Editing Mike Schmidt (section)

== 1980 Championship ==

The 1980 World Series championship represented the culmination of Schmidt's career and the Phillies' franchise history. His MVP performance in the Series—.381 average with two home runs—demonstrated that he could perform when stakes were highest. The championship, Philadelphia's first in the franchise's 97-year history, validated a core of players including Schmidt, Steve Carlton, and Pete Rose who had assembled to pursue the goal that previous Phillies teams had not achieved.<ref name="schmidt"/>

His regular season MVP that year—the first of three consecutive seasons where he contended for the award, winning in 1980, 1981, and 1986—confirmed his status as baseball's best player. The combination of power, defense, and leadership that the MVP recognized represented value that statistics could only partially capture. His presence anchored a Phillies team that contended throughout the early 1980s, the championship validating decisions that had brought talent to Philadelphia.<ref name="westcott"/>

The parade through Philadelphia's streets following the championship connected Schmidt to a city celebration that his reserved personality might not have naturally embraced. The moment, joining him with fans whose appreciation he had sometimes doubted, represented the championship's capacity to bridge gaps that personality differences might otherwise create. Philadelphia's championship belonged to Schmidt as much as to anyone, his career providing the foundation on which team success was built.<ref name="schmidt"/>