Phillies: Power ranking players in the Hall of Famers

PHILADELPHIA - AUGUST 10: (L-R) Phillies Alumni and Hall of Famers Jim Bunning, Steve Carlton, and Mike Schmidt stand on the field during a pre game ceremony before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on August 10, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 7-6. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

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Mike Schmidt,Third and First Baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to bat the during the Major League Baseball National League East game against the Chicago Cubs on 28 June 1988 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, United States. Cubs won the game 6 – 4. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Images) /

Mike Schmidt

The greatest third baseman in the history of this great game is also the greatest player to ever wear a Phillies uniform.

Michael Jack Schmidt came to the Phillies with great expectations, most of which weren’t met immediately upon joining the club in 1972-73. By 1974 Schmidt came into his own, hitting a league-high 36 home runs and finishing sixth for the MVP.

Schmidt would lead the league in home runs three consecutive years, eight in all during a marvelous 18-year career, all in Philadelphia.

In the Phillies first championship season Schmidt won his first MVP award thanks to a league-high 48 home runs and 121 RBI. He followed up that season with another MVP campaign, once again leading the league with 31 home runs and 91 RBI in a strike-shortened season.

The great third baseman would win a third MVP in 1986 and be elected to his 10th of 12 All-Star games.

Schmidt led the NL in home runs eight times, RBIs four times, slugging percentage five times and on-base percentage three times. He holds the career record for home runs by a third baseman and is ninth all-time in home runs by a Hall of Famer.

Schmidt led the league in home runs eight times, second only to Babe Ruth’s 12.

Schmidt was not only renowned for his bat, but also for his historically-great glove. He’d win 9 of his 10 Gold Gloves in consecutive seasons.

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During the 1989 season Schmidt retired from the game and saw his number be retired teh following season. In 1995 Schmidt joined Richie Ashburn in the Hall of Fame after receiving all but 16 votes on his first ballot.