Mike Schmidt

Verified Timeline

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.'

In Their Own Story

On October 3, 1980, the Phillies faced Montreal, tied for first place in the NL East. Schmidt delivered a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a solo home run in the sixth, leading the Phillies to a 2–1 victory to capture first place. The next day, with the division still on the line, Schmidt hit his 48th home run of the season in the 11th inning to give the Phillies a 6–4 extra-innings win over the Expos, clinching the division. His career-high 48 home runs broke his own team record and led the NL by 13 over his nearest competitor. Coupled with a league-leading 121 RBIs, Schmidt was a unanimous choice for the National League MVP. The Phillies defeated the Houston Astros in the 1980 NLCS to reach the World Series. Though Schmidt had a career .191 postseason batting average with no home runs and five RBIs entering the series, his bat came alive in the 1980 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. He hit two home runs and drove in seven runs as the Phillies won in six games, capturing the first World Series in franchise history. Schmidt won the World Series MVP Award. Following the World Series, Schmidt and four Phillies teammates appeared on Family Feud for one week in 1980, facing five members of the Kansas City Royals. Schmidt's best season may have been the strike-shortened 1981 season: his 31 home runs were seven more than anyone else in the league, and he led the NL in runs scored, RBIs, total bases, and walks, setting personal highs in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. He won his second consecutive MVP award with 96% of the vote. The Phillies led the NL East by 1.5 games when the 1981 strike hit and were named first-half champions, but lost to Montreal in the 1981 NLDS. In 1983, in celebration of the team's 100th anniversary, Schmidt was voted by fans the greatest player in franchise history. That year, he led the league in home runs for the sixth time, leading the Phillies back to the postseason. He batted .467 in the 1983 NLCS as the Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, but in the 1983 World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, Schmidt went just 1-for-20 with a single as the Phillies were held to a .195 team batting average. Following the 1983 season, Schmidt was awarded the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. Early in the 1985 season, Schmidt agreed to move to first base from late May through the end of the season, with Rick Schu taking over third base. In 1986, the Phillies moved outfielder Von Hayes to first base and shifted Schmidt back to third base. He responded by winning his third MVP award, a record for the National League.

Reader's Guide

Schmidt's 404 assists in 1974 remains a record for NL third basemen, according to the source article. 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, as stated in the source.

Did You Know?

• At age 5, Schmidt climbed a tree and was electrocuted when he touched a wire; his heart stopped and he fell, causing his heart to restart.
• Schmidt was a lifeguard at the Philipps Aquatic Club, founded by his great-grandfather Charles A. Philipps in 1865.
• On June 10, 1974, Schmidt hit a ball off Houston Astros pitcher Claude Osteen that struck a public address speaker 117 feet above home plate; it was ruled a single.
• Schmidt hit four home runs in one game on April 17, 1976, becoming the 10th player in major league history to accomplish that feat.