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Phillies: Top ten moments of Mike Schmidt’s Hall of Fame career

By Kerry Kauffman

CHICAGO - 1987: Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies fields during an MLB game versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois during the 1987 season. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
CHICAGO - 1987: Mike Schmidt of the Philadelphia Phillies fields during an MLB game versus the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois during the 1987 season. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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3. World Series MVP (1980)

Although all the other moments on the list are for a single-game occurrence, a World Series MVP deserves a place on this list.  After losing in the NLCS three consecutive seasons from 1976 through 1978, the Phillies made the most of their opportunity in 1980, winning the first World Series in franchise history, four games to two over the Royals.

The Phillies took Game One by a 7-6 score. Bake McBride knocked in three with a bomb in the third inning. Schmidt did his part at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two walks.

In Game Two, the Phillies came back from two runs down with a four-run eighth to win the game, 6-4. Again, Schmidt was instrumental in the win, knocking in McBride for the go-ahead run on a double off Dan Quisenberry. Schmidt finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored.

Schmidt homered in Game Three, but it was his only hit in five at-bats in the Phillies 4-3 loss at Kansas City.  The Royals evened the series by winning Game Four by the score of 5-3. Schmidt went 1-for-3 with an RBI in the loss.

In the critical Game Five in Kansas City, Schmidt got the Phillies off to the lead in the fourth inning on a two-run home run off Larry Gura.  Despite the early lead, the Phillies needed to come from behind in the ninth in order to avoid a sweep in Kansas City. Schmidt led off the inning with a single and scored the tying run on double down the right-field line by Del Unser. The Phillies went on to win, 4-3.

With the game scoreless in the home third, Schmidt knocked in Bob Boone and Lonnie Smith with a single to right-center. That was all that was needed for Steve Carlton and Tug McGraw, who held the Royals to a single run.

The Phillies took the series for their first championship in their 97-year franchise history. Schmidt went 8-for-21 with two home runs and seven RBI, winning MVP honors.

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