Phillies | narcissism

Opening Day Roster:

When the Phillies won 86 games in 1975, it marked the end to a streak of 7 seasons in which they finished under .500 (including the abysmal 1972 season when they won just 59 games, 27 of which were won by Steve Carlton alone). After finishing 2nd in 1975, they exploded for 101 wins in 1976 and again in 1977. Each year, they won the National League Eastern Division going away, only to lose the NLCS (swept by the Reds in '76 and 3-1 to the Dodgers in '77). As they entered 1978, they knew they had the talent to win the division yet again, but there had to be a lot of nervousness - even if they won again, would they be able to get over the hump of the NLCS? Lurking behind this unease was the fact that the Phillies were alone among the 'Original 16' teams in having never won a World Series - since 1903, all they had to show was two pennants (1915 and 1950), and the missed-it-by-that-much 1964 collapse. They entered spring training set at virtually every spot, including two future Hall-of-Famers and a number of other outstanding players. However, 1978 produced familiar results for the team and its fans - they won 90 games, good enough to claim their third straight divison title (though it took until the final weekend of the season to put it away). In the NLCS, again against the Dodgers, they once again went down 3-1. It had to be disheartening. At the time, few probably would have predicted that salvation lay only 2 seasons away.

In the farm system, they had a promising kid getting his first experience in pro ball with the Rookie League's Helena Phillies. Ryne Sandberg would go on to great things, just not in a Phillies uniform.

Danny Ozark entered his 6th season as skipper in 1978. His coaches were Bobby Wine at 1st, Billy Demars at 3rd, Ray Rippelmeyer with the pitchers, Tony Taylor with the hitters and C.B. Beringer in the pen.

Steve Carlton, SP:

Lefty led the Phils in starts (34), complete games (12), innings (247.1), strikeouts (161), wins (16) and ERA (2.84). He was tied for the team lead with 3 shutouts. After struggling some in June and July (0-3 in 6 starts, and a 1-run increase in ERA), he was 7-1 over 9 starts in August and September. He He recorded his 200th win on July 23 against the Astros, and on August 6 he recorded a 3-hit shutout in Pittsburgh. The future hall-of-famer was just past the mid-way point of his career, but still had a lot in the tank.

Larry Christenson, SP:

1978 found Larry in the middle of an 11 year big-league career, all of which he spent with Philadelphia. In 1977, he had posted a career-best 19-6 record. 1978 started off well - on April 8 he won his first start, an 8-hit shutout against the Cardinals in which he also went 2-for-3 at the plate with 4 RBI including a 2-run HR. After that, suffering from a lack of run support, he had difficulty picking up wins. He finished 13-14 with a 3.24 ERA. He struck out 131 batters and walked just 47, giving him the 5th best k/w ratio in the majors.

Jim Kaat, SP:

1978 was Jim's 20th season of major league ball. He had started in 1958 with the old version of the Washington Senators. He traveled with them to Minnesota in 1961, and stopped in with the ChiSox in '73 before landing with Philly in '76. In 1978, he made 24 starts, and posted a record of 8-5. He'd continue his career with the Yankees and Cardinals before retiring after the 1983 season, his 25th.

Jim Lonborg, SP:

The one-time Boston phenom was winding down his career in 1978. He got out of the gate well enough - a 4-2 record in his first 6 starts, but then he began to struggle. He was 3-7 from the middle of June on, and his ERA kept heading north. He did manage to toss a 5-hit complete game against the Astros on May 10, but otherwise it was a disappointing year - in 22 starts, he compiled an 8-10 record with a 5.23 ERA. Jim pitched in 4 games in 1979, and was done for good.

Randy Lerch, SP:

Randy won his first start, on April 9, giving up just 3 hits over 8 innings against the Cardinals. On April 24, he went 2-for-2 at the plate against the Cubs, including a 2-run HR, a double, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored in a complete game, 6-hit effort. At the end of the month, his record stood at 3-1. For much of the rest of the season, howeer, he was plagued by inconsistency, and by mid-August his record stood at 7-7 with an ERA over 4. He redeemed himself on August 26 by hurling a 4-hitter in Los Angeles to stop a Philly slide, and on September 30 he was the winner in a 10-8 slug-fest in Pittsburgh that clinched the division.

Warren Brusstar, RP:

Warren had an outstanding sophomore year in 1978. In 58 relief appearances, he posted a record of 6-3, a 2.33 ERA, and 60 strikeouts against only 30 walks in 88.2 innings. Generally used as a middle-relief ace, he loved pitching for the Phillies - he appreciated the way the players all supported each other. Sparky Anderson commented that he had the chance to become one of the finest relievers in the game.

Gene Garber, RP:

In 22 appearances over 38.2 innings, Gene had a 1.40 ERA with 24 strikeouts, 11 walks and 3 saves. On June 15, he was traded to the Braves in exchange for Dick Ruthven. The trade shocked him - he had just bought a house in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Tug McGraw, RP:

A veteran of two Mets' pennant winners, Tug formed a formidable late-game duo with Ron Reed - he finished off 39 games for the Phillies in 1978, earning 9 saves. He had 63 strikeouts against only 23 walks and posted a 3.21 ERA. On May 5 against the mets, with a 3-2 count on Lenny Randle, he threw ball 4, but neither Randle nor home place umpire John Kibler realized it. Seeing an opportunity, Tug hurriedly got the ball back from Bob Boone and quickly threw another pitch - Randle hit a triple. No one was on, and the Phillies still won, 9-5, so he got lucky.

Ron Reed, RP:

The long-time Atlanta veteran, and one-time Detroit Pistons forward, Ron was the right-handed half of the Phillies' closing team with Tug McGraw. He earned 17 saves, struck out 85 against just 23 walks, and had a very nice 2.24 ERA. In July he got incensed when Ozark lifted him for a pinch-hitter with a 3 run lead. Danny said he did it to fire Reed up. Reed read the quote, and said Ozark was even dumber than he thought he was. Ron hung around long enough to earn a save for the Phillies in the 1980 World Series.

Bob Boone, C:

The center link in a (so far) 3- generation baseball family, Bob is the son of Ray, and the father of Bret and Aaron Boone. He won the first of his 5 career Gold Gloves behind the plate in 1978, and played in his second All Star game. He had a career-high 12 HRs, and batted .283, near his career best. Constantly the subject of trade rumors, Bob resented the fact the team suggested he and recently-arrived Barry Foote were at the same talent level. Foote was aquired in 1977 as insurance because Boone had played hurt all year, and required knee surgery after the season.

Barry Foote, C:

Barry was probably the highest-paid third string catcher in the game. Acquired during 1977, he considered playing out his option and hitting the free agent market, but the presence of coach Billy DeMars, and what Barry thought he could do to help his hitting, made him change his mind. He started 11 games in relief of Bob Boone and was used occasionally as a late-inning substitute. On September 2 in San Francisco, he hit a tie-breaking 2-run HR in the 10th - on a missed bunt sign.

Tim McCarver, C:

The veteran was ready to retire and accept a radio job with the Blue Jays in 1977, but decided to stay on as Steve Carlton's personal catcher and workout partner (the two had played together during the late 60s in St. Louis). He started all 34 of Lefty's starts, and saw some additional action as a pinch hitter and at first base.

Larry Bowa, IF:

Larry won the second of his 2 career Gold Gloves as the Phillies' starting shortstop in 1978. Offensively, he had near-career highs in batting (.294), HR (3) and RBI (43), which he attributed to working with Billy DeMars, the 3rd base coach. The little guy who couldn't make his high school team, and who was known for his excitability and irritability, had solidified himself into one of the best all-around shortstops in the game. On August 24 in Los Angeles, he collided with Luzinski on a fly ball, and was forced to miss 2 games.

Bud Harrelson, IF:

The long-time Met was acquired by the Phillies late in spring training. His arrival wasn't met with enthusiasm by some of his new teammates - it wasn't personal, they just knew it meant the end to Terry Harmon's stay in Philly; Harmon was released on April 6. Bud served as a middle-infield reserve, starting a number of games at second when Ted Sizemore was hurt, and when Jim Morrison went into a slump. After another year with Philadelphia in 1979, he finished his career with Texas in 1980.

Rich Hebner, IF:

Rich was the Phillies' starting first baseman in 1978. His .283 average, 17 HR and 71 RBI were all among the best on the team. On July 30 in Cincinnati, Sparky Anderson was convinced Richie couldn't hit to the left side, so he pulled a shift - three infielders on the right side of second, and Pete Rose at short. Richie hit 3 bunt singles down the third base line, and lined another 2 singles through the heavy defense on the right side for good measure.

Dave Johnson, IF:

Davey passed up a lucrative offer to play in Japan when he signed with Philly to be a reserve infielder in 1977. In 1978, he was still fine with the back-up role, but he expected to play when Ted Sizemore went down in late April. When he didn't, he complained to Ozark. Danny assured him he still had confidence in him, but Johnson was still miffed. On April 30 Davey hit a pinch grand slam against the Padres, and on June 3 he hit another against the Dodgers. Still disappointed with a lack of playing time, though, he asked to be traded. On August 6, he was sold the to Cubs.

Mike Schmidt, IF:

The great Philly 3rd baseman had an off year in 1978 - his 21 HR, 78 RBI and .251 average were all very close to careeer lows. In and out of slumps all year, Ozark finally even tried hitting him in the lead-off spot for a time in September. Mike was critical of himself, saying that when he goes into slumps, he winds up overthinking things, which only makes it worse. He also suffered from a strained right hamstring which forced him to miss a number of games through the course of the year.

Ted Sizemore, IF:

Ted's second year as Philly's starting second baseman was limited by injury - he was on the DL from April 29 through June 20 with a fractured left hand he suffered trying to lay down a tag at second. He hit just .218 with only 25 RBI in 108 games. With the arrival of Manny Trillo in 1979, Ted's days as the starting second baseman were over.

Jose Cardenal, OF:

Jose was acquired from the Cubs in October of 1977 for Manny Seoane. For the Phillies in 1978, the 15-year veteran was used principally as a right-handed alternate to Rich Hebner at first, and as an outfield reserve. Jose loved playing for this Phillies team. Its energy and talent, he said, made him feel excited, like he was a rookie again. He was slowed during the final month of the season with a sore hamstring.

Jay Johnstone, OF:

Jay got into 35 games, principally as an outfield and first base reserve and pinch hitter. With his batting average languishing .154 on May 18, he started in left at the Astrodome and went 4-for-4 with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI. For some reason, Ozark sent in Jose Caredenal to pinch-hit for him in the 9th with the Phillies already leading by the eventual final score of 8-5. On June 14, with his average at just .179, he was traded to the Yankees for Rawly Eastwick.

Greg Luzinski, OF:

1977 had been a great year for The Bull - career highs in HR, RBI and batting average. 1978 wouldn't be as productive for the Philly left-fielder. He was down in all significant categories, and endured a 3-for-38 road trip in late May. He did still have multiple 2-HR games, including what was likely his best game of the year on July 28 in Cincinnati - he went 2-for-4 with 2 HR, 2 runs scored and 5 RBI. Defensively, he had the 5th best fielding record among major league left fielders.

Garry Maddox, OF:

The Phillies' center fielder had a good year in 1978. He batted .288, had 11 HR and 68 RBI, all among the best on the team and among the best of his career. He led the team with 33 stolen bases, and on May 29 against the Pirates he stole 4 bases - 3 steals of second, and one swipe of third. Amazingly, not one allowed him to eventually score. He had only 8 errors during the regular season, but it was one he made in the bottom of the 10th in Los Angeles during game 4 of the NLCS that would set up the Phillies' 3rd straight championship series loss.

In-Season Moves:

Jerry Martin, OF:

Often mentioned in trade rumors, Jerry gave the Phillies more than a capable reserve - he could hit, run, throw and field as good as starters on some other clubs. In 1978, he filled his usual role as outfield reserve and pinch-hitter, and he also got 45 starts in right field when Bake McBride was sitting with a hand injury. In 128 games, Jerry hit .271 with 9 HR, 36 RBI and 9 stolen bases.

Bake McBride, OF:

The National League's Rookie of the Year in 1974 with the Cardinals, Bake was the Phillies' right fielder in 1978. He led all major league right fielders in fielding and was second on the team to Garry Maddox in stolen bases with 28, but had personal off-years in the significant offensive categories. He managed to raise his average a bit late in the year by standing deeper in the box. He missed a number of games, particularly in late July, with a right hand injury.

Jim Morrison, IF:

Jim was called up from Oklahoma City on April 29 when Ted Sizemore went on the DL. He started a number of games at second until a prolonged slump forced Ozark to put in Bud Harrelson. He was sent back down on June 20 when Sizemore returned, but was recalled on August 6 when Davey Johnson was sold to the Cubs. Jim hit his first major league home run on May 10 against the Astros - it was a 2-run swing which was the difference maker in the Phillies' 3-1 victory.

Rawly Eastwick, RP:

Rawly was acquired on June 14 from the Yankees for Jay Johnstone. He liked being with the Yankees, but was happy to come to Philadelphia, which was his favorite team growing up in New Jersey. The one-time closer for the Big Red Machine wasn't his former self for the Phillies. In 22 apearances, he struck out 14 while walking 18 and posted an ERA of 4.02.

Dick Ruthven, SP:

Dick arrived on June 15 in a trade with the Braves that sent Gene Garber south. While he had liked playing in Atlanta generally, he was happy to be rid of dealing with Ted Turner. Dick was perhaps the key acquisition which allowed Philly to return to the NLCS - in 20 starts, he compiled a 13-5 record, a 2.99 ERA and struck out 75 while walking only 28. On September 8, he contributed a 3-hit shutout of the Cardinals at the Vet.

Orlando Gonzalez, OF:

Orlando was brought up from Oklahoma City on July 17. He made 26 appearances the rest of the way, being used primarily as a defensive replacement in the outfield and pinch-hitter.

Dan Larson, RP:

Dan was acquired September 2 in a trade with Houston which saw the Phillies send minor-leaguer Dan Warthen to the Astros. He saw his only action on October 1, pitching the final inning of the Phillies' final game, a loss to the Pirates.

Pete Mackanin, IF:

Claimed on waivers from the Montreal organization on September 5, Pete got into 5 games as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement during the last month of the season.

Horacio Pina, RP:

The Mexican Leaguer last appeared in the majors in 1974 before being purchased from Aguascalientes by the Phillies on September 14. He appeared on the 15th against the Mets, striking out the only man he faced, and then again on October 1 against the Pirates - he pitched 2 perfect innings, striking out 3. It was his final major league appearance.

Lonnie Smith, OF:

Lonnie was called up when rosters expanded in September. He began his 16-year career when he made his major league debut on September 2 pinch-running for Greg Luzinski in San Francisco.

Todd Cruz, IF:

A September call-up, Todd made his major league debut on the 4th as a defensive replacement for Larry Bowa in St. Louis.

Kerry Dineen, OF:

Called up in September, the former Yankee prospect got into 5 games, including his final major league appearance on October 1 - he got the start in left, and went 2-for-5 in the lead-off position.

Kevin Saucier, RP:

A September call-up after having posted a 7-12 record at Oklahoma City, Kevin made his major league debut on October 1. He threw 2 innings, surrendering 4 runs and took the loss against the Pirates.

Keith Moreland, C:

The future Cubs star made his major league debut on October 1 as a defensive replacement for Barry Foote against the Pirates. He went 0-for-2 at the plate.