Allentown Morning Call - July 27, 1980
Smith, Trillo spark Phils’ win
By Dan Shope, Call Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA - For years, a kid named Lonnie Smith waited for his big shot with the Philadelphia Phillies. And Phils' Farm Director Dallas Green bit fingernails worrying about when he'd get it.
But now that Green's manager and a place in the Veterans Stadium outfield finally opened last night following the Phils 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, there was no party.
Both men were worried about the guy Smith replaced, Greg Luzinski, who may require knee surgery tomorrow.
"I'm feeling more confident, now that I'm getting used to it out there in left field." Smith said. "But there's no way I can take Greg's spot. Not his big bat."
Smith may not have much power. But with a single, double and one run scored, he boosted his batting average to a team-leading .351.
And fans in the Luzinski's "Bull Ring" were amazed as a Phillies' leftfielder ended a fourth-inning Braves' rally by gunning out Chris Chambliss at the plate.
Meanwhile, Phils' second baseman Manny Trillo did much of the rest of the work, doubling in one run in a two-run second inning, then knocking in two more with a double in a two-run third.
Bob Walk earned the win to move his record to 7-1.
The fans have a definite idea of what’s wrong with the Phils
By Dan Shope, Call Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA – John Puza brushed back his gray hair, adjusted his baseball cap and stared down, directly into the Philadelphia Phillies' bullpen.
It was early last night at Veterans Stadium, several hours before the Phils took an easy win over the Atlanta Braves. But as Puza sat in his left-field bleacher seat, he was already trying to diagnose the sickness of a team which, in just one week, had fallen from first to third place in the National League East.
"Why. certainly I know what's wrong with them," he said. "The Phillies are getting too old
"Management refuses to spend money for a good pitcher as Houston did. And I think it was a mistake to get Pete Rose. They brought us a crowd pleaser, that's all. I just wish they'd start winning like they did in 1950. The fans deserve it."
Puza has been wearing his red Phillies' cap longer than any of the players sitting below him. For 40 years, he's watched the Phillies. And for 40 years he's been frustrated.
After driving 100 miles from his home in McAdoo for 12 games each season, this rabid fan has a definite idea about what's wrong with the Phillies.
And so do others.
"I think thev need more hitting and a better manager," said security guard Ed Waters, who's seen almost every game this season. "(Dallas) Green says too much to the press about the ballplayers. He should talk to them.
"Hey, no way would I like my boss complaining about me behind my back."
Even Sister Alice, a teacher and nun at Bishop Cardinal High, had definite ideas.
"They're tired from the first half of the season," she said. "They need to pull together."
So some fans blame the manager, others blame the players and more blame the press. But the Phillies have their own ideas.
'Right now we have the talent," said Mike Schmidt. "But we don't have the awesome talent in comparison with the rest of the league.
"The trend is for the Philadelphia media to take us in a slump and say that we are not trying. Nothing can be further from the truth.
“But the fans seem to believe this."
Rose, who had his ups and downs with the Cincinatti Reds for 16 years, knows all about slumps. He believes the Phils are better thai their records of 84-78 last year and 49-45 this season indicate.
"Last year can be thrown out because of the injuries," he said. "It's like a champion horse left at the gate. So this year we lose six in a row. In this game, you can't worry. I can't sit here and brew in my beer.
"I play every game like it's my last game."
Rose laughed about the possibility of this team being over the hill.
"I don't think I'm too old and I'm 39," he laughed. "How can a team be too old when it has players like (Garry) Maddox, (Mike) Schmidt and (Larry) Bowa?"
Manager Green said he'd rather not "beat a dead horse" and further discuss the road-trip slump... And then he started talking about it anyway.
"One or two good games and we'll be back over the hump," he said. "We have good blend of youngsters with veterans. I still think we're capable of a 10-game winning streak. We do something like that and it'll make people forget about all this."
The Phillies began a "second season" last night with one win in a row.
But with Greg Luzinski possibly needing surgery and the Pittsburgh Pirates looking strong in first place, they're gonna have to do an awful lot more to make John Puza. Ed Waters and Sister Alice forget their frustration.
Remember, they've heard this optimistic talk a million times before.
Luzinski faces exploratory knee surgery
PHILADELPHIA – Greg Luzinski will undergo exploratory surgery tomorrow because of "something slipping in the knee." the Philadelphia Phillies' team physician said yesterday.
Luzinski injured his right knee in St. Louis July 5 while sliding in to second base. He didn't notice the injury at the time, but the knee bothered him and was swollen the next day, said team physician Phillip Marone.
"He's got discomfort and a strange feeling of something slipping in the knee. That's what disturbs me," Marone said.
The doctor said he will perform an arthroscopy – a probe to check for knee damage – tomorrow. "There's a 75 to 80 percent chance of further surgery," Marone added.
"Luzinski could be out as much as six weeks, but if no further damage is found, he could be back in a week," the doctor said.
"We know he has loose pieces in his knee, he has arthritic spurs in his knee and there's been no tear because no blood has shown when I drained it." Marone said.