Schmidt Back in the Game

February 24,2004
By Randy Miller, PhillyBurbs.com

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Mike Schmidt showing up to spring training has been an event the last three years, partly because he's Mike Schmidt and partly because this living and breathing Hall of Famer annually greets everyone with a no-holds-barred news conference.

Yesterday, Schmidt was back on the Phillies practice field for the first time this year. Afterward, old No. 20 talked about his new gig managing the Class A Clearwater Threshers, a departed friend who touched his life and his personal crusade to help get Pete Rose's 14-year ban from baseball lifted.

Rose "truly is sorry" for his gambling, Schmidt insisted, even though public support has waned since baseball's hit king finally admitted betting on baseball the same week he released a book, "My Prison Without Bars."

Schmidt has been working to bring the parties together again and still believes Rose's ban will be lifted "in some form" in the near future.

"Pete is not the greatest guy at showing his remorseful feelings or sorrow," Schmidt said. "That's what everyone wants to see. They want to see Pete break down. He regrets everything. He told me in private, broke down in private. That was good enough for me to call and tell the commissioner this guy means what he is saying. I don't want to get involved in something that could end up as a con."

Schmidt, however, says Rose admitted to him that he still has a gambling problem.

"That doesn't mean he has to check into Gamblers Anonymous," Schmidt said. "He has a need for action. A lot of us like to gamble on things. I bet a guy $20 on the Super Bowl."

What's not a safe bet is Schmidt making it through his first season as a manager, which will be his first full-time job in baseball since ending his playing career with 548 homers in 1989.

"The timing is perfect for this sort of thing," he said. "I hope I have the same attitude in mid-August. This is going to be new to me. My back is a little stiff right now after standing out there for three hours. I'm told that I'll have to stand out there from 8 to 5 in a couple of weeks. That's going to be rough. And I wonder how I'll feel in July when my buddies are in Tahoe golfing for $500,000."

Schmidt isn't doing the job for money - he'll earn about $35,000, the going rate for a Class A manager - and his in-season hours will be long. He'll be required to be at the ballpark by 2 p.m. for a 7 p.m. game, then spend about an hour after games typing up detailed organizational reports on every player.

"It's a total lifestyle change for me," Schmidt said. "I go to bed at 9:30, 10:00 at the latest, and have every night for 12 years now. I get up at 5:30, 6:00 every morning.

"And to have the responsibility for 30 young men. I haven't had this much responsibility in my life. I don't count my career as a baseball player as having a job. If you count this as a job, this is the first job I've had, and I'm 54 years old."

Schmidt will get one perk. He says he's been given permission to take off a few days for a fishing tournament. He's also hopes to spend many of his mornings golfing or fishing.

Schmidt will need to learn about his team. As of yesterday, he said he knew none of his coaches and only two of his players- stud pitching prospect Cole Hamels and outfielder Vince Vukovich, son of Phillies coach John Vukovich.

Before his 20-minute talk ended, Schmidt shared a touching story of Andy Seminick, the former Phillies catcher, coach and minor-league manager who passed away on Sunday at 83.

When Schmidt played for Triple-A Eugene in 1972, Seminick was his manager. At one point in the season, Schmidt keyed a sweep of a six-game series at Albuquerque by hitting a couple homers and making standout plays at third base.

After the series, as Schmidt was heading onto the team bus, Seminick walked up to him and stuffed a $20 bill in his hand.

"He said, 'Here, son, get yourself a steak,' " Schmidt recalled. "I'll never forget it as long as I live. I was young in the game at the time and Andy Seminick thought that much of me to give me a $20 bill."

Schmidt hopes to return the act of kindness to one of his players this summer.

"It may be a $100 bill," he said.


mschmidt20@hotmail.com