New Jersey Newspapers - March 26, 1980
Camden Courier-Post
Espinosa is having an unhappy spring
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
CLEARWATER, Fla. – At times it appeared as if he was pushing the ball toward the plate instead of flinging it the way he did for the Phillies last season.
Nino Espinosa was in trouble and he knew it. After months of rest and treatment, the pain in his right shoulder persisted, and it was obvious that he would not be ready when training camp concluded.
The second-biggest winner on the pitching staff in 1979 tried to be optimistic. "I'm improving. The shoulder is feeling a little better," he said softly.
But, there was no conviction in his voice. How could there be after two frustrating innings of pitching in a "B game" against the scrubs of the lowly New York Mets?
"Every year I'd pitch winter ball in the Dominican and then come into camp ready to go," he said with a shake of his head.
"I'd just jump out onto the mound, throw a little bit and I'd be ready for the season. Now, all I feel is bad."
The morning appearance against the Mets was the righthander's first of the spring. Giving up a run in the first inning wasn't encouraging and neither was the second inning in which he got to throw only six pitches to the over-anxious Mets.
Complicating matters was the new pitching motion Espinosa was trying to develop. Hopefully, it would take the strain off his shoulder and keep the tendonitis from getting worse.
Noticing that Nino cocked his throwing arm behind his hip before breaking into the second phase of his pitching motion, Manager Dallas Green and pitching coach Herm Starrette suggested he try a new one-motion delivery.
"They're much older than me and should know more. I'm willing to try it," said Nino. "The thing is, I've been throwing the other way for years."
Thus, in addition to the stiffness in his shoulder, Nino also tried to contend with the awkwardness of the experimental delivery. The results left observers on the sidelines shaking their heads in dismay.
He threw a mediocre fast ball and a cumbersome changeup. Nothing more. To attempt a breaking pitch at this point in time would be risky business, to say the least.
When it was over, he moved to the trainer's room and packed his shoulder in ice. There was little else to do. Maybe the work would loosen up the shoulder.
"This is the first time in my life I've had anything like this," said the man who had come from the Mets in a trade involving Richie Hebner.
The deal looked golden last spring. Nino, his arm in mid-season form as a result of his annual pitching duties in his native country, was far ahead of the hitters when the season began.
He came out of the gate with three April victories and went on to a peak in July when he chalked up five more victories without a single defeat.
At one point, he pitched over 34 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run to cross the plate. This, despite the fact that the Phils' offense never seemed willing to explode when Nino was on the mound. As with the Mets, Nino had to make do with a run or two.
Somewhere along the line, the accumulation of so many innings pitched in winter ball and his ever-increasing workload with the Phillies pushed Nino's shoulder to the point of no return.
With the Phils' pitching staff decimated by injuries, Espinosa was ultimately asked to pitch with only three days rest by Manager Danny Ozark.
"It was the first time in my life I went out there with less than four days rest," he recalled. "But I was going good and I was eager to have the ball.
"I think I underestimated the situation at the time. I think it got to me."
The stubbornly-competitive Espinosa was literally ordered out of the starting rotation at the close of the season. He was tired. All it needed was some rest. Or, that was the thinking.
In December, Nino flew into Philly and tried to pitch for the doctors. He was told to go back home and continue resting the shoulder.
All that rest hasn't solved the problem. The only thing left is to pitch a little and wait... pitch a little and wait.
It is not the happiest of springs for Nino Espinosa.
Phillies see delight about Rose, Noles
By Ray W. Kelly of the Courier-Post
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Pete Rose showed he hasn't changed and righthander Dick Noles showed that he has – both developments delighting the Phils during yesterday's 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Twice during the rain-sprinkled day at Jack Russell Stadium, Rose instigated chaos on the basepaths, prompting the defense of the American League champions to wilt under the pressure and cough up three runs.
"That's why Pete does what he does," said Manager Dallas Green, who had a lot to smile about.
NOLES, THE object of concern since he got here, finally regained the pitching form that made him the "rookie hope" last season. It was just in the nick of time, since righthander Nino Espinosa's ailing shoulder makes the starting rotation questionable.
Catcher Bob Boone worked a surprising seven innings behind the plate in an obvious attempt to accelerate his rebound from knee surgery.
And, yet another strong relief performance from Rawly Eastwick as well as Lerrin LaGrow, gave the bullpen gang a welcome opportunity to gloat.
"IT WAS a full day," said Green. And, it was.
Baltimore's Ken Singleton greeted Noles with a two-run homer before the tall righthander could even get untracked in the first inning. But, when the Phils came to bat, Rose began to cook.
He singled to right and moved to second as Dennis Martinez walked a revitalized Bake McBride. When Greg Luzinski ripped a screaming double into center field, Rose tried to score despite a muddy track. He had to run over Orioles catcher Floyd Rayford to score, but he did it. Head up and hustling, McBride roared home also when the ball trickled away from the catcher.
IN THE second inning, Larry Bowa walked, stole second and scored on Rose's single to to right field. Singles by Mike Schmidt and Luzinski in the third inning set up Garry Maddox' sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
"Noles got a lot better as the game progressed," said Green. "He's been throwing funny. Not himself. During the long winter he forgot how to do it. but, he threw like he knows how today."
Eastwick, who altered his grip on his new split-fingered fast ball and is mixing his other pitches in nicely, blanked the Orioles on three hits during his three innings of work.
"RAWLY WENT after people today," said Green. "He wanted to get people out. It's a different approach. Eastwick looked lethargic at times last year. A pitcher has to let a batter know he's going after him. That's what Rawly did today."
A dandy, run-saving, shoetop catch of a sinking line drive by Maddox in the fifth inning was a crowd-pleaser. But, it was Rose who brought them to their feet in the seventh.
Del Unser drove a double to the center field wall and scored on Pete's single to center. When McBride skied out to center field, Rose tagged up and did his head-first slide into second base. Schmidt then flied out to center field and again Rose tagged up, never breaking stride and scoring all the way from second base when the Baltimore defense fumbled the relay to the infield.
LaGROW, WHO blanked the Orioles in the final two frames, drew praise from Green, who said, "the guy has bulldog in him."
Rookie infielder Luis Aguayo may get a ticket to the big league if he can chase down a fly ball or two. The youngster, who is hitting .353 this spring, will be taking extra work in the outfield during the next week. If he looks like he can handle some late-inning replacement duty for Luzinski in left field, he might be home free.
The Press of Atlantic City
Can The ‘Tooth Fairy’ Help Unlucky Larry?
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Remember when you were a child and you lost a tooth? You placed the tooth under your pillow and waited for the “tooth fairy” to leave you a monetary reward.
Pitcher Larry Christenson of the Philadelphia Phillies at age 26 is a little old for that fantasy of youth, but he did something similar with a spur removed from his shoulder.
“It looks like a shark's tooth about three quarters of an inch long and about half an inch wide,” said Christenson as he recalled this uncomfortable period of his life.
"I was thinking of having something made out of it,” Christenson related at the Phillies’ spring training camp.
It wasn’t that the 6-foot-3 Christenson was a masochist. The spur reminded him of adversity.
Christenson, a 213-pound right-hander, should be used to adversity. He has a chronic back condition that on occasion puts him out of business. Last year he joined a charity bicycle marathon, fell off his bike and broke his collarbone in six places. The spur developed from the collarbone injury. He appeared in just 19 games, posted a 5-10 record with a 4.50 ERA.
Actually, Christenson didn't make his first start until May 12. He was back on the disabled list July 3, and underwent surgery on Aug. 17. It was a season best forgotten.
“Everybody knows now that it was a must operation… I was in pain when I was throwing all last year. I had a spur in my collarbone that went into my shoulder blade… It got worse and worse. That spur kept growing longer and longer.
“Maybe by this year if I let it go, it might have protruded through my shoulder right now. They just went in with a hammer and chisel and chiseled it out. It had to be done. I couldn’t sleep on my right side. I couldn’t do anything with that shoulder. I needed that movement,” Christenson said.
So much for the past. How has Christenson felt lately? He’s being counted upon as a starter. The Phillies need 15 victories or more from the pitcher if they hope to regain the National League East title from Pittsburgh.
“I feel great,” said Christenson.
Yeah but everybody feels great in sunny Florida in March. Everybody is a .300 hitter, a 20-game winner, a champion. Rose colored glasses abound as much as oranges.
Christenson insists his optimism has basis for fact, and is not based on hope or self brainwashing.
“When I came down here and started throwing like the third of February, I had some stiffness in my shoulder and elbow which everybody goes through. But it just cleared right out and my arm is getting real strong, I don’t think I'll have any problem.”
But in a recent spring training contest, Christenson was struck by a line drive, bruising the inside of a knee. The club trainer said it was not serious.
Christenson, however, does admit he has had some problem with slight hamstring muscle pulls, because he has changed his physical conditioning program to include running for the first time in three years. The Phillies always have kept him from running because of his back problem.
New manager Dallas Green said he instituted the running program for Christenson.
“He and I have talked about where he (Christenson) is in his career, and I told him flat out that the program he was under the last few years in my opinion was not going to get it,” Green said.
Rose Leads Phils Past Orioles
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Pete Rose collected three hits, scoring twice and driving in three runs, as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 Tuesday in a major league exhibition game.
Rose, who raised his spring average to .384, struck first in the first inning. He held up on second when Greg Luzinski sent a long fly over center fielder Al Bumbry’s head.
The ball hit the center field wall for a double but Rose got a late start and almost was thrown out at home. Catcher Floyd Rayford caught the relay throw but was run over by Rose. As the ball rolled away, Bake McBride also scored and the Phillies overcame a deficit caused by Ken Singleton's two-run homer.
In the second, the Phillies took the lead when Rose singled in Larry Bowa from third with two outs. Philadelphia put the game away with two more runs in the seventh one coming on a Rose single.
Rawly Eastwick gave up only three hits in three scoreless relief innings for the Phillies, who are 8-4 in exhibition play.
Lerrin LaGrow followed Eastwick and held the Orioles scoreless for two innings. The American League champs now are 7-7.
Owners Sticking to Proposal
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Major league baseball executives, meeting privately Tuesday, appeared willing to stick to their current proposals for a basic agreement with players despite the growing threat of a players’ strike.
“I just hope that if they strike, they wait until they go north,” said Hal Middlesworth, former Detroit Tigers’ public relations man now directing publicity for the owners’ negotiator, Ray Grebey. ‘‘That was a real mess in '72 when they went out during the spring.”
The 1972 regular baseball season was cut short because of the strike.
“The owners remain just as unified as they always have been,” Grebey said between meetings, adding that no adjustment of the owners’ offer was expected during Tuesday’s sessions.
Today negotiations are to resume with the players union, headed by Marvin Miller. Tuesday’s meetings were labeled by several baseball spokesmen as “information sessions” to bring league executives up to date on the negotiations, though one executive said, “When you get the clubs together anything can happen.”
But there was no' indication that any of the day’s meetings would produce a change in the owners position on the issues Miller considers most crucial.
“The crux of it all is the free-agency compensation,” Middlesworth said. “And also, the owners insist the season can open without the signing of an agreement.”
The owner-proposed change in the free-agent system would improve the compensation a team receives when it loses a free agent.
As an example: The Cleveland Indians gave up an amateur draft choice to the Chicago White Sox this year in exchange for signing free agent Jorge Orta. Under tie owners proposal the White Sox would have been able to select one of several unprotected players from Cleveland's roster rather than a draft choice.
The owners say this would aid teams that suffer frequent losses of free-agent players. But Miller calls it a regressive move that would end the free-agent system since many teams would be unwilling to sacrifice one of their current players in order to sign a free agent.
Negotiators for owners and players have met nearly 30 times, trying to reach a four-year agreement to replace the one they made in 1976.
Players on 19 major teams have voted 735-1 to authorize a strike on or after April 1, and Miller is expected to receive similar support from more players training in Arizona when he meets with them this week.