Schmidt: These Phillies 'maybe the best ever'
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Schmidt: These Phillies 'maybe the best ever'
Matt Gelb
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The 61-year-old Hall of Famer is never short of opinions or words, so when Mike Schmidt addresses reporters annually at the beginning of his stint as a spring instructor, headlines are made.
Here's one: Mike Schmidt thinks this is the best Phillies team ever.
"If a team can be built around the four greatest starters maybe ever assembled on one team, you feel like you really have a strong chance of having a great year," Schmidt said.
But the team is not without flaws, Schmidt says. Watching from afar, he thinks the team underachieved on offense in 2010 and must adapt a small-ball approach in 2011.
"I never played on a team that had a starting staff like this one," Schmidt said. "Gosh, if you hit a home run in the first inning or hit a double, get him over, get him in, that has a chance of being a factor in almost every game. 1-0, 2-0, that could win a lot of ballgames for the Phillies.
"It's great for an offense to have that mindset. We don't need to score eight. We just need to play small ball, move them and be good at the kind of thing we're not necessarily known for being good at. That's the mantra in the spring here with the hitters and the coaches. If we do our job with our bunts, advancing runners, walks and get on base and turn two or three runs over to Hamels, Lee, Halladay, Blanton and Oswalt, our goal should be 100 runs for sure."
Schmidt says Jimmy Rollins must be more "Pete Rose-like" in his approach to the game. (As an aside, I'm trying to be more Gary Smith-like in my writing.) He expects Shane Victorino to stop trying to be a power hitter and get on base more.
He is also very happy with his current relationship with the Phillies. Schmidt said he has not yet discussed being in the broadcast booth for a few games as he did in 2010.
"I feel blessed I still have a role, though it's a bit of a minor role with the team," Schmidt said. "It's more of a marketing role now. The relationship with the Phillies right now is as strong as its ever been. That part of my life is really good. I'm a very happy man."
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A lot of great ballplayers on the 2011 club, but Schmitty is still the greatest I've ever seen put on a Phils uni.- A lot of great ballplayers on the 2011 club, but Schmitty is still the greatest I've ever seen put on a Phils uni.
- This team is simply the Team to beat "ON PAPER". But they must do two things in this order. #1: Stay healthy. Can't have the regulars on the DL as they did last year. And Number Two: Don't look at the papers and what the media is saying and don't listen to the pundits and what they are saying.... Just do it on the Field. Do that?? will be partying on Broad Street.— docphilly
Comment removed.- That's it? That's the extent of your intellegent comments on the article? Next time you have the urge to express yourself, I recommend you follow the advice of Abe Lincoln "Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and resolve all doubt" — SaganRand
- While admittedly not a huge baseball fan it has to be scary to hear all these predictions of greatness. Charlie is going have to do his best managing job yet in not letting headlines get into their heads. Plus a concern to me is replacing Werth's HR and RBI's.— blackknight
- give Francisco a real shot to be the next Jason Werth and platoon him with the kid. Jimmy is due to bounce back as is Utley. It will be a big year for Ruiz- pray he doesn't break down. That said, all I know is I can't wait— bob warkulwiz
- This probably is the best Phillies team on paper. The offense needs to show up this season and earn tyheir salaries. The Phillies can't just count on the pitching staff to win games. They will do their fair share but we the need the bats to get going. Give Dominic Brown a chance to show what he can do in right. Let's Go Phillies!!!!!!!— rolenfan
- I totally agree with everything he said— jayflyte
- Comment removed.
- Uh, you're saying that just because the man is enjoying the current relationship with the team that you assume he just now got around to being 'happy'. Dope. How abou this; he's BEEN happy AND he's currently ejoying the relationship. Please don't get involved in topics above your IQ level dude. In spite of consistently putting up numbers that were clearly going to lead him to the hof, he was booed (almost violently at times) throughout his career by a fan base starved for a world series so they pinned all their frustrations on him. Schmidty long ago made peace with the fan base. Sorry you weren't around to hear about it. — SaganRand
- Werth was a good player, but to hear some people talk he was a star, which he isn't nor will he ever be. Brown could turn out to be a much better player in the long haul. A guy like Brown, with nothing left to prove in the minors, needs to at least platoon with Francisco unless he has a terrible Spring. I don't care about lefty/righty BS until the last inning or two, and it's good pinch hitters who can really help dictate who has the edge there. All that aside, the pitching is what will make or break this teams success. Normal seasons for these five starters guarantees a playoff spot.— Paul SoTX
- Bring back the Bull as DH for those inter-league games.
Schmiddty for GM !!!— Big Ragu - Michael Jack......enough said!!!!!!!!!— malgeo
- MAYBE theyre the best team even though its tough to admit since theyre lacking personality...you cant stress the small ball issue enough,there are many instance where being smarter in those situations wouldve helped greatly.— ryan08
- As was said by "ryan08" inre smallball: "there were many instances where being smarter in those situations would've helped greatly." This falls entirely into Charley's lap. As much as I luv the man, he just is NOT a smallball descipal, and never will be. I most heartily agree with his tenet that the more runs you have, the better off you will be. We start diverging in the early innings with men on base. Charley hates bunting the way I hate the Infernal Revenue Service. He gives lip service to it (and the rest of the things involved with smallball), but grudgingly, and seldom. But with THIS set of starters, I can only hope that he at least agrees to DISCUSS it with the coaches. But with Davey Lopes "let go" (for all intent and purposes) by the GM, the strongest advocate is gone. I have a feeling I'm gonna be in a couple of blind rages after several losses that could have turned out differently with the application of some (successful) smallball. Let's hope those few losses are offset by many 12-2 wins. LETS GO FIGHTINS!!!— TBear
- What do I care what Mike Schmidt says about anything? These guys are under the impression that they have some brains, because they were great players. As I remember, Schmidt was a complete wash out when he actually tried coaching.— Bobphxville
i saw this on the Onion today. Hilarious... http://www.onionsportsnetwork.com/articles/shane-victorinos-parents-bracing-for-annual-spring,19245/— selophane43- No need to trash Mike Schmidt, a Philly icon and HOFer, we don't have many! His opinion sounds good but in reality people don't change and you can't expect Rollins or Victorino to become something they are not. A question is will Jimmy hit close to .300?....Polanco should bat second as he does the little things when needed but the big question is will Utley, Howard and Ibanez have the power numbers to sustain the offense? I read recently the Phillies had 70+ games last year scoring 3 or less runs.....ouch, let's focus on offense Charlie!!— PhilZone1
- Schmitty dissected Rollins hitting issues at the plate when he was in the booth last year and explained why he pops up the ball so much.
I wonder why the Phillies staff doesn't work with Rollins to correct it.— fmMD - Right on , Silli
The Phils need to establish who they are from Game #1... or will end-up playing fix-it baseball all year... exception is the Starting Rotation.— NRGjunk- mike schmidt the charles barkley of baseball— djmar
- Never been a big fan of Schmidt but I agree with him 100% this time.I don't know if I can take another year of Rollins and Victorino swinging for the fences on the first pitch they see and sending lazy fly balls to the outfield. They need to start taking pitches and getting on base. Am surprised that Schmidt did not mention Howard and his large amount of strikeouts and non-clutch hitting but maybe that strikes a little close to home.— bosuka
- Too many people walking around saying this will be a cakewalk with our pitching; gives me bad vibes!— JBinPA
