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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 24 · AUGUST 10, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #024 · FREE AGENT
Mike Schmidt — 548 HR And
The Greatest Third Baseman
Argument
On October 21, 1980, Mike Schmidt hit .381 with 2 HR and 7 RBI to win the Phillies' first championship in
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL 97 years.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE DEFINED THE POSITION. NOBODY HAS BEEN CLOSE SINCE.
548 HR, 10 Gold Gloves at 3B, 3 NL MVPs. The Best
Third Baseman Who Ever Played.
MIKE SCHMIDT CAREER WAR CAREER HR GOLD GLOVES
NL MVP AWARDS ADRIAN BELTRE WAR CHIPPER JONES WAR
Schmidt hit 548 career HR, won 10 Gold Gloves, and earned 3 NL MVP awards (1980, 1981, 1986). He's
widely considered the best third baseman in baseball history. He won the only World Series title in Phillies
history in 1980 and was named World Series MVP. His career WAR of 106.9 is the highest of any third
baseman.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS Kansas City Royals OCTOBER 21, 1980
2
7 .381 6 games W · WS MVP
SERIES HR SERIES RBI SERIES BA WS RESULT RESULT
Phillies First Championship
.381, 2 HR, 7 RBI — WORLD SERIES MVP
Schmidt hit .381 with 2 HR and 7 RBI in the 1980 World Series against Kansas City, winning Series MVP as the
Phillies won their first championship in franchise history. The Phillies had never won a World Series in their
97-year history. Schmidt delivered the title. He said afterward it was the greatest moment of his career —
and that's from a man who hit 548 home runs and won three MVP awards.
ERA VS ERA 03
Greatest Third Baseman In History — Schmidt vs Beltre?
MIKE SCHMIDT ADRIAN BELTRE
CAREER HR CAREER HITS
CAREER WAR VS CAREER WAR
GOLD GLOVES GOLD GLOVES
Schmidt's 548 HR and 3 MVPs give him the offensive peak argument. Beltre's 3,166 hits and defensive
brilliance give him the longevity case. Schmidt's WAR of 106.9 is higher. Both are legitimate claims. The honest
answer: Schmidt at his peak was the better player; Beltre had the longer sustained excellence.
Greatest third baseman in history?
MIKE SCHMIDT ADRIAN BELTRE WADE BOGGS CHIPPER JONES
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
1970S-80S · PHILADELPHIA'S COMPLICATED STAR
Philadelphia Booed Him Regularly. He Won Three
MVPs And The Championship Anyway.
Schmidt was consistently booed at Veterans Stadium through parts of his career, particularly
during slumps. Philadelphia fans had a complex relationship with their franchise player. He won
three MVP awards, the only World Series in Phillies history, and hit 548 home runs while being
regularly jeered at home. He kept playing. He never asked to leave. He said later it made him
better.
Philadelphia is the only city where you can experience the thrill of victory and the
agony of reading about it the next day.
— MIKE SCHMIDT
THE STAT VAULT 05
CAREER WAR AT 3B CAREER HOME RUNS
Highest of any third baseman in baseball 7th all-time. He led the NL in HR eight
history. times.
GOLD GLOVES AT 3B NL MVP AWARDS
10 of them. He was the best defensive 1980, 1981, and 1986. No other third
third baseman of his era by a wide margin. baseman in NL history has three.
1980 PHILLIES FIRST WORLD SERIES TITLE
97 years of Phillies history. Schmidt delivered the only championship.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Dave Stieb
TORONTO BLUE JAYS · 1979-1993
176 WINS · 3.44 ERA · 7 ALL-STARS
Most Underrated Pitcher Of The 1980s. No Ring. No Recognition.
Dave Stieb won 176 games and had a 3.44 ERA across 15 seasons as one of the most consistent starters of
the 1980s. He threw 7 no-hit bids that were broken up with two outs in the ninth before finally completing
one in 1990. He's not in the Hall of Fame and rarely appears in discussions of elite 1980s pitchers.
THE CONNECTION:
Stieb was the best pitcher Toronto ever had and one of the five best starters in baseball through
much of the 1980s. He's not in the discussion because he played in Canada for a team that didn't win
until he was almost done.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Pete Rose has 4,256 career hits — more than anyone in history. He's permanently banned from
baseball.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.