| Mike Schmidt | |
|---|---|
 Schmidt with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1982 | |
| Third baseman | |
| Born: September 27, 1949 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 12, 1972, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 28, 1989, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .267 |
| Hits | 2,234 |
| Home runs | 548 |
| Runs batted in | 1,595 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1995 |
| Vote | 96.5% (first ballot) |
Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. Schmidt played his entire 18-season career in Major League Baseball (MLB), from 1972 to 1989, for the Philadelphia Phillies, earning a total of $17 million.[1] 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 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest third basemen in baseball history.[2][3]
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."[4]
- ^ "Mike Schmidt Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Where Chipper ranks among all-time 3B". ESPN. August 29, 2011.
- ^ SKULSKI, TOM (October 25, 2021). "Phillies Legends: Mike Schmidt". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Jordan, David M. (2004). Pete Rose: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 91. ISBN 9780313328756.