Cy Young Profile: Steve Carlton, 1980

Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  35

9^th season with Phillies

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’4”    Weight: 210

Prior to 1980:

A native of Miami, Florida Carlton played basketball as well as baseball at North Miami High School. Moving on to Miami-Dade College he was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals. In 1964 he was first assigned to Rock Hill of the Class A Western Carolinas League where he excelled by compiling a 10-1 record in 11 games with a 1.03 ERA and 91 strikeouts over 79 innings pitched. He was sent next to Winnipeg of the advanced Class A Northern League where he went 4-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 12 appearances. Carlton finished up the year with Tulsa of the Class AA Texas League where he was 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA. He moved up to the Cardinals in 1965 in order to protect him from being taken by another team in the Rule 5 draft. Encountering arm trouble, he was used sparingly and appeared in 15 games, almost exclusively in relief, and had no decisions and a 2.52 ERA. Carlton opened the 1966 season in Tulsa and was 9-5 with a 3.59 ERA when he was promoted back to the Cardinals. For the remainder of the season, he started nine games and went 3-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 25 strikeouts over the course of 52 innings pitched. He joined the starting rotation in 1967, a year in which the Cards won the NL pennant and World Series. He contributed a 14-9 record and 2.98 ERA while striking out 168 batters over 193 innings pitched. He also benefited from his proximity to ace RHP Bob Gibson and his fierce approach to pitching. Carlton lost his only start in the World Series against the Red Sox while giving up three hits and an unearned run over six innings. The Cardinals won the NL pennant again in 1968 and Carlton was an All-Star for the first time on his way to compiling a 13-11 tally with a 2.99 ERA and 162 strikeouts. He added a slider to his pitching repertoire that already included a rising fastball and curve in 1969 and improved to 17-11 with a 2.17 ERA and 210 strikeouts, including 19 in a loss to the Mets which set what was then the major league record for a nine-inning game. Once more an All-Star he sought a significant raise from his $26,000 salary and he held out in 1970 for a large part of spring training. He had a down year in ’70, with a 10-19 record and 3.73 ERA. Carlton bounced back in 1971 going 20-9 with a 3.56 ERA and 172 strikeouts while pitching 273.1 innings and completing 18 games. An All-Star for the third time he demanded a significant raise and antagonized owner Gussie Busch, who ordered that he be traded during spring training of 1972. He was dealt to the Phillies for RHP Rick Wise. The result was a spectacular season for the 27-year-old pitcher with a poor club in ’72. While Philadelphia only won 59 games on the way to the NL East cellar, Carlton posted a 27-10 record with a 1.97 ERA and 310 strikeouts, which earned him the NL Cy Young Award. Carlton dropped to 13-20 with a 3.90 ERA in 1973, although he again led the league with 18 complete games and 293.1 innings pitched. By the end of the season he had stopped speaking to reporters, a position he upheld for the remainder of his career. He improved to 16-13 with a 3.22 ERA and a NL-leading 240 strikeouts in 1974 and was 15-14 with a 3.56 ERA and 192 strikeouts in 1975. During this period Carlton developed a workout regimen with trainer Gus Hoefling designed to improve his concentration and stamina, building upon his established interests in martial arts and Eastern religion. His efforts bore fruit in 1976 with a 20-7 record and 3.13 ERA and 192 strikeouts for a Phillies team that topped the NL East. He was 23-10 in 1977 with a 2.64 ERA and 198 strikeouts and won his second Cy Young Award as the Phils again finished atop the division. The Phillies won the NL East once more in 1978 while their eccentric pitching ace known as “Lefty” compiled a 16-13 record with a 2.84 ERA and 161 strikeouts. He had an 18-11 tally for the fourth place Phils in 1979 with a 3.62 ERA and 213 strikeouts.

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in 38 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 38

Games Started – 38 [1, tied with Phil Niekro & Rick Reuschel]

Complete Games – 13 [2]

Wins – 24 [1]

Losses – 9

PCT - .727 [3]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 3 [4, tied with nine others]

Innings Pitched – 304 [1]

Hits – 243 [7]

Runs – 87

Earned Runs – 79

Home Runs – 15 [20, tied with six others]

Bases on Balls – 90 [2]

Strikeouts – 286 [1]

ERA – 2.34 [2]

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 7 [1]

Wild Pitches – 17 [1]

League-leading wins were +4 ahead of runner-up Joe Niekro

League-leading innings pitched were +23 ahead of runner-up Steve Rogers

League-leading strikeouts were +86 ahead of runner-up Nolan Ryan

League-leading balks were +1 ahead of runner-up Charlie Leibrandt

League-leading wild pitches were +5 ahead of runner-up Joe Niekro

Midseason Snapshot: 14-4, ERA - 2.14, SO - 153 in 155.1 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 13 (in 8 IP) vs. San Diego 6/14, (in 10 IP) vs. San Francisco 8/22

10+ strikeout games – 11

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 1 (in 9 IP) vs. St. Louis 4/26

Batting

PA – 111, AB – 101, R – 7, H – 19, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 6, BB – 1, SO – 21, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .188, GDP – 4, HBP – 0, SH – 6, SF – 3

Fielding

Chances – 44

Put Outs – 2

Assists – 42

Errors – 0

DP – 1

Pct. - 1.000

Postseason Pitching: G – 4 (NLCS vs. Houston – 2 G; World Series vs. KC Royals – 2 G)

GS – 4, CG – 0, Record – 3-0, PCT – 1.000, SV – 0, ShO – 0, IP – 27.1, H – 25, R – 8, ER – 7, HR – 0, BB – 17, SO – 23, ERA – 2.30, HB – 0, BLK – 0, WP – 1

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star

5^th in NL MVP voting (134 points, 40% share)

NL Cy Young voting (Top 4):

Steve Carlton, Phila.: 118 pts. – 23 of 24 first place votes, 98% share

Jerry Reuss, LAD: 55 pts. – 1 first place vote, 46% share

Jim Bibby, Pitt.: 28 pts. – 23% share

Joe Niekro, Hou.: 11 pts. – 9% share

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Phillies went 91-71 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 1 game over the Montreal Expos. Boosted by third baseman Mike Schmidt’s hitting and Carlton and reliever Tug McGraw’s pitching, first baseman Pete Rose’s leadership, and solid performances from several rookies, the Phillies overcame a 6-game August 10 deficit and went 36-19 the rest of the way, including 6 of their last 7 games. Clinching the NL East title came down to Schmidt slugging a home run that beat Montreal in the 11^th -inning in the season’s final weekend. Won NLCS over the Houston Astros, 3 games to 2, which came down to a 10-inning win in the deciding game. Won World Series over the Kansas City Royals, 4 games to 2, for the first World Series triumph in franchise history. Carlton won both of his starts including the decisive Game 6.

Aftermath of ‘80:

In the strike-shortened 1981 season Carlton was 13-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 179 strikeouts over 190 innings pitched and placed third in NL Cy Young Award balloting. Carlton followed with another outstanding season in 1982 in which he led the NL in wins with a 23-11 record as well as complete games (19), shutouts (6), and strikeouts (286). He was honored with a fourth Cy Young Award. In 1983, another pennant-winning year for Philadelphia, Carlton’s record dropped to 15-16 with a 3.11 ERA although he topped the league with 283.2 innings pitched and 275 strikeouts. He had a fair, but not outstanding, performance in 1984 that produced a 13-7 record and 3.58 ERA along with 163 strikeouts over 229 innings. He slipped considerably in 1985 at age 40, finding himself on the disabled list with a strained rotator cuff on his way to a 1-8 tally and 3.33 ERA in only 16 starts. He lasted until June in 1986 when he was released by the Phillies with a 4-8 record and 6.18 ERA in 16 starts. Signed by the San Francisco Giants, the situation showed no improvement as he went 1-3 with a 5.10 ERA prior to being let go in August, shortly after recording his 4000^th career strikeout. Carlton announced that he was retiring but ended up finishing the season with the Chicago White Sox. He was 4-3 in 10 starts for his third club in ‘86 with a 3.69 ERA. Carlton spent 1987 with the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins, generating a combined record of 6-14. Re-signed by the Twins for 1988 Carlton made just four appearances before being released, thus ending his career, although he continued to seek opportunities to catch on with another team. Overall in the major leagues Carlton compiled a 329-244 record with a 3.22 ERA and 4136 strikeouts in 5217.2 innings pitched. With the Phillies he was 241-161 with a 3.09 ERA and 3031 strikeouts over 3697.1 innings pitched. While he pitched 254 complete games that included 55 shutouts, he didn’t pitch any no-hitters although he recorded 6 one-hitters. He was also called for a record 90 balks over the course of his career. In the postseason Carlton went 6-6 with a 3.26 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 99.1 innings pitched. 13 of his 16 appearances came with the Phillies. He was a 10-time All-Star (7 with Philadelphia) and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994. The Phillies retired his #32 and honored him on their Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park, outside of which a statue of him was erected.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.   

Rookie of the Year: Steve Howe, 1980

Pitcher, Los Angeles Dodgers

Age:  22

Bats – Left, Throws – Left

Height: 6’1”    Weight: 180

Prior to 1980:

A Michigan native, Howe was a pitching star for Clarkston High School, which won the Class A state championship in 1976. Moving on to the Univ. of Michigan, he continued to excel and was chosen by the Dodgers in the first round of the 1979 amateur draft. Assigned to San Antonio of the Class AA Texas League, Howe started 13 games and posted a 6-2 record and a 3.13 ERA with 57 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched. Invited to spring training by the Dodgers in 1980, he impressed manager Tommy Lasorda with his attitude in addition to his excellent speed, control, and outstanding sinker. He made the club as a lefthanded reliever.

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in 59 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 59 [19, tied with Neil Allen & Bob Shirley]

Games Started – 0

Complete Games – 0

Wins – 7

Losses – 9

PCT - .438

Saves – 17 [9, tied with Joe Sambito & Woody Fryman]

Shutouts – 0

Innings Pitched – 84.2

Hits – 83

Runs – 33

Earned Runs – 25

Home Runs – 1

Bases on Balls – 22

Strikeouts – 39

ERA – 2.66

Hit Batters – 2

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 1

Midseason Snapshot: 2-4, ERA – 2.19, SV – 7, SO – 17 in 37 IP

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Most strikeouts, game – 2 on nine occasions

Batting

PA – 11, AB – 11, R – 1, H – 1, 2B – 0, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 0, BB – 0, SO – 3, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .091, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Fielding

Chances – 24

Put Outs – 3

Assists – 20

Errors – 1

DP – 0

Pct. - .958

 Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Steve Howe, LAD: 80 pts. – 12 of 24 first place votes, 67% share

Bill Gullickson, Mon.: 53 pts. – 5 first place votes, 44% share

Lonnie Smith, Phila.: 49 pts. –  4 first place votes, 41% share

Ron Oester, Cin.: 16 pts. – 1 first place vote, 13% share

Dave Smith, Hou.: 13 pts. – 2 first place votes, 11% share

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Dodgers went 92-70 to finish tied for first in the NL Western Division with the Houston Astros, which necessitated a season-extending single-game playoff, won by the Astros, causing LA to finish second at 92-71. The pitching staff led the league in shutouts (19) and fewest hits allowed (1358). The slow-starting Dodgers managed to rally and catch the Astros by the All-Star break. They stayed close behind the rest of the way until sweeping Houston in the season’s last three games to force the playoff.

Aftermath of ‘80:

Howe followed up his outstanding rookie season with another solid performance in the strike-shortened 1981 campaign. Appearing in 41 games, he compiled 8 saves to go along with a 5-3 record, 2.50 ERA, and 32 strikeouts over 54 innings. The Dodgers advanced to the World Series and Howe pitched in seven games. He had a win and a save in the World Series victory over the Yankees. Howe turned in another solid season in 1982, appearing in 66 games and registering 13 saves, a 7-5 tally, and a 2.08 ERA. Along the way he was an All-Star for the only time in his career. In the offseason he checked into a rehab for cocaine and alcohol abuse. He relapsed during the 1983 season, missed considerable time, and was suspended for the last ten days of the regular season, missing the postseason as well. He ended up pitching in 46 games and produced a 4-7 mark with 18 saves and a 1.44 ERA. Fined $54,000 he was suspended for the entire 1984 season by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Howe returned in 1985 but he wore out his welcome with the Dodgers due to several no-show incidents. Struggling on the mound as well, he was released in July and signed with the Minnesota Twins in August. He lasted several incident-free weeks with Minnesota until disappearing for 72 hours following a guest appearance on Nightline. Admitting to a relapse, he was immediately let go by the Twins. The new commissioner, Peter Ueberroth actively discouraged teams from signing Howe who joined the San Jose Bees, an unaffiliated club in the Class A California League in 1986. Effective until failing a drug test in May, he was suspended for a month and was let go in July after failing another test. He next sought to play for Japan’s Seibu Lions in 1987, but their commissioner disallowed a deal due to Howe’s drug history. With the Texas Rangers in contention in ’87 and in need of help in the bullpen, they signed Howe in July and he was reasonably effective, appearing in 24 games and posting a 3-3 tally with a save and a 4.31 ERA. The Rangers released him during the offseason due to “a major breach of his after-care program” and for the next few years he played semipro ball in Montana and for another California League team and suffered an injury to his shoulder. Claiming sobriety, Howe was signed by the New York Yankees in 1991 and pitched well before an elbow injury shut him down in August. He ended up with 37 appearances and a 3-1 record along with a 1.68 ERA and three saves. Arrested for cocaine possession in December, he was banned by Commissioner Fay Vincent, a penalty that was lessened following a players’ association appeal. He was 3-0 with 6 saves and a 2.45 ERA in 20 1992 appearances as the Yankees stuck with him. Despite injuries and a drop in his velocity, he pitched in 51 games in 1993 and went 3-5 with four saves and a 4.97 ERA. He was the bullpen closer during the strike-shortened 1994 season, saving 15 games and compiling a 3-0 mark and 1.80 ERA in 40 appearances. While he stayed clean in 1995 his performance dropped off to 6-3 with two saves and a 4.96 ERA. Pitching poorly in 1996, Howe was released by the Yankees in June, ending his major league career. Overall, in the major leagues he appeared in 497 games and produced a 47-41 record with a 3.03 ERA and 91 saves. He struck out 328 batters in 606 innings. With the Dodgers he appeared in 231 games and went 24-25 with a 2.35 ERA and 59 saves along with 183 strikeouts over 328.2 innings. In 9 postseason appearances, he was 1-0 with one save, a 3.75 ERA, and 8 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. A highly effective reliever at his best, whose career commenced with great promise, he is probably best remembered for his seven drug suspensions. Howe died in 2007 at age 48 in a single-vehicle accident with methamphetamine in his system. The sad story was finally over.

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.  

MVP Profile: Mike Schmidt, 1980

Third Baseman, Philadelphia Phillies

Age:  31 (Sept. 27)

8^th season with Phillies

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’2”    Weight: 195

 

Prior to 1980:

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Schmidt starred in football as well as baseball at Fairview High School. Knee injuries in high school narrowed his focus to baseball and he became a two-time All-American at Ohio University, where he had gone to study architecture. A shortstop who produced a .640 career slugging percentage in college, he was chosen by the Phillies in the second round of the 1971 amateur draft. Starting off at Reading of the Class AA Eastern League, Schmidt batted a mere .211 with 8 home runs and 31 RBIs over the course of 74 games in ’71. Promoted to the Eugene Emeralds of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 1972, Schmidt played primarily at second and third base and his average jumped to .291 with 26 home runs and 91 RBIs. He was chosen as second baseman on the PCL All-Star team and received a late-season call-up to the Phillies where he hit his first major league home run. The Phillies, rebuilding with youth, opened a spot in the lineup for Schmidt in 1973 by trading third baseman Don Money. Schmidt proved to be capable at third and showed off his power potential with 18 home runs but batted an anemic .196 and struck out 136 times. He improved to .282 with a league-leading 36 home runs and .546 slugging percentage in 1974. He also compiled 116 RBIs and was an All-Star for the first time. Schmidt followed up in 1975 by again topping the NL in home runs with 38, to go along with 95 RBIs, a .249 average, .523 slugging percentage, and 29 stolen bases. He also led the league in batter strikeouts (180) for the second straight year, but also was second in assists by a third baseman with 368 and third in putouts (132). The Phillies, who contended in ’75, won the AL East in 1976 and Schmidt contributed another 38 home runs, including a record-tying four in a wild ten-inning, 18-16 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field. In addition to leading the NL in homers for the third year in a row, he also led in total bases (306) while hitting .262 with 107 RBIs and a .524 slugging percentage. “Schmitty” or “Captain Cool” due to his calm and typically unemotional demeanor, also received his first Gold Glove for his play at third base. Philadelphia went quietly in the NLCS vs. Cincinnati, but Schmidt hit .308 and drove in two runs. He remained productive in 1977 although his 38 home runs failed to lead the league. But he batted .274 with 101 RBIs and a .574 slugging percentage. Hindered by a hamstring injury during 1978, Schmidt had a lesser season at bat, hitting .251 with only 21 home runs and 78 RBIs, although defensively he still received another Gold Glove. He rebounded in 1979 by batting .253 with 45 home runs, 114 RBIs, a .564 slugging percentage, and drawing a league-high 120 walks. Through his first seven years with the Phillies, Schmidt had been a four-time All-Star who led the NL in home runs three times and received four Gold Gloves.  

 

1980 Season Summary

Appeared in 150 games

3B – 149, PH – 1

 

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

 

Batting

Plate Appearances – 652 [16]

At Bats – 548

Runs – 104 [2]

Hits – 157

Doubles – 25

Triples – 8 [9, tied with nine others]

Home Runs – 48 [1]

RBI – 121 [1]

Bases on Balls – 89 [4]

Int. BB – 10

Strikeouts – 119 [2]

Stolen Bases – 12

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .286 [20]

OBP - .380 [4]

Slugging Pct. - .624 [1]

Total Bases – 342 [1]

GDP – 6

Hit by Pitches – 2

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 13 [1]

 

League-leading home runs were +13 ahead of runner-up Bob Horner

League-leading RBIs were +12 ahead of runner-up George Hendrick

League-leading slugging percentage was +.107 ahead of runner-up Jack Clark

League-leading total bases were +35 ahead of runner-up Steve Garvey

Legue-leading sac flies were +1 ahead of runner-up Dusty Baker

 

Midseason snapshot: HR – 21, RBI – 57, AVG – .280., SLG – .608

 

Most hits, game – 4 (in 6 AB) at Chi. Cubs 8/11 – 15 innings, (in 4 AB) at Montreal 4/18, (in 4 AB) vs. Atlanta 7/25 – 12 innings, (in 5 AB) at NY Mets 8/14

Longest hitting streak – 9 games

HR at home – 25

HR on road – 23

Most home runs, game – 2 on five occasions

Multi-HR games – 5

Most RBIs, game – 6 vs. NY Mets 4/22

Pinch-hitting – 0 of 1 (.000)

 

Fielding

Chances – 497

Put Outs – 98

Assists – 372

Errors – 27

DP – 31

Pct. - .946

 

Postseason Batting: 11 G (NLCS vs. Houston – 5 G; World Series vs. KC – 6 G)

PA – 51, AB – 45, R – 7, H – 13, 2B – 2,3B – 0, HR – 2, RBI – 8, BB – 5, IBB – 0, SO – 9, SB – 1, CS – 0, AVG - .289, OBP - .353, SLG - .467, TB – 21, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 1  World Series MVP

 

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

Gold Glove

Silver Slugger

All-Star

 

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Mike Schmidt, Phila.: 336 pts. - 24 of 24 first place votes, 100% share

Gary Carter, Mon.: 193 pts. – 57% share

Jose Cruz, Hou.: 166 pts. – 49% share

Dusty Baker, LAD: 138 pts. – 41% share

Steve Carlton, Phila.: 134 pts. – 40% share

 

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Phillies went 91-71 to finish first in the NL Eastern Division by 1 game over the Montreal Expos, while leading the league in slugging (.400, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals) & total bases (2248). Boosted by Schmidt’s hitting and LHP Steve Carlton and reliever Tug McGraw’s pitching, first baseman Pete Rose’s leadership, and solid performances from several rookies, the Phillies overcame a 6-game August 10 deficit and went 36-19 the rest of the way, including 6 of their last 7 games. Clinching the NL East title came down to a Schmidt home run that beat Montreal in the 11^th -inning in the season’s final weekend. Won NLCS over the Houston Astros, 3 games to 2, which came down to a 10-inning win in the deciding game. Won World Series over the Kansas City Royals, 4 games to 2, for the first World Series triumph in franchise history.

 

Aftermath of ‘80:

Schmidt followed up with another MVP year during the strike-shortened 1981 season as he batted .316 with a NL-high 31 home runs, 91 RBIs, 78 runs scored, 73 walks drawn, a .435 OBP, a .644 slugging percentage, and 228 total bases. The Phillies reached the postseason but fell to Montreal in the first round. Hampered by various injuries in 1982, Schmidt hit .280 with 35 home runs and 87 RBIs, leading the NL in walks drawn (107), OBP (.403), and slugging percentage (.547). Philadelphia returned to the top of the NL East in 1983 and Schmidt won the NL home run crown with 40, while hitting .255 with 109 RBIs. His .399 on-base percentage also topped the league as did his 128 bases on balls and 148 batter strikeouts. The Phillies won the pennant but lost the World Series. The star third baseman placed third in league MVP balloting. In 1984 he tied Atlanta’s Dale Murphy for the league lead in home runs with 36 while topping the circuit along with Montreal’s Gary Carter in RBIs with 106 while batting .277. During the 1985 season Schmidt was shifted to first base in an effort to reduce wear and extend his career. Following a slow start at the plate, he again hit .277, with 33 home runs and 93 RBIs. He adapted well defensively at first base. Schmidt returned to third base in 1986 and received his third NL MVP award after batting .290 and leading the league with 37 home runs, 119 RBIs, and a .547 slugging percentage. He had one last big season in 1987, hitting .293 with 35 home runs and 113 RBIs. Various ailments limited Schmidt to 108 games in 1988, in which he produced 12 home runs, 62 RBIs, and a .249 batting average. At the end of May in 1989, while struggling to come back from surgery for a torn rotator cuff, Schmidt retired. Fans still voted him to the All-Star Game which he appeared at as a uniformed non-participant. For his career, spent entirely with the Phillies, Schmidt batted .267 with 2234 hits that included 408 doubles, 59 triples, and 548 home runs. He scored 1506 runs and compiled 1595 RBIs, 174 stolen bases, and drew 1507 walks. He had a career on-base percentage of .380 and a .527 slugging percentage. Schmidt hit over 30 home runs in 13 seasons, reached 40 three times, and led the NL on eight occasions. Appearing in 36 postseason games he hit .236 with 4 home runs and 16 RBIs. A 12-time All-Star, Schmidt received 10 Gold Gloves for his fielding prowess at third base, six Silver Slugger awards, and finished in the top 10 in league MVP voting nine times. The Phillies retired his #20 and he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995. A statue has been erected in his honor outside of Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.

 

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player.