The News Journal from Wilmington, Delaware • Page 18

SPORTS 18 Evening Journal, Wilmington, Wodnotday, August 23, 1978 Eagles Cut Papale, End Real 'Rocky' Story By JIM W'ALSER Nn that Panale and Franks, the center who brings a similar When Vermeil told me my whole body was tingling and shaking not from disbelief just dreaded hearing what I was hearing. Vince Papale SUff Correspondent CHESTER There is no phony coolness about Vince Papale, no attempt to submerge his emotions, to blend in with the guys who treat playing professional sports like it's another boring day at the office. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, so when what seems to be the end for Vince Papale as an Eagle came yesterday, it wasn't surprising at all to find him breaking down. There was a knock on his dormitory door at Widener yesterday morning about 6:30, and Vince Papale knew it was time to meet the NFL's Grim Reaper. There isn't any way to outrun the Turk, as he's known around the league.

Even a hustler like Papale knew by then it was hopeless. "I had a premonition during camp," said Papale, who has played the title role in a real-life version of "Rocky" for two years as an Eagle. "I figured it might be coming. I prepared myself, but it's still a shock." Papale walked into Coach Dick Vermeil's office about 7 a.m. and got the story straight from the source.

"Dick said he felt (Oren) Middlebrook would be the man they'd go with," said Papale. "I took a look into the future, two, three years at what value a 35-year-old Vince Papale would have as opposed to a 26-year-old Middlebrook. I could see why he did it." So, barring retrieval by the Eagles at a later date or his signing with another NFL club, the 32-year-old Papale's story is over. Even if he signs elsewhere, it wouldn't be the same for Papale. Being in Philadelphia, playing for the Eagles his team was the heart of his commitment.

He's a native of Chester, a graduate of Interboro High in Glenolden, and St. Joseph's, and a life-long fanatic for Eagles' football. He was a season ticketholder while he ran track for St. Joe's, taught school and coached track around Philadelphia for years. Papale's football career didn't begin until the World Football League did, and it seemed like it would end when the WFL did.

But he tried out for the Eagles at one of those shot-in-the-dark tryout camps Dick Vermeil tried when he arrived in 1976. Amazingly, incredibly, Papale survived the tryout and training camp, and made the team. From there, it was one small step to folk hero. enthusiasm to the game, didn't expect it. 1 "I didn't sleep well.

I tossed and turned all night. Denny noticed it. He bought me a few beers. We watched some TV listened to some music. We were both concerned.

I was hoping my special teams' play would pull me through." It didn't, though Vermeil admitted that the Papale decision split his coaching staff down the middle. "There were some coaches who were just as disappointea as Vince was." said Vermeil. "Hell, Vince Papale is a personal friend of mine. You don't get to be around a player like Vince Papale very often in coaching. "It was the first time I've seen players and coaches crying as they got ready for a practice," said Vermeil.

"I tried to rule out anything in terms of my own emotional feelings. I ve got to be as fair with the people on the field today as I was when Vince came to us as a 30-year-old free agent." It came down to Papale and Middlebrook, a youngster from Arkansas State with big-play potential, good hands and speed to burn. Middlebrook can play special teams, and has done so well during preseason. That doesn't ease the pain any for Papale, who became tne team's good-will ambassador to the community. He made over 200 public appearances last year alone, donating his time and services, committed to a hectic schedule that drove him as hard as Vermeil did.

After last year, he was one of three finalists for the NFL's "Whizzer" White award for community service. "It will be strange for the next month, watching the Eagles," he said. "I'm an Eagles fan. I'll go to the games, but it'll take time for this to wear off. For the last two years there haven't been more than 20 days I haven't worked out." He's been approached by Buffalo and the Giants.

He may try to play another year of football, or he may pursue his budding career in television, which so far has been unable to imaginatively utilize his talent and personality. "Pro football was the greatest experience of my life, he said yesterday. "Two years ago I was on unemployment. Now I have a family (he married last year) and a home. You can't have anything more than that.

There's no bitterness whatsoever. It's been a love affair." Then he went out to have a good cry. He never was much for hiding his emotions. Another story on the Eagles on Page 19. ft For two years he's been listed as a wide receiver, but he caught only one pass in a regular season game.

Instead, he concentrated on special teams, where he won a national reputation for his kamikaze performances as first-man-down on punt coverage. His locker-room leadership and his bubbly enthusiasm for the game won him the special teams' captain job last year, but they didn't stop the Grim Reaper yesterday. After he talked with Vermeil yesterday, Papale hurried back to his room. "Dennis Franks was waiting for me," said Papale. "He was crying.

I was crying. We were just standing there like a couple of babies. When Vermeil told me my whole body was tingling and shaking not from disbelief I just dreaded hearing what I was hearing." I II IIIILII 11.11 itters Big.H inally fc-" -iy For Phillies jl, if iff Phillie Phanatic IsNo Cliieken Phillie Phanatic and KGB Chicken, the San Dirgo Padret' counterpart to the Phils' mascot, kept the Veterans Stadium fans entertained between innings last night by engaging in mock combat and by umpire-baiting. yi v-i Click "That isn't an easy team to beat," said Schmidt. "Somebody just told me they have won as many games as we have.

They're no pushover. I think one of the reasons the races are so close thji year is because a lot of the teairis are improved. The young players have gotten experience." The Phils vaulted out to a 3-0 lead off Rasmussen in the third inning. They had led 1-0 after the first when Schmidt walked and eventually scored on McBride's single to right. The Padres closed to 3-2 in the fourth, but the Phils pulled away in the sixth when Schmidt blasted a bases-loaded double that bounced over the center-field fence.

Schmidt said even though he did not have hits to show it, he thought he was hitting the ball well even before Ozark put in him in the leadoff spot. "I think leading off was something that might benefit the whole team as well as me," he said. "It gave me a different outlook and the team a different outlook, too. "I imagine I'll stay that way for a while. I kinda like it.

But I don't say I'll be there the rest of my life." As for leading off, Schmidt says it is really important only once a night. "Only time you are absolutely a leadoff hitter is the first time up," he said. "I'm going to be coming up with runners on base. The leadoff man comes up with the bases loaded a lot during the year. "I don't want to jinx myself, but what pleases me most about this new role is that I have not struck out." EXTRA POINTS The save for Reed was his 11th of the Diego's KGB Chicken made his Veterans Stadium debut and tangled several times with the Phillie feel like I just lost a football game," said David Raymond, the man inside the Phanat-ic costume.

"Chicken Man is Phils are 44-22 at was three for 19 before he singled in the first inning last Padres make their final appearance here for the season today at 12:35 p.m. when they send Randy Jones to the mound against Jim Phils were to leave immediately after today's game for Los Angeles where they play through it's to San Diego, followed by stops in San Francisco, St. Louis and Chicago. Quote By HAL BODLEY Sports Editor PHILADELPHIA Mike Schmidt had two doubles. Garry Maddox lashed out three singles.

So did Bake McBride. Greg Lu-zinski hit a booming double. You have to go back a long way to find a game in which the meat of the Phillies' batting order was so consistent. The Phils turned back San Diego 5-3 last night at Veterans Stadium, collecting 13 hits to support strong pitching by Larry Christenson and Ron Reed. "This was the type of hitting this team is capable of," said Manager Danny Ozark, who is hoping it will continue during the 15-game road trip which starts tomorrow night in the snakepit that is Dodger Stadium.

"The important thing to me is the fact we got key hits." The victory enabled the Phils to increase their National League Eastern Division lead to four full games over Chicago. The Cubs lost to Houston 2-1 last night. Mike Schmidt, who has eight hits in 21 trips to the plate since Ozark inserted him in the leadoff spot, feels .300 hitters will hit .300. "This is more like it," said the captain. "There's no way we can go all season without breaking out of it." The Phils, of course, know that if they continue to play as they have since the All-Star Gameon the longest trip of the year, they may return home on Sept.

8 looking up at another leader. "We know we have' to have a good trip," said McBride. "Those West Coast teams, are always tough in their own parks." The Phils were tp end this home stand today in an afternoon game with the Padres. "When you're in the kind ot slump I have been in you just have to work your way out of it," said Maddox. "I took a lot of extra batting practice and refused to lose my patience or confidence." Last night's victory, at the expense of Eric Rasmussen, snapped a six-game San Diego winning streak and when two runs were scored off Bob Shirley in the sixth inning, it was the first time in 32 innings the Padre bullpen had given up a run.

"That really wasn't Rasmussen out there today," said San Diego Manager Roger Craig. "He just wasn't pitching like he can. He couldn't find the corners. "1 really wasn't that discouraged by the loss. If we win on Wednesday, we will have had one helluva road trip (8-2.) If we lose, it will have been a good one." Quotable i lis.

SUff FMM ky Pat Cnin VV l4 irme there, too." Hill said that a match race, if it is held, would probably be run in New York, California or New Jersey. He said he doubted if famed Churchill Downs in Louisville, would be considered as a site. "It wouldn't be practical there," he said, adding, "I just think we could get more people at other tracks." The Louisville Courier-Journal reported in a copyrighted story in today's editions that Wolfson said it had been suggested the race be held this fall at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, with the winner receiving $1 million. However, the Courier-Journal quoted a source close to the Slew camp as saying it was doubtful the VJr iwi Maybe 'Slew' SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) Who's a better horse Seattle Slew or Affirmed? It appears the owners of these two sterling race horses may be planning on finding out by staging a race that would be the first time two Triple Crown winners had ever appeared together on a track.

Dr. James Hill, co-owner of 1977 Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, said Tuesday night that "serious consideration" would be given to a match race against Harbor View Farm's Affirmed, the 1978 Triple Crown winner. Hill said that at present Seattle Slew is committed to two other races, but after that "our options are open and we are willing to listen to any i A4 Af: vs 0 He said that present plans call for Seattle Slew to race in the Paterson Handicap Sept. 5 at the Meadowlands and the Marlboro Cup at Belmont Sept. 16.

Hill, speaking by telephone from Fort Lauderdale, said that neither he nor his partner, Mickey Taylor, had been in consultation with Affirmed's owner, Louis Wolfson, but there had been "serious discussion by various interests trying to put a package together." He said that these interests included "track and TV networks." If the match race were to come off, Hill said that "both horses would have to be in tip-top condition, otherwise there would be no point to it." He added, "The money, of courier, would hm to be race would be held at Churchill Downs because "the networks want it in prime time and that means it could be held only one place the Meadowlands in New Jersey, where they have night racing. Hill said that he already had engaged in numerous conferences with Taylor on various proposals but no definite decision had been made. Hill said that he didn't think that a match race between Ruffian and Foolish Pleasure at Belmont An 1975, which resulted in the death of Ruffian, would act as a deterrent to this match race. "That was ust one of those unfortunate things that can happen in any race," he said. "I think I know this game after seven years in pro basketball.

Heck, if I studied medicine that long, I'd be a doctor." New Boston Celtics' owner John Y. Brown, who has been known to make trades without consulting his general manager..