53, was voted the honor this week along with another hard-hitting outfielder, Al Kaline, 45, the onetime boy wonder of the Detroit Tigers.

For Kaline, a batting marvel who collected more than 3,000 hits and just one short of 400 home runs, it was the rare privilege of gaining entrance to the museum in his first year of eligibility. For Snider, it was the end of an agonizing 11-year wait.

"I was reaching the leveling-off period," Snider said at the announcement ceremonies. "I was concerned that if I didn't make it this year I might never make it at all."

Then, in the course of his reminiscences of "those good old days" in the 1940s and 1950s, the Duke suddenly became sentimental and gave the impression that he hated to make this most important of all his baseball journeys without some of his Dodgers buddies, principally shortstop Pee Wee Reese.

"Without Pee Wee, I wouldn't be here," he said. "When I came to the Dodgers, I was moody and temperamental. He did a lot to change me. I can't understand why Pee Wee and Phil Rizzuto (of the Yankees), two great shortstops, have never made the Hall of Fame."

Some critics have said that the Hall of Fame, whose members are chosen by a vote of baseball writers, is overladen with home run sluggers while "glove men" are repeatedly overlooked. Examples cited include, besides Reese and Rizzuto, such standout fielders as Eddie Miller, Marty Marion and Luis Aparicio.

"Pee Wee was the guts of our ball club," Snider insisted.

He cited, along with Reese's fielding and leadership contributions, the team captain's value in cooling the racial tension after Branch Rickey brought up Jackie Robinson in 1947 to break baseball's color barrier.

"Jackie was getting all the ink then," Snider said. "All the other clubs were trying to break him. Everywhere we went, the crowds were on him. Jackie was frustrated mentally. "So Pee Wee would take Robinson out in the middle of the diamond, put his arm around Jackie's shoulders and talk to him intimately."

Jackie frequently said, '"Without Pee Wee, I couldn't have made it."

Robinson, who was almost blind when he died of a heart disease in the fall of 1972, and catcher Roy Campanella, who suffered a broken neck and paralysis in an automobile accident in 1958, are the only other "Boys of Summer" who have been named to the Hall of Fame.

They were a swashbuckling, colorful band, those denizens of old Ebbets Field.

"I was actually born in Los Angeles but I always felt I was born in Brooklyn," Snider related.

"I remember, when I started, we got a dollar and a half a day for meal money. Once when we had bus trouble and worked only half a day they gave us 75 cents."

Someone asked him what was the highest salary he ever made.

"Forty-six thousand dollars," the Duke replied. "We didn't think much about money then. Pee Wee didn't care what Jackie made. Jackie didn't care what Carl Furillo made. Nobody cared.

"Man, if I made a million, I would come in at six in the morning, sweep the stands, wash the uniforms, clean out the offices, manage the team and play the games."

Snider spoke of ancient Ebbets Field with reverence.

"The closeness of it," he said with a nostalgic sigh. "The fans were so close you could hear them whisper. When we moved to Los Angeles, the Coliseum was so big we got lost."

The "Duke" said he would never forget watching those big black iron balls – "looking like oversized baseballs" – knock down the right field wall at Ebbets Field.

"When they tore down Ebbets Field, they tore down part of us," he said. "We wept."

Writers honor Phillies’ Rose

Phillies first baseman Pete Rose has been chosen Outstanding Athlete of the 70s Decade by the Philadelphia Sports Writers' Association and will be honored at its 76th annual awards dinner Jan. 28 at the Cherry Hill Hyatt House.

Rose will be honored for achievements and consistency during the past decade. During the period, playing at five different fielding positions. Rose collected 2,045 hits for a .314 batting average. In his 17-year career, he has amassed a .312 lifetime average.

Last season, his first in a Phillies uniform after 16 years with the Cincinnati Reds, Rose finished second among National League hitters with a .331 average in 163 games, and led the league for a second consecutive season with 159 singles among 208 hits, including the major league's longest consecutive game hitting streak of 23.

Rose, who has played in nine all-star games, also was the most valuable player in 1973 and played in four World Series during the decade.

Among three dozen others to be honored at the organization's awards dinner are running back Wilbert Montgomery of the Philadelphia Eagles as Outstanding Philadelphia Athlete; middle distance running star Don Paige of Villanova, Outstanding Philadelphia Amateur Athlete; and the Pittsburgh Steelers as 1979 Team of the Year.

An award for Most Courageous Athlete will be announced at the dinner.

The dinner is open to the public and for more information, call Ed Hogan at 215-632-6456.

Maddox’ tourney set

The Garry Maddox Bowling Classic, to benefit the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic, will be held tomorrow night in Brunswick Camden Lanes, Mt. Ephraim Avenue.

Sixty-four of the top professional athletes in the Philadelphia area, including many members of the 76ers, Eagles and Phillies, will bowl in the event, scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

General admission is $10 and tickets may be purchased at the door.

Kuhn says no strike

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn feels players and owners will resolve their differences and the threat of a strike by players will not materialize this year.

Kuhn made the comment yesterday during an appearance before the 1980 Cactus League Baseball Luncheon. Also attending were both American and National League presidents, Lee MacPhail and Charles Feeney.

Such strike talk, said Kuhn, has been attributed to the players' association.

"Frankly, I think it's the kind of routine boiler plate remark that you get in (he course of collective bargaining," he said.

Marvin Miller, chief negotiator for the players, said Tuesday negotiations were being stalled by the owners' representatives and that a new labor contract might not be signed in time for the April 9 baseball opener.

Luzinski will host stars in benefit

CHERRY HILL – Phillies' outfielder Greg Luzinski will host over 50 pro baseball, football and basketball players here at his tennis and racquetball courts on Feb. 9 to aid the American Cancer Society.

In addition, entertainers Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and Don Rickles will be on hand. The first 60 area residents will get the opportunity to play with the stars. A donation of $250 will be required to enter the day's festivities. Reservations can be made by sending a check to the American Cancer Society, 570 Haddon Ave., Collingswood, 08108. or by phoning 854-7201.

Phils make shifts at training site

PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies have announced that a change in ticket prices, increased capacity and several other improvements are being made at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla., where they will play their 1980 exhibition games.

More bleachers will be added in left field and the Phillies intend to separate the new stands from the main grandstand, so there will be a different ticket price structure. The main grandstand will cost $4, while the bleacher cost will be $3.

Sports writers reach for stars

CHERRY HILL A star-studded field of professional and amateur athletes will be on hand tomorrow night here in the Hyatt House for the 76th annual Philadelphia Sports Writers Association banquet.

Phillies first baseman Pete Rose, who will receive the association's Player of the Decade Award, leads a glittering list of professionals that includes representatives from all of Philadelphia's pro sports franchises. In addition, Art Rooney, president of the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers will receive the Team of the Year Award on behalf of his club.

Don Paige, Villanova's champion middle distance runner and the associations Amateur Athlete of the Year heads a contingent of amateurs that includes golfer Jay Sigel, field hockey goalie Diane Moyer of LaSalle and Temple quarterback Brian Broomell.

PSWA GUESTS LIST

1. Anthony Black, leading jockey
2. Bob Boone, Phillies all-star catcher
3. Larry Bewa, Phillies all-star shortstop
4. Alex Bradley, Villanova basketball star
5. Mel Bridgman, Flyers' captain
6. Mickey Briglia, coached Glassboro State to national baseball title
7. Brian Braomell. led Temple football team to bowl
8. John Bunting, Eagles' standout linebacker
9. Don Casey, Temple basketball coach
10. John Chaney, Cheyney St basketball coach
11. F. Eugene Dixon, Jr., Sixer owner who won 2nd straight Gold Cup
12. Jim "Jumbo" Elliott, Villanova track, coach-ot-the-century
13. Eddie Firmani, Fury coach, winner of 3 league titles last 4 years.
14. Tony Franklin, standout Eagle rookie kicker
15. Eric Gregg, popular National League umpire
16. Vitas Gerulaitis, world's No 4 tennis player,
17. Dallas Green, first year Phillies' manager
18. Randy Grossman, veteran Pittsburgh Steeler tight end
19. Wayne Hardin, coached Temple football team to best season ever
20. Ross Hayter, harness racing driver, champ at Brandywine
21. Ron Jaworski, Eagles quarterback. Good Guy award winner
22. Harry Kalas, toastmaster
23. Keith Krepfle. Eagles tight end
24. Brigid Leddy, Villanova's champion women runner
25. Jimmy Lynam, St. Joe's basketball coach
26. Garry Madden, Phillies golden glove outfielder
27. Bill Manleve, Widener football coach with 71-8 record
28. Diane Meyer, Olympic field hockey goalie from LaSalle
29. Wilbert Montgomery. Eagles star running back, pro athlete-of-year
30. Ted Nash, coached Penn rowers to Pan-Am gold medal
31. George O'Neill, former international star, now Fever coach
32. Don Paige, Villanova runner, amateur athlete-of-year
33. Bernie Parent, retired Flyer goalie
34. Max Patkin, clown prince of baseball
35. Pete Peeters, unbeaten (18-0-5) Flyers' rookie goalie
36. Brian Propp, rookie all-star from Flyers
37. Pat Quinn, Flyers head coach
38. Tubby Raymond, coached Delaware to 13 wins, best in nation
39. Art Rooney, president of Pittsburgh Steelers, the team-of-the-year
40. Pete Rose, Phillies first baseman, player-of-the-decade
41. Matthew Saad Muhammad, world middleweight champion
42. Joe Scott, President of rebuilt Flyers
43. Jay Sigel, British Amateur golf champion
44. Dick Vermeil. Eagles, 1979coach-ot-the-year
45. Bob Weinhauer, coached Penn basketball team to final four in '79

Answering the mail:  Phils need bullpen help

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

Answering the mail. Or, why didn't Grantland Rice tell me there'd be days like this?

Dear Mr. Kelly: Congratulations on your fine article concerning the selfish attitudes of some of America's athletes toward the Olympic Games boycott. We need more athletes like Bobby Clarke, Garry Maddox, Ernie Banks and Lou Gehrig.

James J. Coulter, Collingswood

Dear Jim. The athletes themselves sometimes forget the immense power they can wield in our society. It should be noted, however, that one of the most notable changes in sports over the past few decades has been the willingness of athletes to not only give lip service to worthy causes, but to also become personally involved in efforts to help others. Jocks used to visit hospitals. Nowadays they build them.

Ray Kelly: I have been reading you for years and have noticed that whenever you venture into the world of boxing, you come out swinging. Are you anti-boxing?

- C.T. Brown. Camden

Dear C.T.. On the contrary. Boxing is a great sport, which, unfortunately, has always spotlighted the knockout power of its athletes rather than the incredible conditioning and skill of the men who climb into the ring. Anyone who has put on a pair of gloves and gone a round or two knows what I'm talking about. Boxing has always been its own worst enemy.

Like the night a few weeks ago in Trenton, when a card of six professional bouts was presented at a local CYO and ended up with State Deputy Athletic Commissioner Robert W. Lee suspending and holding up the purses of three Philly fighters, all of whom sufferred knockouts in the first round. Another fighter, who lost on a technical knockout in the fourth round, was suspended for 30 days.

And, a fifth fight was ruled a no-decision due to a "misunderstanding," which the commissioner no doubt ironed out when he had a long talk with the managers and matchmakers involved. One thing is certain: no one deserved to run up the stairs of the art museum after this one.

Mr. Kelly: Some of the guys were rehashing the Super Bowl the other day and the question came up, why did the Steelers, who have all that talent, try to trick the Rams with an on-sides kickoff in the first quarter. What was the thinking on that play? Cousin - - Danny DiMona, Pennsauken

Hey Cuzz: You sure do have fancy hand-writing for a guy from New Jersey. But. seriously, the answer to that question kind of got lost in all the Super Bowl hoopla. Coach Chuck Noll explained later that the idea of looping the kickoff over the left side of the Rams front line on the kickoff came about when his people noticed in the game films that LA liked to use a quick sweep of its blockers to one side of the field as the ball was being kicked to them

That created the deserted area the Steelers targeted. Unfortunately, the kick wasn't deep enough and the Rams got good field position. The strategy, however, didn't fail, says Noll. From that point on, the Rams were far too wary to try their most successful way of returning kickoffs.

Ray W. Kelly: I think Brian Propp is going to be a truly great hockey player before he's finished playing for the Flyers. But, can you tell me who cuts his hair? He should be arrested.

- Betty Mathews, Cherry Hill

Dear Betty: The picture you saw of Brian was obviously taken after bis teammates gave him a little trim. It's part of a hockey ritual that takes place when a rookie proves he's got what it takes. Propp was lucky. On some teams part of the "welcome to the club" treatment includes the taping up of the newcomer's head. Which no doubt gave birth to the first "razor cut" hairdo.

Mr. Kelly: I am a die-hard Phillies fan who would like to know what will be the key to the learn winning the division this season. Will Manager Dallas Green really make that much of a difference?

- Mrs. Dorothy Wilson, Cinnaminson

Mrs. Wilson: What the Phils need most of all is to get healthy, which should restore the confidence of more than a few players. It reliever Warren Brusstar can't come back off his arm problems, a trade for bullpen help is mandatory. Young righthanded starter Marty Bystrom is the key to opening that door. If he's ready for the big time, the Phils have room to deal.

They'll need another good year out of Pete Rose, which is one more than the Cinncinatti experts thought he could produce. Look for him to bat leadoff. A solid year from Greg Luzinski might pave the way for an MVP season by Mike Schmidt.

Think positive. That’s what Green will be preaching. At this juncture, it appears as if Coach Bobby Wine will be involved quite a bit in the decisions concerning game tactics, while Green’s greatest contribution could be in providing the Phils with a strong dose of leadership.

Spring comes early for Phils’ Brusstar

By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA – The dull thud of a baseball careening off a concrete wall echoed through the chilly underbelly of Veterans Stadium yesterday morning. What could it matter?

This wasn't baseball season. Both the hockey and basketball seasons were in full swing. Who needed to think about the Phillies during January?

A year ago, righthander Warren Brus-star probably would have agreed with that kind of outlook. He was healthy then, and considered one of the top relief pitchers in the National League.

Things change. Now, as he prepared to throw the ball against the wall a second time, Brusstar wrestled with the reality that at any instant he might feel the pain that would tell him bis pitching career was finished.

Other challenges will follow, the big one coming during spring training when he takes the mound and faces a hitter under game conditions. But, to reach that point, he has to get over the first in a series of hurdles.

"Nice and easy," cautioned Phillies trainer Don Seger. "Just let your shoulder get used to the idea of throwing again."

Seger glanced at Pete Cera, the team's ever-smiling assistant clubhouse manager, whose nod was a signal that he was ready to continue filming Brusstar's every move. On this day, nothing was being left to chance.

Much of the Phils' 1980 season rode on what was about to take place. The loss of Brusstar during the 1979 season had proven that. His shoulder problems set off a chain reaction that dropped a heavy burden on the other members of the bullpen.

Looking back, most of the Phils will admit that the loss of Brusstar was the single most devastating blow the club suffered last year. And, that shocked the lanky righthander.

"My first two years in the big leagues had gone so well that I didn't think of myself in terms of being that valuable to the team," he said. "The shoulder problem really woke me up insofar as realizing what I'd accomplished for the Phillies.

"I mean, I was still looking at it like a guy who felt fortunate to be on the same team with these guys. I really didn't realize how much I contributed until I was forced to sit around and see this situation and that situation."

Brusstar began to pitch with a breezy, fluid motion that was somewhere between playing catch and pitching for real. The trick was to get his arm over the top and to use the full range of his right shoulder without pushing it too far.

Time and again the ball came back off the wall. Until Brusstar had worked himself up to what he estimated was "60 percent" of his normal velocity. All the while he listened to the messages his body was sending out.

"There's a little pain," he said. "But, it's more like the usual soreness that comes with throwing for the first time in a while."

It seemed ironic that almost a year ago to the day, he'd been standing in the same place teaching an aspiring young pitcher named John Heofling (son of physical fitness expert Gus Hoefling) some of the finer points of working the mound.

"I threw about 20 pitches at three-quarter speed and my shoulder started to kill me," he recalled. "I began to wonder if I'd strained it lifting weights or throwing long distance during November and December with Larry Bowa. But, I figured it would be okay by thp time I got to spring training."

The shoulder was never the same. Oh, there was a brief period in June when the pain vanished. Within a week it was back. Brusstar went to Reading. That's where he was in mid-August when he knew it was useless to try to throw anymore.

"More than once since then I've thought about what I'd do if it was all over," he said. "But, what good does it do to worry? What happens will happen.

"All I know is, that right now, I'm encouraged. I feel good about how it went. But, it'll take a month of days like this before I really know if I'm going to be okay."

Last night, Warren Brusstar eased into a chair at his home. He felt stiff and sore all over. He smiled. For a pitcher, it was a sure sign of spring.

Rose doesn’t show

PHILADELPHIA – Pete Rose of the Phillies stood up the Mexican sports establishment and angered a couple of promotors by pulling a disappearing act before showing up in Cincinnati yesterday.

Rose was supposed to present an award yesterday to Mexico's top athlete of 1979, Daniel Bautista, at a banquet, but he failed to show up.

Rose was not immediately available for comment, but his Cincinnati lawyer, Reuven Katz was. "I don't want to discuss it," said Katz. "Some things are difficult to discuss."

Ida McGinniss, director of the Speakers Bureau, said, "The nicest thing that could happen to Pete Rose now is for him to be found in a hospital with amnesia."

"Mexico was waiting for a major U.S. athlete," Arroyo said. "All Rose would have had to say was he didn't feel like attending. He hasn't even given us the courtesy of an explanation."