Editing Mike Schmidt

'''Mike Schmidt''' (born 1949) is a Hall of Fame third baseman widely considered the greatest player at his position in baseball history. Playing his entire eighteen-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies (1972-1989), Schmidt won three MVP awards, led the team to its first World Series championship in 1980, and established himself as one of the sport's most complete players. His combination of power hitting—548 career home runs—with Gold Glove defense at a demanding position set standards that subsequent players have not matched. Schmidt's Philadelphia career connected him indelibly to the city, though his reserved personality sometimes created distance from fans who expected more visible emotion from their heroes.<ref name="schmidt">{{cite book |last=Schmidt |first=Mike |title=Clearing the Bases: Juiced Players, Monster Salaries, Sham Records, and a Hall of Famer's Search for the Soul of Baseball |year=2006 |publisher=Harper Collins |location=New York}}</ref>

== Phillies Career ==

Michael Jack Schmidt was born on September 27, 1949, in Dayton, Ohio, attending Ohio University before the Phillies drafted him in 1971. His early major league seasons suggested potential without immediately revealing the greatness that would follow—he led the league in strikeouts in 1973 while hitting only .196. The adjustments he made, developing the power stroke and plate discipline that would define his prime, transformed him from struggling prospect to elite performer.<ref name="westcott">{{cite book |last=Westcott |first=Rich |title=Mike Schmidt |year=1995 |publisher=Chelsea House |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>

The mid-1970s established Schmidt as baseball's dominant third baseman. He led the National League in home runs eight times, his combination of power and consistency unmatched among contemporaries. His defensive excellence—ten Gold Glove awards at third base—complemented offensive production that placed him among the sport's elite. The complete player he became represented a level of performance that contemporary third basemen could not approach.<ref name="schmidt"/>

Veterans Stadium, where Schmidt played his home games, provided the setting for performances that defined his career. The stadium's reputation for demanding fans created an environment that Schmidt, with his analytical personality and preference for technical excellence over emotional display, sometimes found uncomfortable. Yet his achievements transcended any disconnect with fans, his production earning respect that his demeanor might not have generated alone.<ref name="westcott"/>

== 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"/>

== Relationship with Philadelphia ==

Schmidt's relationship with Philadelphia fans was complicated by the disconnect between his introspective personality and the city's expectation of visible emotion. His analytical approach to the game, which produced extraordinary results, came across to some fans as aloofness that suggested he did not share their passion. The booing he received during slumps reflected frustrations that his excellence in the long run could not entirely erase.<ref name="westcott"/>

His eventual embrace by Philadelphia—visible in the standing ovations his final seasons received and his continued celebration as the franchise's greatest player—demonstrated that performance ultimately matters more than personality. The accomplishments that his career accumulated could not be ignored, his records establishing him as the Phillies' most valuable player regardless of how fans had occasionally treated him during his career. Time enabled appreciation that contemporary frustrations had sometimes obscured.<ref name="schmidt"/>

== Legacy ==

Mike Schmidt retired in 1989 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility. His legacy as the greatest third baseman in baseball history rests on statistical achievements—the home runs, the MVP awards, the Gold Gloves—that document sustained excellence unmatched at his position. His Philadelphia career connected him to a city and franchise whose history he transformed, the 1980 championship validating a career that would have been exceptional even without postseason success. Schmidt represents what Philadelphia sports can achieve at their highest level, his career demonstrating that the city can host greatness even when the relationship between player and fans is sometimes uncomfortable.<ref name="schmidt"/>

== See Also ==
* [[Philadelphia Phillies]]
* [[Steve Carlton]]
* [[1980 World Series]]
* [[Veterans Stadium]]

== References ==
<references />

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|title=Mike Schmidt - Philadelphia's Greatest Phillie
|description=Mike Schmidt is a Hall of Fame third baseman who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia Phillies, winning three MVPs and the 1980 World Series.
|keywords=Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, Hall of Fame, third baseman, 1980 World Series, MVP, home runs, Gold Glove
|type=Article
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[[Category:Philadelphia Phillies]]
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