The Big Lead

A Phillies legend gets the 'MLB Network Presents' documentary treatment

By J.P. Hoornstra

May 22, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt and first baseman Rhys Hoskins (17) after throwing out the first pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park.
May 22, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt and first baseman Rhys Hoskins (17) after throwing out the first pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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Mike Schmidt’s hitting prowess might have gotten him in the Hall of Fame, but his legacy is Philadelphia is more than just the sum of his gaudy statistics.

Schmidt's story is the latest subject of a documentary in the "MLB Network Presents" series. "Michael Jack Schmidt" debuts Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET, capping off MLB Network's coverage of Winter Meetings week.

Schmidt's on-field brilliance helped the Phillies to their first World Series title in 1980. But his relationship with fans in the City of Brotherly Love was complicated. Schmidt, who once called Philadelphia fans a "mob scene," had a sometimes warm, sometimes antagonistic relationship with the Phillies' passionate supporters.

The documentary features interviews with figures like Julius Erving, Johnny Bench, and Larry Bowa, offering an intimate portrait of a player whose path to greatness was anything but straightforward.

It's a different story than that of MLB Network Presents' more beloved single-team documentary subjects such as George Brett, Johnny Bench, Tony Gwynn and Don Mattingly. Greg Maddux is the most recent entry in the documentary series.

Schmidt's stats deserve mention. They're some of the gaudiest in baseball history. His 107 Wins Above Replacement are more than any player who called third base his primary position,according to Baseball Reference. He hit 548 home runs, won three National League MVP awards and 10 Gold Gloves, and made 12 NL All-Star teams.

In 1995, Schmidt was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. His plaque notes that his eight home run titles are the most since Babe Ruth, and an NL record that still stands today.

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