Mike Schmidt Tearfully Announces His Retirement

On May 29, 1989, Mike Schmidt held a hastily arranged press conference in San Diego and tearfully announced his retirement from baseball. He was 39 years old, hitting .203 with six home runs and 28 RBIs in 42 games, and he knew he could no longer play the game at the level he demanded of himself. The announcement was effective immediately.

Schmidt's final game had been played the day before at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The 51,498 fans in attendance had no idea they were watching him for the last time. He walked in his final plate appearance, loading the bases in what turned out to be a meaningless at-bat in a loss to the Giants.

The retirement ended an 18-year career spent entirely with the Philadelphia Phillies. Schmidt hit 548 home runs, the most by a third baseman in history at the time of his retirement. He won three National League MVP awards, in 1980, 1981, and 1986. He earned ten Gold Glove awards for his defense at third base. He was a 12-time All-Star. He led the Phillies to their first World Series championship in 1980 and won the Series MVP.

The press conference in San Diego was emotional in a way that surprised people who knew Schmidt as reserved and analytical. He cried openly. He talked about the difficulty of watching his skills erode. He spoke about the gap between what his mind wanted to do and what his body could still deliver. The Phillies had not pressured him to retire. The decision was entirely his.

Schmidt was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995, his first year of eligibility, with 96.5 percent of the vote. His plaque in Cooperstown lists the numbers that defined the greatest third baseman of his generation. The tears in San Diego reflected something the numbers could not capture. He loved the game too much to play it badly.