Mike Schmidt
Hall of Fame third baseman, 12-time All-Star, 3-time NL MVP, and 1980 World Series champion with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who spent his entire 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Philadelphia Phillies from 1972 to 1989. Schmidt was a 12-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player award (MVP), and he was known for his combination of power hitting and strong defense. As a hitter, he compiled 548 home runs and 1,595 runs batted in (RBIs), and led the NL in home runs eight times and in RBIs four times. As a fielder, Schmidt won the National League Gold Glove Award for third basemen ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 in his first year of eligibility, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history.
Quick Facts
- Achievements
- 1x World Series Champion (1980)
- 3x NL MVP
- 10x Gold Glove
Lore & Background
Having an unusual batting stance, Schmidt turned his back somewhat toward the pitcher and rocked his rear end back and forth while waiting for a pitch. By standing far back in the batter's box, he made it almost impossible to jam him by pitching inside. Teammate Pete Rose once said, 'To have his body, I'd trade him mine and my wife's, and I'd throw in some cash.'
Reader's Guide
Schmidt was a standout athlete in both Little League Baseball and in three sports at Fairview High School in Dayton, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1967. He then attended Ohio University in Athens, where he joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. At Ohio University, Schmidt led the Ohio Bobcats baseball team to the College World Series and was selected as the shortstop for the 1970 College Baseball All-America Team. Schmidt was drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1971 Major League Baseball draft, 30th overall.
On June 11, Schmidt was signed by Phillies scout Tony Lucadello. Schmidt spent two seasons in the Phillies' farm system, where he batted .263 with 34 home runs and 122 runs batted in. He made his major league debut against the New York Mets on September 12, 1972. Following the 1972 season, the Phillies dealt third baseman Don Money to the Milwaukee Brewers to open a spot for Schmidt.
In 1977, Schmidt signed a contract with the Phillies that paid him $561,500 per year, making him the highest-paid player in baseball history to that point and the first to surpass $500,000 annually. The Phillies defeated the Houston Astros in the 1980 National League Championship Series to reach the World Series, and beat the Kansas City Royals in six games to win the first World Series in franchise history, with Schmidt winning the World Series MVP Award.
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