Schmidt weighs in on Phillies, World Series
It's been 29 years since Mike Schmidt was the Most Valuable Player of the World Series, but he's looking fit, and he remembers those six games against the Kansas City Royals well.
Was he nervous?
"Oh, yeah. I don't know where Cliff Lee came up with that not being nervous," Schmidt said, talking about the Phillies' Game 1 starter on Wednesday.
"I was nervous every day when I went to the ballpark."
Schmidt, who led the Phillies to their first World Series title in 1980, appeared yesterday at a Modell's store at 15th and Chestnut to promote a new line of Phillies Rule T-shirts. A portion of the profits will fund the treatment of cystic fibrosis at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.
The player in this year's Phillies-Yankees World Series most like Schmidt is arguably Alex Rodriguez, New York's power-hitting third baseman who's had an up-and-down relationship with his fans.
"There are some similarities," Schmidt said. "I think we both are probably a little bit insecure, a little sensitive to what goes on around us, want everything to be just right everywhere we go, and try to be too perfect all the time.
"He probably doesn't have as much fun playing the game as he should, as I didn't, because we both shoulder a lot of responsibility. And I think we both probably take to heart too much what's written and said about us, all of which tends to increases the pressure."
What does Schmidt think is the most interesting story line of the Series? "The rise of Charlie Manuel," Schmidt said.
"This town has kind of a vision of the kind of guy they want managing their team - a bit of a [Larry] Bowa personality, a fiery guy," Schmidt said. "Charlie had to jump through hoops to win this town over, and at no time did he ever change, was he ever anything other than himself.
"When he has a team meeting, he commands [the players'] attention and gets their respect, because he puts on no airs," Schmidt said. "He doesn't come in with notes and give them a polished, Knute Rockne kind of a speech. He comes in with his country drawl and messes up, he's nervous, he never appears comfortable. But he's always himself, and he has a unique way of connecting with today's generation of ballplayers.
"He's a wonderful, old baseball guy," Schmidt said. "He could get fired tomorrow, and if they said, 'Do you mind going down and being the hitting coach at Lakewood?' He'd say, 'Sure, don't bother me; I'd love to go down there and work with those boys. They got some guys down there that love to hit.' "
Schmidt's prediction?
"I think the Phillies are a better team, and I think they'll win it, but I don't know if they can get out of town with the trophy. The Yankees are too good. It's probably going to be a six- or seven-gamer," he said, "but I like the Phillies, because I think they have too much karma, too much Charlie Manuel." *
