Wilmington News Journal - January 1980

Rose, Singleton head WSBA banquet

Pete Rose, Ken Singleton, Ron Jaworski and Jeff Komlo – they'll all be at the 31st annual Wilmington Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association banquet at the Hotel Du Pont on Monday night, Jan. 14.

The announcement that they accepted invitations to the banquet was made last night.

The Phillies' Rose was baseball's Player of the Decade; the Baltimore Orioles' Singleton was runner-up for most valuable player in the American League last season; Jaworski steered the Eagles to a playoff berth in the National Football League, and Komlo, as a rookie, was the regular quarterback for the Detroit Lions.

Al Meltzer, prominent Philadelphia sportscaster, previously had accepted an invitation to be toast-master.

Rose recently was chosen baseball's Player of the Decade by The Sporting News. During the period, beginning with the 1970 season, he collected 2,045 hits for an average of .314. His career record for 17 seasons, all spent with the Cincinnati Reds except last season, shows 3,372 hits and a .312 batting average.

During the past season, Rose finished second in the National League batting race with a .331 average. Playing in 163 games, he collected 208 hits, led the National League in singles with 159 for the second straight year and compiled the majors' longest consecutive-game hitting streak of 23.

In 1978, Rose excited the sports world with his 44-game hitting streak, a National League record. He was voted National League rookie of the year in 1963 and the National League's most valuable player in 1973.

Singleton was largely instrumental in putting the Orioles into the World Series last season. The big outfielder – he stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 210 pounds – batted .295, smote 29 doubles and 35 home runs, and knocked in 111 runs. He also was among the American League's leaders in total bases with 302 and in slugging percentage with .533.

Singleton has been a large factor in the Orioles' success since he was acquired in a trade with Montreal in December of 1974. For the third time in the last five years, he was selected as the Orioles' most valuable player by Baltimore baseball writers and broadcasters.

Jaworski had his best season in 1979 since joining the Eagles. In the final National Football Conference statistics, he was ranked third in passing with a rating of 76.8. Jaworski, who came to the Eagles in March 1977 from the Los Angeles Rams in a trade for tight end Charles Young, threw 18 touchdown passes, had a completion percentage of 50.8 and was intercepted only 12 times.

Komlo, the former College Division Ail-American out of Delaware, surprised by stepping into a starting quarterback position in his rookie year. Komlo got his chance after the two returning quarterbacks were sidelined with injuries, and Coach Monte Clark continued to show his confidence in him even though the Lions wound up with an unsuccessful season. Komlo made a strong impression in particular by guiding the Lions to victory over the Chicago Bears in a nationally televised game. His season's figures included 11 touchdown passes and a 49.7 completion percentage.

Delaware (excerpt)

By Al Cartwright

Conrad Junior High’s administration and staff awards "Conradian of the Week" certificates to "students who have contributed positive accomplishments to the school," and the latest recipient is Dallas Green.

No other manager of the Phillies can make that statement.

The letter to Green from Rudolph Karko-sak, principal, pointed out that while Conrad no longer is a high school, some graduates on the staff are trying to keep the old spirit alive. The Redskins apparently have not bitten the dust.