Mike Schmidt Documentary on MLB Network

S

sport historian

Master
Joined
Dec 18, 2004
Messages
2,994
On Friday night, "Michael Jack Schmidt", a documentary on the Philadelphia Phillies' greatest player, Mike Schmidt premiered. The theme is Schmidt's great career and the way Philadelphia fans treated him, with constant booing. They cheered when he hit a home run but let him have it when he made an out, especially with men on base.

A reviewer (there are several internet reviews) claimed today's Philadelphia sports fans are different and would support a player like Mike Schmidt. It runs several times on MLB the next few days so check the schedule. It is interesting neither MLB or ESPN has run a show on Schmidt before.
 
There was always a strong racial component to the booing of Mike Schmidt, though most DWFs probably didn't think of it that way or perceive where their self-loathing came from. I've mentioned growing up and watching the Pirates, who were a very black team in the 1970s to the point that often the only White among their starting eight was 3B Richie Hebner, who was regularly booed while none of the black starters were.

Certainly the girls liked his looks, but in spite of that or maybe in part because of that Hebner was always a scapegoat. Whites often are afraid to take out their frustrations on Blacks the way they quickly do on their fellow Whites. Schmidt was one of the best baseball players of all time and would not have been booed, much less regularly, if he was a WGA, even in Philly.

1-Richie Hebner.jpg
 
I mentioned above that MLB and ESPN had never run a documentary on Mike Schmidt beofre. I checked and Schmidt never was on an ESPN Sportcentury show. And there were well over a hundred shows.

Schmidt led the National League in home runs eight times, had 3 NL MVP awards, 1980 Worlds Series MVP, 12 All Star game appearances. And was considered the best of all time at his position, third base.

ESPN didn't rank him as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century.
 
sport historian said:
I mentioned above that MLB and ESPN had never run a documentary on Mike Schmidt beofre. I checked and Schmidt never was on an ESPN Sportcentury show. And there were well over a hundred shows.

Schmidt led the National League in home runs eight times, had 3 NL MVP awards, 1980 Worlds Series MVP, 12 All Star game appearances. And was considered the best of all time at his position, third base.

ESPN didn't rank him as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th Century.
Click to expand...
espn uses those rankings the same way political polls are used- to shape public opinion not to reflect them
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top