Mike Schmidt is the greatest player to sport a Philadelphia Phillies uniform, the best third baseman to ever man the hot corner and one of the most accomplished power hitters in the history of Major League Baseball. The former slugger and Hall of Famer hit 548 home runs, spent his entire career in one city and brought his club the first World Series championship in franchise history. What’s there not to love about that kind of player?
To Phillies fans, there was a lot — at least for a large portion of his playing career — as detailed in a new documentary.
“Michael Jack Schmidt” features Schmidt and his legendary career, touching on key points from his time as a player and focusing on the development of his up-and-down relationship with the fans in the city of Philadelphia. Phillies Nation viewed an advanced screening of the documentary, which debuts on MLB Network on Thursday night at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Schmidt, who played for the Phillies from 1972 to 1989 and was a 1995 Hall of Fame inductee, was the center of attention in Philly. As he rose to stardom, winning three National League MVPs and the 1980 World Series MVP, the fans continued to expect more and more. Although he had one of the most productive careers ever, it never seemed to be enough. Schmidt was a sensitive overthinker, as pictured in the film. He did not show much outward emotion, but the pressure and the booing got to him. He internalized all the negativity and occasionally snapped back.
“I’ll tell you something about playing in Philadelphia,” Schmidt said in the documentary, reading a quote from his time with the Phillies. “Whatever I’ve got in my career now, I would have had a great deal more if I’d played my whole career in Los Angeles or Chicago, you name a town — somewhere where they were just grateful to have me around.”
But over time, there was healing. In 1985, Schmidt showed a lighter side of himself to the fans, wearing a long wig and sunglasses on the field to warm up after making harsh comments. The crowd appreciated the flash of humor and personality. The fans took pride in Schmidt’s 500th career home run in 1987, realizing how special his career was.
By the time Schmidt was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995, peace was made — although Schmidt was not quite sure of it heading into Cooperstown, N.Y. He again made comments critical of Philadelphia, and he was nervous that he would get booed at the ceremony. But the supporters who traveled for the event gave him a big ovation, and Schmidt addressed the fans in his speech.
“Let me say this and make it as short and sweet as I possibly can,” he said. “If I had it to do all over again, I’d do it in Philly. … My relationship with Philadelphia fans has always been misunderstood. Can we put that to rest here today?”
In Cooperstown, Schmidt said he wished he had not always been as sensitive as he was. During his interviews for the documentary, he put blame on himself for allowing the fans to bother him and affect him so much. Schmidt showed visible regret as he read some of his past comments about the fans.
The documentary — which also includes interviews with Schmidt’s former teammates such as Larry Bowa and Larry Andersen, Baseball Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and George Brett, former 76ers stars and Basketball Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Charles Barkley and Doug Collins, Schmidt’s wife, Donna, and others — also highlighted the positive reactions Schmidt now receives in Philadelphia, a sign of his rightful place in the sports history of the city.
