Slugger Schmidt retires

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 44

Slugger Schmidt retires

NiPA-Reuter San Diego Mike Schmidt, one of the greatest power-hitting third basemen in the history of baseball, announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Phillies in a hastily called press conference this week* Schmidt, whose 548 career home runs made him No. 7 on the all-time list, called it quits two months into his eighteenth major league season — all spent with the Phillies. “My skills have deteriorated,” he told reporters before Philadelphia’s game against the San Diego Padres. “I feel I could have asked the Phillies to keep me on as a part-time player. My respect for the game, my team-mates and the fans won’t allow me to do that.” Schmidt, who missed the last two months of the 1988 season due to a shoulder injury, was batting just .203 this year although he had stroked six homers and driven in 28 runs. Schmidt won most valuable player honours three times in the National League, the first award coming in 1980 when he led the circuit with 48 homers and 121 runs-batted-in and helped the Phils to a World Series championship. Eight times Schmidt led the league in homers but he was far from being a onedimensional player. The right-handed hitting slugger won 10 Gold Glove awards as the league’s best fielding third baseman. He appeared in 11 All-Star games. Schmidt, who was also troubled by knee ailments throughout his career, did not blame his decline on any specific injury, “just the wear and tear of time.”

“Some 18 years ago I left Dayton, Ohio, with two bad knees and a dream to become a Major League baseball player,” Schmidt said, his eyes moist. “I thank God for letting my dream come true,” he said before breaking into tears. Latest results of Major League baseball games:— American League: Seattle Mariners 3, New York Yankees 2; Baltimore Orioles 6, Texas Rangers 2; Oakland Athletics 4, Boston Red Sox 2; Cleveland Indians 6, Toronto Blue Jays 2; Detroit Tigers 10, Chicago White Sox 3; California Angels 3, Milwaukee Brewers 2; Minnesota Twins 7, Kansas City Royals 1. National League: Pittsburgh Pirates 2, Cincinnati Reds 0; Chicago Cubs 3, Atlanta Braves 2; Houston Astros 8, St Louis Cardinals 4; Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Montreal Expos 5; San Diego Padres 9, Philadelphia Phillies 3; San Francisco Giants 10, New York Mets 3.