BY SCOTT LAUBERCLEARWATER, Fla. -- For about 19 minutes this morning, Mike Schmidt sat on a picnic bench outside the Phillies' clubhouse and spoke with the media. He does it every spring, and every spring, it seems there's another steroid scandal to ask him about. Last year, it was Roger Clemens. This year, it's Alex Rodriguez. In the past, it has been Barry Bonds.
Anyway, Schmidt didn't say anything too revealing, although he did seem skeptical about A-Rod's "I was young and stupid" defense. "I guess it works," he said. "Young and stupid may be better [if you are] 12, 13, 14, as opposed to 23, 24, 25, 26." Schmidt said he isn't upset about A-Rod passing him on the all-time homer list. Regarding A-Rod's Hall of Fame candidacy, he said, "I'd welcome him if he got elected." And, interestingly, Schmidt said it was the great Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa home-run chase in 1998 that got him interested in baseball again after years away from the game.
So, those were the highlights. If you'd like, I can post Schmidt's complete thoughts on A-Rod. I'm kind of curious to know how interested y'all are in this whole A-Rod saga. Were you riveted to the press conference yesterday, or could you care less?
Schmidt also was asked this hypothetical question: If the 2008 Phillies played the 1980 Phillies in a seven-game series, who would win?
"That's not a good question," he said with a smile.
C'mon, Schmidty.
"Probably these guys," he said, finally. "Bigger, faster, stronger. Yeah, no doubt in my mind. It would go seven games. It would probably turn on a Schmidt error at third base. Bowa picks it up, throws to first, and Bruce Froemming calls him safe. And the '08 team wins in a controversial play that's talked about for years."
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