Camden Courier-Post - September 22, 1980

Phils tip Cubs; ½ game back

By Rusty Pray of the Courier-Post

CHICAGO – Ron Reed had been the forgotten man of the Phillies' bullpen. For the last eight days, Reed had done nothing but watch other relievers work.

There was, of course, reason why Manager Dallas Green called someone other than Reed whenever Green dialed the bullpen's number. Reed had been running hot and cold for most of the season. And, he had lost the second game of a Sept. 12 doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals after Nino Espinosa and Tug McGraw had shut out the Cards for 10 innings.

So it came as something of a. surprise when Green brought Reed into yesterday's game against the Cubs with the tying runs on base in the sixth inning. It seems Green remembered Reed was part of the bullpen just in time, because Reed retired all 10 batters he faced to save a 7-3 victory for starter Dick Ruthven.

AS IT turned out, it was an important win for the Phils, moving them as it did to within a half-game of first-place Montreal in the National League East Division standings.

"I'm proud of Ronnie. He probably felt like he was a forgotten man down in the bullpen," said Green. "But I haven't forgotten him. A performance like today is certainly going to sit very well with me, but we have a bullpen that's been doing a pretty good job. And Ronnie has kind of taken a back seat. But he's a quality guy and he showed it again today."

Reed is not so sure that Green had not meant to bury him in the bullpen. The tall righthander is not the happiest member of the team right now, but he knows the club has a chance to win the East championship.

So any feelings he might have he has wisely decided to keep to himself.

THE DIFFERENCE between the Reed of yesterday, who walked into a S-3 ballgame and retired Mick Kelleher with two on and two out, and the Reed of Sept 12 was that Reed challenged the Cub hitters.

"I think," Reed said, "that part of my problem was I wasn't going after hitters the way I should."

His catcher, Bob Boone, who went 3-for-5, agreed. "He was throwing real hard, some excellent forkballs and breaking balls. I told him when he got out there to just let it go because he gets in trouble sometimes thinking that he can't throw strikes with his hard stuff. He winds up trying to guide the ball. He's very effective when he just lets it go."

Ruthven struggled through much of his 5⅔ innings to get his 16th win, a career high. He walked the first two batters he faced in the second inning, and Jerry Martin followed with a double that made it 2-1 with runners on second and third. But Ruthven got the next three hitters on routine fly balls to work out of the jam.

"HE JUST didn't seem to have a good pop," said Green. "He kept fooling around with turning the ball over – a pitch we're not in agreement with. He's using it as his No. 1 pitch and it's his No. 3 or 4 pitch.

"As usual, he won’t agree with me.”

As usual, Ruthven didn't, saying he experimented with the sinking pitch only twice. "He (Green) can't tell from the dugout," said Ruthven. "He has to ask me or Boone."

The offense, meanwhile, backed Ruthven and Reed with 15 hits, including home runs by Greg Luzinski (No. 18) and Mike Schmidt (41). Manny Trillo had two doubles, one of which drove in a run and helped set up one of the more unusual sacrifice flies of the season.

Trillo scored Garry Maddox with the Phils' third run in the fourth, Larry Bowa, back in the lineup after a two-game absence, sent Trillo to third with a single to right. After Ruthven struck out attempting to bunt, Pete Rose doubled to make it 4-1.

Bake McBride followed Rose by slicing a line drive that leftfielder Bill Buckner snared with a sensational diving catch. The play caught Rose between second and third, Buckner easily turning Rose into a double play. But Bowa had tagged from third and scored before Rose was out, giving the Phils another run.

PHIL UPS – Writers and members of the Phillies were shocked and saddened by the death of Atlantic City Press columnist Harry Hoffman... Hoffman was covering this road trip for the Press... He was found dead in his hotel room yesterday afternoon... He was 56... Ruthven is 8-3 since July 19... Schmidt has 30 career homers in Wrigley Field, eight this season... Rose batted for the 601st time this season... It made Rose the only player in baseball history to have at least 600 at bats in 13 consecutive years... Nellie Fox had turned the trick 12 straight times... Steve Carlton is to pitch tonight against Pete Vuckovich as road trip continues in St. Louis.

Harry Hoffman, 56, succumbs in Chicago

Harry Hoffman, 56-year-old veteran sports writer for the Atlantic City Press, was found dead in his Chicago hotel room yesterday.

A prolific writer, Hoffman joined the sports staff of The Press in 1951 after graduating from Rutgers University and had been a writer and columnist for more than 20 years. The Atlantic City Lions Club named him its "Newsman of the Year" last October.

Hoffman's was the newspaper's best-known by-line and "an institution in the area," according to Charles C. Reynolds, the editor and publisher.

A resident of McKee City, Hoffman was on his first road trip of the year with the Phillies and was in Chicago to cover the team's series against the Cubs which ended yesterday.

The cause of death remained undetermined late last night. It was known that Hoffman had been under treatment for high blood pressure.

"We do know that he answered an 8:45 a.m. wakeup call at the hotel, had shaved and had packed his bags," said Mike Shepherd, The Press sports editor. "When he didn't arrive at the ballpark by the third inning, another writer contacted his hotel and had his room checked. He was found sitting in a chair."

A former stringer for the Courier-Post, he was a 1942 graduate of Atlantic City High School where he was an honor student and played baseball.

A veteran of World War II, he was in the Army Corps of Engineers from 1942 through 1946 and saw service in Japan, New Guinea and the Philippines. In 1946, he entered Rutgers then joined The Press after his graduation.

At first he concentrated on scholastic and local area sports, but in recent years had turned his versatile and authoritative talent to the professional beat, covering baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey and horse racing. He was a member of a number of organizations, including the Thoroughbred Racing Writers Association, the Professional Hockey Writers Association, the Baseball Writers Association of America and the Philadelphia and New Jersey Sports Writers Associations.

"His stories always were interesting and he never seemed to have a slump," said Shepherd. "He prided himself on his speed and he thought nothing of covering an Eagles game in the afternoon then crossing the street for a Flyers game at night. He probably had the widest readership in the area."

He also was an enthusiastic participant in sports, most recently in tennis, but he was a former squash champion at an Atlantic City club. He also played tournament bridge and taught the game.

Hoffman is survived by his wife Barbara, whom he married in 1948, sons Bruce and Keith and a daughter, Lori, all oh whom live in South Jersey. Another son, Gary Reston Hoffman, 28, was killed while bicycling in August 1979.