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The reserve clause is a term formerly employed in North American professional sports contracts. The reserve clause, contained in all standard player contracts, stated that, upon the contract's expiration the rights to the player were to be retained by the team to which he had been signed. Practically, this meant that although both the player's obligation to play for the team as well as the team's obligation to pay the player were terminated, the player was not free to enter into another contract with another team. The player was bound to either (A) negotiate a new contract to play another year for the same team or (B) ask to be released or traded.

Once common in sports, the clause was abolished in baseball in 1975, and other sports soon followed. The reserve clause system has, for the most part, been replaced by free agency.

History and baseball[link]

In the late 19th century, baseball in America became popular enough that its major teams began to be businesses worth considerable amounts of money, and the players began to be paid sums that were well above the wages earned by common workers. To keep player salary demands in check, team owners promulgated a standardized contract for the players, in which the major variable was salary. In this era, all player contracts were for one year. There were no long-term contracts as there are today, because the reserve clause negated the need for them.

The Reserve Clauses inception was in 1879, when it was proposed as an unofficial rule known as "the Five Man Rule." It would allow teams to reserve players for each season, unless a player opted out of his contract and did not play in the league for a year. While the rule was not secret, teams started to sign other teams' "reserved players," thus encroaching the rule. These controversies caused the MLB to instate the rule officially on December 6, 1879.^[1]

Teams realized that if players were free to go from team to team then salaries would escalate dramatically. Therefore, they seldom granted players (at least valuable ones) a release, but retained their rights, or traded them to other teams for the rights to other players, or sold them outright for cash. Players thus had a choice only of signing for what their team offered them, or "holding out" (refusing to play, and therefore, not being paid).

Under the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, two or more non-affiliated companies in any other interstate business, were prohibited from colluding with each other to fix prices or establish schedules or rates. Enforcement of the Act reached its apotheosis in 1910 when the Supreme Court affirmed the government's order to dissolve the Standard Oil conglomerate. Yet it was argued that to keep baseball (the only large-scale professional sport in America during the 1920s) prosperous, granting it immunity from the Sherman Act was in the best interests of the game and the nation.

Thus, the United States Supreme Court had held in 1922 in Federal Baseball Club v. National League (259 U.S. 200) that baseball was an "amusement", and that organizing a schedule of games between independently owned and operated clubs operating in various states, and engaging in activities incidental thereto, did not constitute "interstate commerce" and that therefore antitrust laws did not apply to such activity, a ruling that, as of now, has never been overturned.

This pass on "trust-busting" essentially codified the reserve clause for many years, and gave what came to be known as Major League Baseball unprecedented power over both players and the independent organizations of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL). MLB could dictate not only how and where professional players could move between major league clubs, but as they took the opportunity of the Great Depression to establish systems of farm teams of players wholly owned by the parent clubs placed on 'independent' teams from the NA leagues around the country, they developed a way of expanding control of contracts of virtually the entire pool of professional baseball players.

When other team sports, particularly ice hockey, football, and basketball developed professional leagues, their owners essentially emulated baseball's reserve clause. This system stood almost unchallenged, other than by the occasional holdout, for many years.

In October 1969, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood challenged his trade to the Philadelphia Phillies. Flood sacrificed the remainder of his playing career to pursue this litigation. Flood's case established that the reserve clause was a legitimate basis for negotiation in collective bargaining between players and owners, and that the historic baseball antitrust exemption was valid for baseball only and not applicable to any other sport.

Removing the reserve clause from player contracts became the primary goal of negotiations between the Major League Baseball Players Association and the owners. The reserve clause was struck down in 1975 when arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that since pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally played for one season without a contract, they could become free agents. This decision essentially dismantled the reserve clause and opened the door to widespread free agency.

Other sports soon followed.

NFL[link]

On June 18, 1921, the NFL ratified its first constitution.^[2] The reserve clause ratified in the constitution was similar to that of baseball's at the time. The reserve clause stipulated that a team had the first opportunity to sign a player after the length of the contract had expired. If the team chose not to offer a contract, then the player could try to sign with a team of his choosing.^[3] Theoretically, the reserve clause bound the player "...to his employer in perpetuity".^[4] The reserve clause had been abolished in the NFL constitution in 1948 when the option clause was created.^[5] The option clause stated that a team may choose to automatically keep a player on their team for another year, at the same pay, after his contract had expired.^[6][7] The term, option clause, was not used by the print media and it was instead referred to as the reserve clause.^[7] Nevertheless in the NFL's attempt to gain antitrust exemption from Congress in 1957, Bert Bell still referred to the clause as the option clause (and also as the "option and reserve clause").^[8]

Decades later, NFL players' mobility was limited by the so-called "Rozelle Rule", named for the commissioner who first implemented it, which allowed the commissioner to "compensate" any team who lost a free agent to another team by taking something of equivalent value, usually draft picks, from the team that had signed the free agent and giving it to the team the player had left. Fear of losing several future high draft picks greatly limited free agency as no team wanted to sign a veteran player only to learn that it would lose, for example, its next two first-round draft picks. The Rozelle Rule was eventually replaced by "Plan B", which allowed a team to name a thirty-seven man roster the reserve clause would apply to, and all players not included on this list were free agents. Obviously, few top-echelon players were left off this thirty-seven man roster unless they happened to be injured. Courts eventually ruled this plan to be an antitrust violation, and something resembling true free agency came to pro football. Now, exclusive rights to a player are only for the first three years after his selection in the college draft. At the end of the first three years, a player can be a "restricted free agent", allowing his former team to match any offer made to him by another. After four years in the NFL all contracts end with the player becoming an unrestricted free agent without reserve.

There is a Franchise tag option that is similar to the reserve clause; however, teams can only tag one player each year, although they can tag the same player for consecutive years. Franchised players are eligible to receive at least 120% of their previous year's salary, and players tagged "non-exclusive" can accept offers from other teams; if the original team does not match the offer, they receive draft picks as compensation. In recent years, many teams have opted not to exercise their right to designate the Franchise tag.

NBA[link]

The National Basketball Association went through several phases of compensation and other arcane provisions before reaching almost unrestricted free agency. This year, 2011, the NBPA and NBA Owners Association are coming to an agreement on terms of contracts.

NHL[link]

The reserve clause was the basis for the NHL's injunction against the large number of players who had signed with the rival World Hockey Association in 1972, with all but one—against Chicago Black Hawks star Bobby Hull -- ultimately thrown out by lower courts. The appellate court, however, sided strongly with the WHA and Hull, calling the NHL's business practices monopolistic, conspiratorial, and illegal. While the reserve clause was not explicitly struck down, the court did effectively block any further injunctions based on the reserve clause, rendering it useless. (The WHA, meanwhile, voted at its founding to abolish the reserve clause.) The end of the reserve clause in hockey remains a significant part of the WHA's legacy, as it ultimately resulted in the evolution of the NHL's modern free agency system.

The highly contentious negotiations between National Hockey League owners and players that led to a lockout, wiping out the entire 2004–05 NHL season, were in part about free agency; the previous system precluded unrestricted free agency before the player reached 31 years of age. Most younger hockey free agents were restricted free agents whose teams could retain them by matching an offer from another club or making a "qualifying offer," which usually consisted of a ten percent raise above the pay in the former contract. Following the 2004-05 lockout, owners eventually agreed to phase in a much lower age for unrestricted free agency (27 years of age or 7 years in the NHL, whichever comes first) in exchange for the players meeting owners' principal demand in the new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement—an overall salary cap.

See also[link]

• Seitz decision, which ended the reserve clause in baseball
• Baseball's Reserve System: The Case and Trial of Curt Flood vs. Major League Baseball - (www.walnutparkgroup.com)
• Bosman ruling, a European Court of Justice decision that ended a similar system in European football (soccer)
• NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement

References[link]

Sources[link]

• Algeo, Matthew (2006), Last Team Standing. Philadelphia:Da Capo Press. ISBN ISBN 978-0-306-81472-3
• Lyons, Robert S. (2010). On Any Given Sunday, A Life of Bert Bell. Philadelphia:Temple University Press. ISBN 978-1-59213-731-2
• Ruck, Rob; with Paterson, Maggie Jones and Weber, Michael P. (2010) Rooney:a Sporting Life. Lincoln:University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-0-8032-2283-0
• Willis, Chris (2010). The Man Who Built the National Football League:Joe F. Carr. Lanham, MD:Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7669-9

Curt Flood
Flood in 1971
Center fielder
Born: (1938-01-18)January 18, 1938 Houston, Texas
Died: January 20, 1997(1997-01-20) (aged 59) Los Angeles, California
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 9, 1956 for the Cincinnati Redlegs
Last MLB appearance
April 25, 1971 for the Washington Senators
Career statistics
Batting average	.293
Hits	1,861
Runs batted in	636
Teams
Cincinnati Redlegs (1956–1957) St. Louis Cardinals (1958–1969) Washington Senators (1971)
Career highlights and awards
3× All-Star (1964, 1966, 1968) 2× World Series champion (1964, 1967) 7× Gold Glove Award winner (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969)

Curtis Charles Flood (January 18, 1938 – January 20, 1997) was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons from 1963 to 1969. He also batted over .300 six times and led the NL in hits (211) in 1964. He retired with the third most games in center field (1683) in NL history, trailing only Willie Mays and Richie Ashburn.

Flood became one of the pivotal figures in the sport's labor history when he refused to accept a trade following the 1969 season, ultimately appealing his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although his legal challenge was unsuccessful, it brought about additional solidarity among players as they fought against baseball's reserve clause and sought free agency.

Playing career[link]

Born in Houston, Texas, and raised in Oakland, California,^[1] Flood played in the same outfield in West Oakland's McClymonds High School as Vada Pinson and Frank Robinson.^[2] Flood signed with the Cincinnati Redlegs in 1956 and made a handful of appearances for the team in 1956-57 before being traded to the Cardinals in December 1957. For the next twelve seasons, he became a fixture in center field for St. Louis; although he struggled at the plate from 1958 to 1960, his defensive skill was apparent. He had his breakthrough year after Johnny Keane took over as manager in 1961: He batted .322 and followed by hitting .296 in 1962 with 12 home runs. He continued to improve offensively in 1963, hitting .302 and scoring a career-high 112 runs, third most in the NL; he also had career bests in doubles (34), triples (9) and stolen bases (17) and collected 200 hits in an NL-leading 662 at bats. In that year he received the first of his seven consecutive Gold Gloves.^[3]

Flood in 1957.

He earned his first All-Star selection in 1964 while leading the NL in hits and batting .311. His 679 at bats led the NL again and were the fifth highest total in league history to that point, setting a team record by surpassing Taylor Douthit's 1930 total of 664; Lou Brock broke the team record three years later with 689. He also had a league-leading 211 hits. Batting leadoff in the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, he hit only .200 but scored in three of the Cardinal victories as the team won in seven games for its first championship since 1946. In 1965 Flood had his greatest power output with 11 home runs and 83 runs batted in while hitting .310. He made the All-Star team again in 1966, a season in which he did not commit a single error in the outfield; his record errorless streaks of 226 games (NL record) and 568 total chances (major league record) ran from September 3, 1965, to June 4, 1967.

In 1967 he had his highest batting mark with a .335 average (though his other batting totals fell off from previous years), helping the Cardinals to another championship. In the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox he hit a woeful .179 but made some crucial contributions. In game 1, he advanced Brock to third base twice, putting him in position to score both runs in a 2-1 victory; in game 3, he drove Brock in with the first run of a 5-2 win. As team co-captain (with Tim McCarver) in 1968 he had perhaps his best year, earning his third All-Star selection and finishing fourth in the MVP balloting (won by teammate Bob Gibson) on the strength of a .301 batting average and 186 base hits. Against the San Francisco Giants that year, Flood was involved in the final outs of the first back-to-back no-hitters in major league history. On September 17, he struck out for the final out of Gaylord Perry's 1-0 gem. The next day, he caught Willie McCovey's fly ball for the final out of Ray Washburn's 2-0 no-hitter.^[4][5] Had he not notably misjudged a Jim Northrup fly ball (ruled a triple) with two out in the seventh inning of game 7 of the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, the Cardinals might have won their third championship of the decade; Detroit scored twice on the play, with Northrup later coming in for a 3-0 lead, and won the game 4-1. Up to that point, Flood had been enjoying the best series of his career despite dealing with personal problems at home,^[6] hitting .286 with three steals.

In 1969, despite the lower pitching mound instituted that season, which saw a general rise in batting average league-wide, Flood's batting average slipped to .285. His brother was arrested during the season, and he participated in a couple of public confrontations with Cardinals management. Early in the season, his conflict with the Cardinals involved his desire for a $100,000 salary.^[6] Late in the season, he publicly criticized the team for reorganizing the team before they were officially eliminated. He received his seventh Gold Glove that season just as other events in his career began to affect the entire sport.

Flood collected the first hit in a major league regular season game in Canada. He doubled off Montreal Expos pitcher Larry Jaster in the first inning of the Expos' inaugural home game, on April 14, 1969, at Jarry Park. (Jaster, a Cardinal teammate of Flood's just the year before, had been selected by the Expos in the expansion draft.)

Challenge of the reserve clause[link]

Cardinals general manager Bing Devine's letter to Flood, informing him that he had been traded to the Phillies.

Flood's letter to Bowie Kuhn in December 1969. Flood states, "I do not feel that I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes." He then states that the Phillies have offered him a contract, but "I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decisions."

Despite his outstanding playing career, Flood's principal legacy developed off the field. He believed that Major League Baseball's decades-old reserve clause was unfair in that it kept players beholden for life to the team with which they originally signed, even when they had satisfied the terms and conditions of those contracts.

On October 7, 1969, the Cardinals traded Flood, Tim McCarver, Byron Browne, and Joe Hoerner to the Philadelphia Phillies for Dick Allen, Cookie Rojas, and Jerry Johnson. Flood refused to report to the moribund Phillies, citing the team's poor record and dilapidated Connie Mack Stadium, and its belligerent—and, he felt, racist—fans. Some reports say he was also irritated that he had learned of the trade from a reporter;^[7] but Flood wrote in his autobiography that he was told by midlevel Cardinals management and was angry that the call did not come from the general manager.^[8] He met with Phillies general manager John Quinn, who left the meeting believing that he had persuaded Flood to report to the team.^[8] Flood stood to forfeit a lucrative $100,000 ($598,458 as of 2012)^[9] contract if he did not report; but after a meeting with players' union head Marvin Miller,^[10] who informed him that the union was prepared to fund a lawsuit, he decided to pursue his legal options.^[3]

In a letter to Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, Flood demanded that the commissioner declare him a free agent:

December 24, 1969

After twelve years in the major leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the several States.

It is my desire to play baseball in 1970, and I am capable of playing. I have received a contract offer from the Philadelphia club, but I believe I have the right to consider offers from other clubs before making any decision. I, therefore, request that you make known to all Major League clubs my feelings in this matter, and advise them of my availability for the 1970 season.^[3][8]

Flood was influenced by the events of the 1960s that took place in the United States. According to Marvin Miller, Flood told the executive board of the players' union, "I think the change in black consciousness in recent years has made me more sensitive to injustice in every area of my life." However, he added that what he was doing in challenging the reserve clause was primarily as a major league ballplayer.^[11]

[edit] Flood v. Kuhn

Commissioner Kuhn denied Flood's request for free agency, citing the propriety of the reserve clause and its inclusion in Flood's 1969 contract. In January 1970 Flood filed a $1 million lawsuit against Kuhn and Major League Baseball, alleging violation of federal antitrust laws.^{[citation needed]} Even though Flood was making $90,000 at the time,^[1] he likened the reserve clause to slavery; it was a controversial analogy, even among those who opposed the reserve clause.^{[citation needed]} Among those testifying on his behalf were former players Jackie Robinson and Hank Greenberg, and former owner Bill Veeck; no active players testified, nor did any attend the trial. Although players' union representatives had voted unanimously to support Flood, rank-and-file players were strongly divided, with many fervently supporting the management position.^[3]

Flood v. Kuhn (407 U.S. 258) eventually went before the Supreme Court. Flood's attorney, former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, asserted that the reserve clause depressed wages and limited players to one team for life. Major League Baseball's counsel countered that Commissioner Kuhn had acted "for the good of the game."^{[citation needed]}

Ultimately the Supreme Court, invoking the principle of stare decisis ("to stand by things decided"), ruled 5-3 in favor of Major League Baseball, citing as precedent a 1922 ruling in Federal Baseball Club v. National League (259 U.S. 200). Justice Lewis Powell recused himself owing to his ownership of stock in Anheuser-Busch, which owned the Cardinals.^[3]

In 1970 the owners and the MLBPA agreed to the "10/5 Rule" (sometimes called the "Curt Flood Rule"), which allows players with ten years of Major League service, the last five with the same team, to veto any trade.^[12]

Aftermath and post-baseball life[link]

Flood sat out the entire 1970 season.^[3] The Cardinals sent two minor leaguers to the Phillies in compensation for Flood's refusal to report. One of them—centerfielder Willie Montañez—went on to a 14-year major league career. In November 1970 the Phillies traded Flood and four other players to the Washington Senators. He signed a $110,000 contract with Washington but played only 13 games of the 1971 season, with a .200 batting average and lackluster play in center field. Former teammate Gibson later wrote that Flood once returned to his locker to find a funeral wreath on it.^{[citation needed]} Despite manager Ted Williams's vote of confidence, Flood retired. He had a lifetime batting average of .293 with 1861 hits, 85 home runs, 851 runs, and 636 RBIs.

Later that year Flood published a memoir entitled The Way It Is in which he spelled out in detail his argument against the reserve clause.^[6] Four years later, in what is now remembered as the Seitz decision, arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled that since pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally played for one season without a contract, they were entitled to become free agents. The ruling essentially nullified the reserve clause and opened the door to widespread free agency.

After his retirement Flood purchased a bar in the resort town of Palma on the island of Majorca, where he had moved in the wake of bankruptcy of his Curt Flood Associates business, two lawsuits, and an IRS lien on a home he bought for his mother.^[6] He returned to baseball as a member of the Oakland Athletics broadcasting team in 1978. In 1988 he was named commissioner of the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association.^[3] In the mid 1990s he joined the management group of the United Baseball League (UBL), which was envisioned as a smaller alternative to MLB. While the group negotiated a long-term TV contract with Liberty Media, the deal (and the UBL) failed when Liberty was absorbed by MLB contractor Fox Sports.^[13] In his spare time, he painted; his 1989 oil portrait of Joe DiMaggio sold at auction for $9,500 in 2006.^[14]

Death[link]

Flood stopped smoking in 1979 and drinking in 1986 despite having been a heavy drinker and smoker for years.^[15] Diagnosed with throat cancer in 1995, Flood was initially given a 90-95 percent chance of survival. He underwent radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and throat surgery, which left him unable to speak.^[16]

On January 20, 1997, Flood died at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California after developing pneumonia.^[1] He was survived by his five children (Debbie, Gary, Shelly, Scott, and Curt Flood Jr.), a wife (actress Judy Pace), and her two daughters.^[17] Flood was interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood California.^[18]

Legacy[link]

Flood's legacy was acknowledged in Congress in 1997 via the Baseball Fans and Communities Protection Act of 1997.^[19] Numbered HR 21 (Flood's Cardinals uniform number) and introduced in the House of Representatives on the first day of the 105th Congress by Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (D-Michigan), the legislation established federal antitrust law protection for major league baseball players to the same extent as provided for other professional athletes. Similar legislation, titled the Curt Flood Act of 1998 (SB 53) and sponsored by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), was introduced and passed in the Senate the following year.^[20]

Curt Flood is a nonparticipating but pivotal character in the book Our Gang by Philip Roth.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2011, HBO Sports premiered The Curious Case of Curt Flood, an in-depth documentary account of Flood's personal life and career that features dozens of interviewees, including Flood biographer Brad Snyder, author of 2007's A Well-Paid Slave.^[15]

References[link]

• Flynn, Neil F. (2006). Baseball's Reserve System: The Case and Trial of Curt Flood v. Major League Baseball. Springfield, IL: Walnut Park Group. ISBN 0-9776578-0-9. 

External links[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Curt Flood

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Curt Flood Photographs from the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri–St. Louis
• "Curt Flood". Find a Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=3549. Retrieved August 28, 2010. 
• Curt Flood collected news and commentary at the Los Angeles Times

Mike Schmidt
Third baseman
Born: (1949-09-27) September 27, 1949 (age 62) Dayton, Ohio
Batted: Right	Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 12, 1972 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Last MLB appearance
May 28, 1989 for the Philadelphia Phillies
Career statistics
Batting average	.267
Home runs	548
Runs batted in	1,595
Teams
Philadelphia Phillies (1972–1989)
Career highlights and awards
World Series champion (1980) World Series MVP (1980) 12× All-Star (1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989) 8× NL Home Run Champion (1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986) 4× NL RBI (1980, 1981, 1984, 1986) 10× Gold Glove Award (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986) 6× Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986) 3× NL MVP (1980, 1981, 1986) 5× NL Player of the Month (April 1976, July 1979, May 1980, August 1981, July 1982) Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1983) 4 home runs in one game (April 17, 1976) Philadelphia Phillies No. 20 retired Major League Baseball All-Century Team Major League Baseball All-Time Team
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1995
Vote	96.5% (first ballot)

Michael Jack Schmidt (born September 27, 1949) is a Hall of Fame third baseman, widely considered as the greatest at the position in the history of Major League Baseball.^[1][2][3] He played his entire career for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Schmidt had an unusual batting stance, turning his back somewhat to the pitcher and shaking his derrière 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."^[4]

Early days[link]

Upon graduation from Fairview High School in Dayton, Ohio in 1967, Schmidt attended Ohio University in Athens, where he joined Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.^[5] Schmidt led the Ohio Bobcats baseball team to the College World Series in 1970,^[6] and was drafted by the Phillies in the second round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft with the 30th overall pick.

On June 11, 1971, he was signed by scout Tony Lucadello, who had followed him since Little League Baseball.^[7] Six days later, Schmidt made his professional debut in an exhibition game between the Phillies and the Reading Phillies in Reading. Schmidt played the whole game at shortstop for the Phillies and hit a game-winning home run against Reading.^[8] Along with shortstop and third base, Schmidt also played some second base in the minors.

Schmidt spent two seasons in the Phillies' farm system, where he batted .263 with 34 home runs and 122 runs batted in. He received a September call-up to the Phillies in 1972, and made his major league debut against the New York Mets on September 12.^[9] Four days later, Schmidt ended Montreal Expos pitcher Balor Moore's streak of 25 scoreless innings pitched with his first career home run.^[10]

Philadelphia Phillies[link]

Following the 1972 season, the Phillies dealt third baseman Don Money to the Milwaukee Brewers to open a spot for Schmidt on their infield. Schmidt batted only .196 with 136 strikeouts his first full season, however, he did demonstrate his power potential with 18 home runs.

Schmidt's batting average climbed as high as .356 in 1974 to receive the first of his twelve All-Star nods.^[11] On June 10, Schmidt hit a ball into a public address speaker suspended 117 feet above and 329 feet away from home plate in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The ball then fell to the field, and by the Astrodome's ground rules, it remained in play. Schmidt was held to a single, and the runners on first and second each advanced just one base. It is believed that had it not hit the speaker, the ball would have carried beyond 500 feet.^[12] For the season, Schmidt finished sixth in National League Most Valuable Player balloting as he batted .282 with 106 RBIs and a league leading 36 home runs to help the Phillies avoid a last place finish in the National League East for the first time since 1970. His 404 assists in 1974 remain a record for third basemen. He also filled in at shortstop and first base.

Schmidt's batting average hovered below .200 through the month of May 1975. Solid months of July and August saw his average rise to .249 by the end of the season as he led the league in home runs for the second year in a row with 38. Schmidt started the 1976 season off by hitting twelve home runs in Philadelphia's first fifteen games, including four in one game on April 17,^[13] a feat accomplished only 16 times in the history of baseball. For the season, Schmidt drove in 107 runs, and led the league in home runs for the third year in a row (38), and won his first of ten Gold Gloves to lead the Phillies to their first division crown since division play started in 1969.

The Phillies captured the NL east crown three years in a row, however, they were swept by Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine" in 1976, and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 and 1978. On December 5, 1978, the Phillies signed Pete Rose as a free agent, temporarily making Rose the highest-paid athlete in team sports when they signed him to a four-year, $3.2-million contract. With Rose on board, the Phillies were early favorites to repeat as division winners in 1979. Instead, the Phillies finished the season at 84-78, and in fourth place in NL East. For his part, Schmidt broke the club record for home runs in a season with 45, eclipsing Chuck Klein's 43 hit in 1929.

National League MVP[link]

On October 3, 1980, the Phillies went into Montreal tied with the Expos for first place in the NL East. With a sacrifice fly in the first, and a solo home run in the sixth, Schmidt led the Phillies to a 2-1 victory to capture first place.^[14] A day later, Schmidt hit his 48th home run of the season in the 11th inning to give the Phillies the 6-4 extra innings victory over the Expos, and clinch the division.^[15] His 48 home runs broke his own team record, and led the National League by a margin of thirteen over his nearest competitor (His home run mark would stand for 26 years until first baseman and 2006 National League MVP Ryan Howard hit 58 in 2006). Coupled with a league leading 121 RBIs, Schmidt was a unanimous choice for the National League's Most Valuable Player Award.

The Phillies defeated the Houston Astros in the 1980 National League Championship Series^[16] to reach the World Series for the third time in franchise history. Though Schmidt had just a career .191 post-season batting average with no home runs and five RBIs, his bat came alive in the 1980 World Series, hitting two homers and driving in seven runs against the Kansas City Royals to earn him the World Series MVP Award. Following the World Series, Schmidt and four of his Phillies teammates appeared on Family Feud for one week in 1980. He, Larry Bowa, Garry Maddox, Dick Ruthven and Del Unser took on five members of the Kansas City Royals: Dennis Leonard, Dan Quisenberry, Paul Splittorff, John Wathan and Willie Wilson.

Schmidt's best season may have been the strike shortened 1981 season. His 31 home runs were seven more than anyone else in the league. He also led the NL in runs scored, RBIs, total bases and walks, and set personal highs in batting average, on-base average and slugging average. He won his second consecutive MVP award, this time with 96% of the vote.

The Phillies led the NL East by 3.5 games when the 1981 Major League Baseball strike hit. As a result, the Phillies were named NL East champions for the first half of the season, however, they lost to the second half champion Montreal Expos in the 1981 National League Division Series.

In 1983, in celebration of the team's 100th anniversary, Schmidt was voted by fans the greatest player in the history of the franchise. That year, he led the league in home runs for the sixth time in his career to lead the Phillies back to the post season. Schmidt led his team with a .467 batting average and scored five runs as they defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1983 National League Championship Series. It was, however, a much different story against the Baltimore Orioles in the 1983 World Series. The Phillies were held to a .195 team batting average; Schmidt went just 1-for-20 with a single.

Following the 1983 season, the Phillies dealt Pete Rose to the Montreal Expos. Tim Corcoran and Len Matuszek platooned at first in 1984, however, neither provided to the offensive spark Rose did. In 1985, Schmidt was moved to first base from late May through the end of the season with Rick Schu assuming third base duties. The Phillies finished with a record below .500 for the first time since 1974.

In 1986, the Phillies moved outfielder Von Hayes to first base and shifted Schmidt back to his natural position. He responded by winning his third MVP award, a record for third basemen,^[17] with a league leading 37 home runs and 119 RBIs.

Retirement[link]

Schmidt homers against the Reds on July 20, 1987, at the Vet

Trailing the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 at Three Rivers Stadium on April 18, 1987, Schmidt hit his career 500th home run, a three run shot off of Don Robinson to win the game, 8-6.^[18]

Injuries to Schmidt's rotator cuff caused him to miss the last month and a half of the 1988 season. He returned healthy for the 1989 season, however, after a poor start, Schmidt suddenly chose to announce his retirement in San Diego, on May 29. Although he typically demonstrated little emotion on the field (and was known as "Captain Cool" by many in Philadelphia sports circles), Schmidt surprised many with an emotional, and occasionally tearful, retirement speech. His last game was May 28, 1989, against the San Francisco Giants.^[19]

Despite his poor start and subsequent retirement, fans again voted Schmidt to the NL All-Star team. He decided not to play, but he did participate in the game's opening ceremony.^[20]

Career stats[link]

Over his career Schmidt set a vast array of hitting and fielding records. In addition to his MVP Awards, Schmidt won ten Gold Gloves, led the league in home runs eight times, in RBIs four times, OPS five times, and walks four times. He was named to twelve All-Star teams. He is the Phillies all-time leader in games played, at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, hits, home runs, RBI, walks, strikeouts, total bases, runs created, sacrifice flies, outs, Adj. Batting Runs, Adj. Batting Wins, Extra Base Hits, Times On Base, and Power-Speed number.

Schmidt's 548 home runs are the most ever hit by a player who spent his entire career with just one team.

Post playing career[link]

Schmidt opted, at first, to pursue a more private lifestyle after his career, rather than to become a manager or coach. He has written a number of articles on baseball for CBS and regularly participates in charity golf tournaments. He spent one season as a member of the Phillies broadcast team on the now-defunct PRISM network. He was known as a very candid and honest broadcaster despite his limited experience in the area.

In 1991, he and Nolan Ryan were inducted into the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum's Hall of Excellence (established in 1988), thereby becoming only the second and third MLB players inducted into the Hall.

In 1995, Schmidt was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with what was then the fourth highest percentage ever, 96.52%.^[21] (Nolan Ryan and George Brett surpassed his percentage in 1999).

In 1999, he ranked number 28 on The Sporting News's list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,^[22] the highest-ranking third baseman, and the highest-ranking player whose career began after 1967. Later that year, he was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. His uniform number 20 has been retired by the Phillies, and he has been honored with a statue outside the third-base gate at the team's home, Citizens Bank Park.

Schmidt has publicly expressed his thoughts on various baseball controversies. He has been a vocal advocate for the reinstatement of Pete Rose to baseball. In July 2005, he appeared on Bob Costas' HBO show Costas Now to discuss steroids, and said, "Let me go out on a limb and say that if I had played during that era I would have taken steroids... We all have these things we deal with in life, and I'm surely not going to sit here and say to you guys, 'I wouldn't have done that.'"

In his 2006 book, Clearing the Bases: Juiced Players, Shrinking Ballparks, Sham Records, and a Hall of Famer's Search for the Soul of Baseball, he somewhat recanted that statement, saying that he understood the desire to get a competitive advantage even though he could not condone breaking the rules to do so.

Coaching[link]

In 2002, Schmidt was hired by the Phillies to work for several weeks as a hitting coach each Spring training. In October 2003, Schmidt was named the manager of the Phillies' Single A Florida State League affiliate, the Clearwater Threshers. He managed them for just the 2004 season, then resigned. In 2009, he served as third base coach for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

Philanthropy[link]

In 2001, Schmidt began sponsoring an annual fishing tournament known as the Mike Schmidt Winner's Circle Invitational at Old Bahama Bay in West End, Grand Bahama Island. The first event raised $27,000, and has since raised over $1.5 million for cystic fibrosis.^[23]

In 2008, Schmidt released a charity wine called Mike Schmidt 548 Zinfandel, a reference to his 548 career home runs, with proceeds also going to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.^[24]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	Baseball portal

• List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records
• List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
• 500 home run club
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
• List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
• List of Major League Baseball home run champions
• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• Batters with four home runs in one game
• Major League Baseball titles leaders
• DHL Hometown Heroes

Further reading[link]

• Dolson, Frank (1982-05). "Mike Schmidt of the Phillies: Player of the 1980s!". Baseball Digest. http://books.google.com/books?id=BDQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA59&dq=mike+schmidt&client=firefox-a&cd=6#v=onepage&q=mike%20schmidt&f=false. 
• Schmidt, Mike; Barbara Walder (1982). Always on the Offense. Macmillan Pub Co. ISBN 0-689-11165-7. 
• Kashatus, William C. (2000). Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia's Hall of Fame third baseman. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc.. p. 94. ISBN 0-7864-0713-1. 

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or BaseballLibrary.com
• Mike Schmidt at the Baseball Hall of Fame