Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia's Hall of Fame Third Baseman [Paperback]

William C. Kashatus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1999

Michael Jack Schmidt, in the minds of many the greatest third baseman of all time, was a Philadelphia institution. From 1973 to 1989 he led the Phillies to five National League championship series and two World Series. Twelve times an All-Star, Schmidt was perhaps baseball's premier power hitter during the 1970s and 1980s. His 548 home runs are seventh best all-time. In the field he was just as exceptional, winning ten Gold Gloves, more than any other third baseman besides Brooks Robinson. A three-time N.L. Most Valuable Player (1980, 1981 and 1986), Schmidt was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility. This book is the first serious account of Schmidt's celebrated career with the Philadelphia Phillies. Concentrating on contemporary newspaper accounts, periodicals, biographies by Schmidt's teammates and baseball histories, this long-overdue work is the full story of one of the game's greatest sluggers, and one of its true heroes and role models.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William C. Kashatus is director of education at the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester, Pennsylvania. A regular contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he is also the author of One-Armed Wonder (1995) and Connie Mack's '29 Triumph (1999).

Product Details

• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (November 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786407131
• ISBN-13: 978-0786407132
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,633,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He's simply the best to ever play thirdbase!, January 9, 2000

By 

Michael J Woznicki "Michael J Woznicki" (Holland, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia's Hall of Fame Third Baseman (Paperback)

There have been many players to grace the hot corner, Arky Vaughan, Pie Traynor, George Brett, Wade Boggs, George Kell, however none of them hold a candle to Michael Jack Schmidt and this book tells why.

From his days at Ohio State to his glory years in Philadelphia, Mike Schmidt is the standard by which all other third basemen are measured. He set a record for most home runs in a season by a third baseman.

He also holds the record for most home runs in a career, and on magical day in Chicago he belted 4 home runs on consecutive at bats. The reading of this book was truly a pleasure.

Ranking tied for second on the best of 1999 in my reviews, you'll be hard pressed to find another book like this. The true book for the serious Phillies fan and for those true baseball purists. I can't say enough great things about this book!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Miss The Game, March 15, 2000

By 

jack kennedy (Arlington, Va) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia's Hall of Fame Third Baseman (Paperback)

"Although I have not personally attended a game in well over 35 years, I can appreciate the personal heroism and character attributed to Schmidt by Dr. Kashatus.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Much New Here, August 4, 2001

By 

"rdnizzi" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mike Schmidt: Philadelphia's Hall of Fame Third Baseman (Paperback)

The author does a nice job recounting Schmidt's career -- that is to say, his research was good. That being said, there's a temptation when someone writes about his boyhood hero (and the author expresses his admiration for Schmidt in the introduction) to put the subject on a pedestal no matter what, to apologize for perceived problems, or, worse, both. Unfortunately, the author falls victim to both temptations, and the book suffers because of it. The book will serve those who don't know much about Schmidt fairly well. For those who know more about him, you won't learn much that is new. The book also lacks meaningful analysis about Schmidt's career. In summary, I expected more on this subject and from this author, and I was disappointed.