Mike Schmidt

Who is Mike Schmidt?

Michael Jack Schmidt is an American baseball third baseman who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt was a twelve-time All-Star and three-time National League Most Valuable Player, 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, Schmidt won the Gold Glove Award ten times. Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 and is considered one of the greatest third baseman in baseball history.

Schmidt had an unusual batting stance, turning his back somewhat to the pitcher and shaking his rear end while waiting for the pitch. By standing far back in the batter's box, he made it impossible to jam him by pitching inside. Schmidt was one of the best athletes of his time; 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."