Think “thirdbaseman” in the 70s and 80s and two come to mind. The Royals’ George Brett represented the American League and in the National League, we had Mike Schmidt of the Phillies.
Mike Schmidt spent all of his 18 years of his career in Philadelphia. And for most of it, he was a game-changing ballplayer as a hitter and a fielder.
Schmidt was in the midst of his career in 1980 and had one of best years of his career. Batting .286 for the Phillies, he led the league with 48 homers, 121 rbis, 342 total bases and a .624 slugging percentage. And go figure, he also paced the league with 13 sac flies.
“Herbie” brought home the hardware in 1980. He was named to the All-Star team, claimed the Golden Gold award, and most importantly, was honored with the NL MVP award.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Totals | 150 | 149 | 652 | 548 | 104 | 157 | 25 | 8 | 48 | 121 | 12 | 89 | 119 | .287 | .380 | .624 |
First of all, Schmidt is rated a fast 3B-5. That alone puts him in a class above. Then it gets better.
Schmidt’s power gives him a pretty amazing card especially for his era. He receives power numbers 1-1-4-5-6… a little bit of everything. His 4 and 5 will help replicates his eight triples.
With 12 steals, Schmitty earns a 15-10. He has no 24s with a 41-28.
Five thirteens was probably considered a whiffer back in 1980. Comparing Schmidt’s card to any 2022 star, he is a regular Wee Willie Keeler. The best part of his card: he has five 14s. Lots of on-base chances.
Who won the AL MVP award in 1980, you ask?
That’s right, George Brett.
