New Jersey Newspapers - March 23, 1980
Camden Courier-Post
Phils comfortable with Dallas Green’s organization
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The name of the game was telling the truth. And, Phillies Manager Dallas Green was loving very minute of it.
"Shoot," said one of a half-dozen baseball men sitting around the table of a 4 well-known beachfront restaurant, "I knew Dallas Green when he dressed like a bus driver on duty, tripped over his own feet on the mound and was downright , homely looking!"
Green tilted his head back and laughed like a man enjoying himself completely. He also recognized a compliment, even when it was wrapped in false sarcasm.
For time had been more than kind to the 45-year-old man from Delaware, filling his 6-5 frame in correct proportions, weathering his face with lines of pure character and streaking his hair with just enough silver to provoke just a hint of envy in other men.
Now, tanned and tailored in a dark blue suit, Green looked like he'd just walked off a television sound stage. "Dallas," more than likely.
"To tell you the truth,” he finally answered, "I'm still not a lot different than the guy who used to sit around this town on the final day of training camp wondering whether he was going north to Philly or down to the minors.
"I was always trying to make the team. Every spring I was hoping to be the 24th or 25th man on the squad. And, I don't ever plan to forget what that was like.
This was Green's first spring training at the helm of the Phillies. And, the watchwords of the camp had been organization and discipline.
So impressive was the precision of the daily routines that the generous portions of understanding being handed out to reserve players and hopeful rookies had gone virtually unnoticed.
“Not by me," said outfielder Greg Gross the following day. "I'm not going to put the knock on Danny Ozark, but I'll tell you that the worst thing you can do to guys down here is to take them on the road day after day and not use them.
"Last spring, I made the three-day trip to the East Coast (of Florida) and got to pinch-hit once. Plus, I got very little batting practice because we were on the road."
One of the basic decisions Green made when he took over the team was to discard the popular notion that the Phils should have three locker rooms, one for the starting eight players, one for the pitchers and one for the reserves.
"We got eight guys ready for last season,", said Green. "When they started to get hurt, we expected the bench to step in and fill our needs. But, we'd failed to get them ready. And, that's not fair. Not fair to them or the team."
The manager wasn't just talking about physical preparation. Ozark had a knack for bending over backwards for his starting players and making his reserves feel like unwanted orphans. Until, of course, he needed them.
"Don't be surprised at some of the things I do this spring." Green warned General Manger Paul Owens. "If we're . going to make a run at this thing (a pennant) we're going to need everybody."
Owens, who spent too many years in the field not to know what Green was talking about, waited in delightful anticipation.
And, when the competition began down here, there were changes. The stars of the club didn't just play the first four innings of a game before turning it over to the lesser lights.
There was a constant mixture of people. Larry Bowa might be playing shortstop in Sarasota next to a rookie second baseman, while Manny Trillo was at Dunedin turning a double play with a hopeful veteran like Ramon Aviles.
"Now, instead of getting one at-bat before getting pulled out of seven straight games, I'm getting three at-bats in a game and then sitting out the next day," explained outfielder Gross.
"It gives you a chance to get the feel of a game. You're playing, really getting ready to step into the lineup if you're needed.
"This is great. That's the way the guys feel. I mean, they feel like they're a part of the team and will be ready if they're needed.
"I stepped in last season, but I was lucky. I got hot at the plate and worked from there. I could have just as easily fallen flat on my face, because the old system didn't prepare you."
As the final days of training camp arrive. Green will mesh the starting team. But, until that time, the guy struggling to win the opportunity to sit on the Phillies bench are being given a chance.
Dallas Green was always one of them And, he hasn't forgotten.
Carlton goes five as Phillies blank Houston Astros
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Steve Carlton, who has silently embarked upon what might be the best spring training of his career, did it again yesterday as the Phillies beat the Houston Astros, 3-0, in Jack Russell Stadium.
Carlton, who went into the game with a 1.50 earned run average, struck out four and walked one as he breezed through five impressive innings. The big lefthander has now worked 9 innings without giving up a run.
Another Philly enjoying a prosperous spring is third baseman Mike Schmidt, whose batting average is a dandy .692 after he stroked a pair of singles in three trips to the plate.
“lt's a good thing he is hitting the ball so well," said Phillies Manager Dallas Green, who was not happy at all the other day when Schmitty informed him that his ankles were sore.
“He told me his ankles get sore whenever he plays tennis," said Green, “and I told him that baseball's gotta come first."
Now 7-3 in Grapefruit League action, the Phillies got a run off Houston knuckleballer Joe Niekro in the third inning when shortstop Rafael Landestoy booted Larry Bowa's grounder, Bowa moving to third on a single to center field by Carlton and scoring on Rose's infield out.
Astro righthander Ken Forsch was on the mound in the seventh when the Phils scored two more runs. Greg Gross singled and scored on a double by Garry Maddox.
When Maddox moved to third on an infield out, Bowa dropped a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in front of the plate to score the speedy outfielder.
Following Carlton on the mound and keeping the shutout in order were Scott Munninghoff and Ron Reed.
Green and General Manager Paul Owens met after the game to discuss squad cuts. They'll be made today when the club travels to St. Petersburg to play St. Louis.
The Phillies, who will send Randy Lerch to the mound today, are currently hitting .298 as a team. Bob Forsch will pitch for the Cardinals today.
The Press of Atlantic City
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.
Carlton Pitches Five Shutout Innings as Phils Blank Astros
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Steve Carlton pitched five scoreless innings Saturday as the Philadelphia Phillies took a 3-0 shutout from the Houston Astros.
The big lefthander gave up three hits over the first five innings while walking one and striking out four.
Larry Bowa scored the first run in the third inning, reaching base on an error by shortstop Rafael Landestoy. Bowa moved to third on Carlton's single and scored on an infield out by Pete Rose. The run came off losing pitcher Joe Niekro.
Reliever Ken Forsch was tagged for the other two runs in the seventh. Greg Gross singled to left and scored as Garry Maddox followed with a double to deep center.
Maddox advanced to third when Keith Moreland grounded to first base and scored when Bowa laid down a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt.
The Phils’ win was their seventh in 10 games; Houston fell to 2-7.
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.
