Atlantic City Press - March 23, 1980

Maddox Can’t Understand Phils’ Hard Line

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Garry Maddox says that he can't understand why the Philadelphia Phillies admit he’s worth what he’s asking in a new five-year contract but won’t pay the price.

In an interview Friday night, Maddox claimed the Phillies have told him he could get what he wants in the open market and to go out and get it. 

Maddox, through his agent Jerry Kapstein, have been negotiating with the club since Jan. 1, 1979. Two weeks ago both sides agreed they had reached an impasse and halted negotiations. 

Maddox said he would play out his option this season and become a free agent, which would still give the Phillies a chance to sign him if they change their mind. 

A source close to the team indicated Maddox was asking close to $1 million a year over the five-year contract, which is more than the Phillies pay Pete Rose. 

Maddox denied that he is asking for more than Rose.

Maddox has made no secret of the fact that he wants to remain in Philadelphia. He asked his agent to reopen negotiations with Phillies owner Ruly Carpenter. Carpenter and Kapstein had a long conversation Friday. 

Carpenter said no new numbers were exchanged but general concepts were discussed. He said they would talk again in a few days. Maddox said those talks would be Sunday. 

Maddox said he’s confused. He asked that if the Phillies believe he’s worth what he’s asking and won’t pay, what will they do at the expiration of contracts with such stars as Mike Schmidt, Greg Luzinski, Larry Bowa and Manny Trillo? 

Maddox asked if they take the same attitude, how can they remain competitive. He asked if they are going to tell all those stars to take a walk and test the waters of the free-agent market. 

Carpenter is a hard-liner when it comes to signing expensive free agents and paying salaries he considers out of line with baseball’s financial structure. The only bonafide free agent signed by the Phillies has been Rose. 

Despite drawing 27 million people at home in 1979, the Phillies claim they lost money. 

Maddox said he can’t believe it. He asked if baseball teams are in a state of poverty, why won't they open their books and show the players the facts? 

Maddox said he plans only to talk through spring training. If there is no settlement, he’ll play out his option and won’t talk about money again until he becomes a free agent.

Meet Tug McGraw, Cancer Fighter

Sonny on Sunday, By Sonny Schwartz

ONE of the more colorful and productive athletes in the entire sports world is Philadelphia Phillies’ reliever Frank Edwin (Tug) McGraw. 

His on-the-field productivity — while visible in statistical records — far exceeds his positive attitude and enthusiastic approach to the game. 

As Tug once exhorted to the New York Met fans: 

“Ya Gotta Believe!” 

The fans believed; McGraw’s ex-Miracle Met team members believed… and soon "Ya Gotta Believe" became the electrifying slogan that sparked the "rookie” National Leaguers to the World Series championship. 

Well, the Tugger is shouting “Ya Gotta Believe” once again. 

Only this time he's doing it to help stamp out that dreaded disease, cancer. 

Just two days before leaving for the Phillies’ spring training camp in Clearwater, Fla., McGraw was in South Jersey to promote the Saturday, March 29, Vic Damone Benefit Concert sponsored by the Atlantic County Unit of the American Cancer Society. 

The Damone concert will be performed in Bally’s Park Place and should attract a capacity crowd, according to Anthony (Tony) Torcasio, concert chairman and vice president in charge of casino operations at the Penthouse Boardwalk Hotel. 

Agreeing with Torcasio’s optimistic forecast are Carl Jacobs, Atlantic County Cancer unit president, and Elwood (Bud) Gundaker, its crusade chairman.

All three men also were high in praise of McGraw’s efforts on behalf of the upcoming Damone concert in general, and the battle against cancer in particular. 

They also said the county cancer unit is employing McGraw’s patented "Ya Gotta Believe” cheer as its slogan to attain its $100,000 goal, as well as its motivator in striving to achieve the expected sellout crowd for the concert.

A high point of McGraw's area visit to boost both causes was his talk before the Atlantic County Cancer society membership at a dinner in Zaberers Restaurant, McKee City. 

McGraw told his audience, "How fortunate one is to have good health.”

“But just as important,” McGraw related, “is the dedication people such as yourselves have for those who aren’t as fortunate, and consequently suffer from bad health.” 

McGraw’s cancer society appearance marked one of his first for a cause other than the Muscular Dystrophy Association. 

Tug is national vice president of MDA and is the Philadelphia-Delaware-South Jersey regional chairman for MDA sports-related activities. 

His much-publicized benefit bicycle trips — two from Philadelphia to Clearwater ana one from Seattle to San Diego — raised thousands of dollars for the MDA. 

“Many people don’t realize it, but with his goofy on-the-field antics, Tug is good at hiding his sincere and serious feelings about people and events,” observed Bill Pettit, president of All-Star Productions, a Willingboro-based promotional consultation firm that handles, among many others, McGraw.

“Actually, Tug has worked with the MDA for four years. It started when he was asked to have his picture taken with the MDA Poster Boy at the Vet (Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia) prior to a game. 

“Posing for pictures, and promotions such as that, were all he was supposed to do as regional sports chairman for the MDA.” 

However, Pettit indicated, Tug felt that alone wasn't enough activity to warrant the title. 

“So he became totally involved,” Pettit noted “He went to clinics and learned about the disease so he would know what people were speaking about when he went to a hospital or to a meeting. 

“Shortly thereafter, he was in New York at the MDA’s annual kickoff dinner, giving the chief motivational speech to volunteers from around the world.” 

Pettit said that last year, McGraw took two full months of his off-season time to work on the MDA benefit bike trip.

“He spent one month on the telephone, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, trying to raise money and getting the players to participate," Pettit said. 

“He got everything from their sneakers to their bicycles donated, then obtained corporate sponsors so the trip would be in the black before the first pedal was pumped. 

“Then it was a full month on the road — up at 7 am — to ride bikes. The rides ended at midnight with fund-raising events in each and every city the bicyclists appeared in. And there was a new city every night. 

“Guys like Tug; Steve Carlton; Roman Gabriel; Ben Davidson; me, I was the ‘coach;’ Christenson, and John Montefusco, carried around crippled kids and did everything from skating at skatathons, to dancing at danceathons to raise money for the MDA. 

“Well that same zeal that Tug has for the MDA is now being used by him in helping the American Cancer Society’s Atlantic County Unit fight against cancer. 

McGraw was quick to echo Pettit's sentiments. 

“With the Vic Damone benefit concert as the catalyst, Tug is doing everything he can to support that fight.” 

“In part, it was reciprocal," McGraw said. “Bud Gundaker (the regional manager of MAB Paints and current Atlantic County cancer crusade chairman) and the MAB people didn’t hesitate when I asked them to help sponsor many MDA events. 

“Besides that, I believe that cancer is something we should all do our part to help conquer.” 

Carl Jacobs, Bud Gundaker, Tony Torcasio and all the other volunteer American Cancer Society, Atlantic County Unit members join the Tugger in that hope. 

Especially when the crack Phillies’ hurler continues to make his pitch to assure the success of the Saturday, March 29, Vic Damone Concert cancer fund-raising benefit concert at Bally’s Park Place…

Sonny Schwartz, a member of the Press staff, writes “Sonny on Sunday" weekly for South Jersey Living.