Allentown Morning Call - July 9, 1980
8 Phillies linked to drug use
By Jack McCallum, Call Sports Writer
Eight members of the Philadelphia Phillies, and several players on the Phillies' minor league team in Reading, may have illegally obtained amphetamines from a Reading physician, according to published reports.
A copyrighted story in Monday's Trenton Times, written by courthouse reporter J. Stryker Meyer, says that Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt. Larry Bowa and Greg Luzinski are four of the eight Phillies to whom agents from the Pennsylvania Drug Law Enforcement office want to speak. Meyer's story did not name the physician, the other four Phillies or the Reading players.
However, The Morning Call has learned that in today's editions of the Trenton Times. Dr. Patrick Mazza, the Reading Phillies' team physician, will be named as the physician involved in the case.
Earlier, Mazza was the subject of another suit involving illegal distribution of drugs, but that suit was recently thrown out of federal court in Philadelphia.
Meyer told The Morning Call yesterday that his information came from a source in Reading. Part of the agreement with that source is that the doctor would not be named in the story.
Dick Weatherbee, director of Drug Law Enforcement in Harrisburg, would neither confirm nor deny that his agency was investigating either the doctor or any involvement by the Phillies' players.
No criminal charges have been filed in the case as yet, but Meyer's story said that a case was being built against Mazza partly through the doctor's records. The doctor allegedly handed out prescriptions without the physical or oral examination of the players required by state law. A "runner" who allegedly delivered the drugs is also being investigated, the story said.
None of the Phillies was available for comment. Rose and Schmidt participated in last night's All-Star game in Los Angeles. The Phillies' next home game is tomorrow night at Veterans Stadium against Chicago.
Of the players named, all except Rose played for the farm team in Reading, though not in the last nine years.
Through publicist Larry Shenk, Phillies' owner Ruly Carpenter issued a prepared statement yesterday:
"Our policy has been that we continually caution our players against the use of drugs," read the statement. "In a number of team meetings, our team physician, Dr. Philip Marone, has also cautioned the players. Our trainer issues no drugs without a prescription."
Carpenter also said he regarded the charges to be serious… if they can be supported. He said he will try to find out more about the investigation before questioning the players who are allegedly involved.
Joe Buzas, owner of the Reading Phillies and a resident of Center Valley, said he will hold a team meeting on Friday when the team returns from a road trip. However, he is adamant in his belief that the charges are false, at least as they relate to the minor league team.
"I bet you'll find that it's one of those things that is blown out of proportion," said Buzas, who has owned 46 minor league teams in 24 years in the business. "Everybody takes drugs for pain now and again. I just don't think a player would abuse his body.
"Of all the teams I've been associated with, this group at Reading is the best. I know these kids. I kibitz with them. I would see if they were using drugs and I haven't seen it.
"Buzas said he has not been contacted by any drug enforcement officials and knows of no one associated with the Reading team who has.
In the prior suit against the Phillies in 1976, Patrick Bayless. a former pitcher for Reading and once a highly rated major league prospect, filed a $4.6 million suit against the Phillies, charging them with negligence in administering the drug, Butazolidin. Bayless is now out of baseball and suffering from physical and mental problems he said were caused by the drug.
However, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Third District, recently threw out Bayless' suit before any investigation could take place. A three-judge panel ruled that it was a workmen's compensation issue.
Dr. Mazza told the Trenton Times yesterday he was "surprised by the investigation."
Frustration continues for American
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Ken Griffey's home run touched off a comeback and the National League captured a 4-2 All-Star victory Tuesday night that extended the American League losing streak in this confrontation between the two leagues to a record nine consecutive games.
Fourteen National League batters had gone down in order against American League starter Steve Stone of the Baltimore Orioles and reliever Tommy John of the New York Yankees before Griffey struck. The Americans had seized the lead on a two-run homer by Boston's Fred Lynn and things were moving smoothly for them.
Then, all at once, it came apart, suddenly and swiftly as it has so often in this series for the Americans, who once led the All-Star series 12-4 and now trail 32-18-1.
With two out in the fifth, Griffey, the Cincinnati outfielder who was embroiled in a contract dispute that left him on the verge of a trade all spring, woke up the National League dugout.
John had a one-strike count when Griffey sent a huge shot to the deepest part of packed Dodger Stadium. The ball sailed over the center field fence and suddenly the American League lead was sliced in half. An inning-later, it was gone altogether.
With one out in the sixth, Ray Knight of the Reds came to bat for the first time. Knight had taken over for starter Ken Reitz and it didn't take long for him to get involved in the game. He whipped a single to left field – only the second hit for the Nationals.
Now it was Phil Garner's turn. The Pittsburgh second baseman had taken over in the fourth for Davey Lopes of Los Angeles, the leading vote-getter in the computer card fan balloting for this game. The Pirate infielder. who had 12 hits in the World Series last year, ripped a single past second baseman Willie Randolph, with Knight stopping at second.
That brought up George Hendrick, another National League sub. The St. Louis slugger drilled John's next pitch into center field, tying the score and finishing John.
Ed Farmer of the Chicago White Sox relieved and Dave Winfield hit a grounder to Randolph. The Yankee second baseman mishandled the ball for his second error of the game, allowing Garner to score the go-ahead run.
An inning later, the Nationals came back for more, capitalizing on the wildness of young Toronto pitcher Dave Stieb.
Griffey opened with his second hit of the game, a single to right. Dave Concepcion forced Griffey but moved to second on Stieb's wild pitch and then took third on a passed ball by catcher Darrell Porter. Then he came home on another wild pitch as Stieb was obviously rattled.
Armed with the two-run lead. National League Manager Chuck Tanner then turned the edge over to Chicago Cubs bullpen ace Bruce Sutter, the winning pitcher in the 1978 and 1979 .National League victories.
Sutter, master of the split-finger fast ball and the major league leader with 19 saves this season, mowed the Americans down in the eighth and ninth to seal the victory.
A record Dodger Stadium crowd of 56,088 watched the American League get the jump in this game, thanks to some airtight pitching by Steve Stone. Stone retired the nine National League batters he faced in the first three innings, striking out three. It marked the first perfect three innings for an All-Star starter since Denny McLain did it for the American League in 1966.
"I'll sit back and perhaps tomorrow or the next day it will hit me as to what I've done." said Stone, the journeyman pitcher who has blossomed into stardom in the last 1½ seasons.
For the Americans, the first three innings were a string of missed opportunities against National League starter J R. Richard and reliever Bob Welch. The Americans stranded five runners over that stretch and the wasted chances proved fatal.
In the first, Rod Carew walked, stole second and reached third on an infield out. But Richard stranded him by striking out Reggie Jackson.
In the second, it was more of the same. A walk to Ben Oglivie and Bucky Dent's two-out. hit-and-run single gave the American League runners at second and third. But Stone struck out to end the inning.
in the third. Randolph opened with a single but Welch picked him off first base. It was costly because Carew followed with a double to the left field corner that almost certainly would have scored Randolph had he still been on base.
Carew reached third on a wild pitch as Jackson walked with two out. But again, the rally fizzled as Oglivie struck out.
The game was still scoreless in the fifth when the American League broke through with one out. Carew reached base for the third time, drilling a single right. The count stretched to 3-and-2 on Lynn and then the Boston center fielder hit a home run just inside the right field foul pole.
It was Lynn's third All-Star homer in his sixth game and tied him for third on the all-time list with some pretty impressive company. Others with three All-Star home runs are Rocky Colavito, Harmon Killebrew, Johnny Bench, Ralph Kiner and Willie Mays. Stan Musial had six and Ted Williams four All-Star homers.
Lynn's homer seemed to arouse the slumbering National League and that was a mistake for the Americans. Once they got in front, the Nationals went to Sutter and that proved fatal again for the American League, which managed only one runner in the final two innings against the Cubs ace. He finished with a flourish, striking out Lance Parrish to end the game.
Griffey's two hits, including the homer, fueled two National League rallies and earned the Reds outfielder the game's Most Valuable Player award. He received the presentation from Commissioner Bowie Kuhn in front of the National League dugout.