Wilmington Evening Journal - August 12, 1980
Cubs’ rally leaves Phillies fit to be tied
By Ray Finocchiaro, Staff Writer
CHICAGO – Pete Rose had this intriguing idea.
"You know, Tug McGraw's due to bat first when we resume the game tomorrow," the Phillies' first baseman was saying of yesterday's suspended 5-5 tie with the Cubs that was to be continued today before the regularly scheduled game at Wrigley Field.
"What if..." Rose said, his tired eyes flashing for a moment, "what if we batted for Tug, then put Lefty in there to pitch both games? That'd be something, wouldn't it?”
Lefty, as the Delaware Valley knows, is Steve Carlton, the Phillies' 17-6 mealticket. Carlton was already scheduled to pitch today's second game of a three-game set with the Cubs. That was before it became a mini-double-header, the result of too much rain and not enough daylight, which suspended yesterday's game in the naturally lit Wrigley environs.
Rose's master plan, unveiled to an enthusiastic media, would have Carlton pitch the remaining inning(s) of the suspended game – winning, naturally – then coming back in the regular game for a sweep.
Simple, isn't it?
But not to Phils Manager Dallas Green, who merely is paid to relieve others of these momentous decisions.
"That's intriguing all right," Green growled when informed of the plan by the media, "but that's all it is. No way I'd try that. Lefty doesn't need to get messed up with any intriguing ideas like that. Hell, I can't have him pitch who knows how many innings, then have to sit and wait 30 minutes for another game."
And so the best-laid plans of mice and media again go awry.
Of course, Green wouldn't say what he would do when the game resumed today, but he gloated about having more players left than the Cubs, who only have one or two pitchers left if Bruce Sutter can't wrap the game up quickly.
"They don't have any position players left," Green said. "We've got plenty of guys left."
But Green didn't gloat about the fact that the Phils blew a 5-1 lead, fueled by three sacrifice flies and Mike Schmidt's 26th career homer at Wrigley Field. He wasn't thrilled that the Cubs kept chipping away at starter Bob Walk for three runs before tying it in the ninth against reliever Ron Reed.
"We should've won it," Rose agreed, "but we didn't. But we didn't lose it, either. We'll come back tomorrow. I thought we'd win all the way today."
The Phillies have lost 10 straight away from Veterans Stadium, so no victory on foreign soil is secure until the final out. And the Cubs actually looked as if they would snatch this one away, too, after an early rain delay had pushed the game into Wrigley's twilight zone.
One-out, ninth-inning singles by Lenny Randle and Mike Vail put the tying runs on base as McGraw feverishly warmed up in the bullpen. But Green let Reed face the left-hand hitting Bill Buckner,. who promptly doubled to center to score Randle and send Vail to third.
"I just felt Ronnie was throwing so well," Green said of his decision. "I knew it was tough to see out there and if Buckner gets a single, we still have to face (right-hander) Cliff Johnson."
Buckner's double forced an intentional walk to Johnson. In came McGraw and up came ex-Phil Barry Foote, batting for Scot Thompson with the bases loaded and one out.
Foote came up twice with the bases loaded against the Phils last season and hit grand slams off Nino Espinosa and Jack Kucek.
This time Foote hit a wicked spinner to Manny Trillo at second. Rushing for the double play, Trillo juggled the ball and was only able to get Foote at first as Vail scored the tying run.
"That ball was spinning like hell," said Green in Trillo's defense. "I don't think he could've doubled him."
Rose didn't agree. "I think we could've turned it," said the first baseman. "But the ball was spinning and there was nothing to do about it. It just spun away from Manny."
And it gave the Cubs the chance to win it.
But Jesus Figueroa, who had singled his first two times up, hit a liner that Garry Maddox caught up to in center field to. send the game into extra innings and, after one shot per club, into suspended status for the night.
"I would've liked to put that game away," Green said. "We had it but we didn't put it away. But tomorrow could be a helluva day. We could come up with two."
EXTRA INNINGS - Schmidt's third-inning homer was his 28th of the year and fourth here... Bake McBride, Larry Bowa and Trillo all had sacrifice flies, one of which usually qualifies as a miracle in any Phillies' boxscore... Schmidt had three hits. "It was pleasant to see," Green said of Schmidt's revival every time he comes to Wrigley Field. "Hopefully, we'll see that continue."... Walk balked home the Cubs' third run in the sixth... Lynn McGlothen started for the Cubs but, trailing 2-0, didn't return after the one-hour, 52-minute rain delay in the top of the second inning that saw the tarps put on and dragged off four times.
Christenson reactivated; Larson cut
By Ray Finocchiaro, Staff Writer
CHICAGO – It happened before yesterday's game, away from prying eyes and shaking heads.
Dan Larson, the Phillies' latest victim of non-support, was given his walking papers again – this time to Reading. Meanwhile, righthander Larry Christenson was taken off the disabled list and penciled in to start against the New York Mets Friday night at Shea Stadium.
Larson, 0-5 despite the club's third-best earned run average (3.27), merely asked Manager Dallas Green "Why me?" and left. Green didn't have to be reminded that the Phils scored a total of three runs for Larson in his last three starts, in which he allowed just five runs himself.
"Danny did a fine job for us," Green said after yesterday's game with the Cubs was suspended because of darkness after 10 innings with the score 5-5. It was to be resumed this afternoon. "I respect the work he did. He asked 'Why him?' and I told him it was a matter of numbers. I was getting a pitcher back, so I had to cut a pitcher. And we didn't need him in that role (spot starter) anymore."
Christenson, meanwhile, was happy about his return from almost three months on the disabled list after elbow surgery, though the right-hander had little use for Green's tentative plans of getting Christenson's feet wet as a short man in the bullpen.
"I'm not a relief pitcher and I didn't want to pitch in relief," Christenson said, dashing Dallas' scheme in several talks with the manager. "We talked about it and I realistically can't see it. I need 20 pitches just to get loose and he'd have to be thinking about two innings ahead.
"I think I can start. I threw about 1 20 pitches for three days or so and I haven't hurt my arm. Of course, I haven't thrown, sat down, got up and thrown again, like you do in a game yet. That, and ducking line drives, will be my toughest problems."
Funk leaves Phils for Mariners’ staff
Associated Press
SEATTLE – Frank Funk, 44, a pitching instructor in the Phillies' farm organization, was added to the Seattle Mariners' coaching staff yesterday by Manager Maury Wills.
Funk, who compiled a 20-17 lifetime major-league record during a professional career from 1954 to 1967, is expected to join the Mariners here Friday for a weekend series against the Oakland A's.
Funk will work under pitching coach Wes Stock with the Mariners' pitchers.