Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Michael Jack Schmidtis an American former professional baseball third baseman who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseballfor the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt was a twelve-time All-Star and a three-time winner of the National LeagueMost Valuable Player award, 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, and led the NL in home runs eight times and in RBIs four times. As a fielder,...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth27 September 1949
CityDayton, OH
CountryUnited States of America
Personally, I think the timing and manner of the book's release, given that it overshadowed the New York Hall of Fame news conference, sealed Pete's fate. For some reason, the commissioner wants to keep Pete on permanent hold.
No missing people reports were called in (Friday) night. Since there are no confirmed bodies, we decided to not go any further because at this point, there's so much danger up there, we'd have a hard time doing anything safely.
There's a real possibility of getting buried up there. The mid layer is solid but the layer below that could break down to the ground and rip all the way out. There's a huge possibility for a big slide.
He told me that he scouted me at Ohio University, which surprised me. Pat's a fine guy. He called me a couple of times and really rolled out the red carpet.
I was in a room with two guys who could have been my sons. ... We laughed and talked and told stories, ... I'm leaving St. Petersburg with a fantastic feeling about the interview.
I sort of ride the fence on that whole steroid era issue. I don't have a definite opinion like some of my fellow Hall of Famers. Some of the guys were very, very adamant about a person being associated with steroids: 'They'll never be in the Hall of Fame. If they are, I'll never come back.'
It's sort of a study in the human nature of how things like this can happen and how turning a blind eye on the subject allowed baseball to recover in the late '90s and 2000 with the offensive explosion. And now, how the right steps have been taken by the players' association and the commissioner's office to totally cleanse the game.
There's a 95-percent chance there's no one up there.
I'm always there for Pete. Major League Baseball has created this Pete Rose purgatory, and that's where he is. I don't think he would mind if the commissioner said no, if the committee voted no.
But remember this: in the final analysis, you can believe in your dream, you can be taught, supported, motivated, and loved by others, but ultimately, your success depends on you. You must take responsibility for your body, your mind, and for your character.
Philadelphia is the only city, where you can experience the thrill of victory and the agony of reading about it the next day.
If you're associated with the Philadelphia media or town, you look for negatives. I don't know if there's something about their upbringing or they have too many hoagies, or too much cream cheese.
I'm 61 now, and I'm comfortable in my lifestyle... I don't yearn for the limelight on a regular basis. I get a kick out of it every so often. I go to Philly and go to a game, and they make a big deal about me. That's fun for a couple of days, and I can go back to my own private life.
Pete Rose is the most likable arrogant person I've ever met.