Mike Schmidt as manager

[Craig S.]

Mike Schmidt will be the manager in Clearwater next season:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/7014791.htm

I know it's tough to tell without his having any experience, but do you think he has a shot at being a good manager? I like the guy, so I'm hoping he does well.

[SmedIndy]

He's starting at the bottom - so he needs patience. But I think he'll be fine.

[Wolf Hopper]

I recall a theory a ways back that said it helps a MGR to have been a very good to great player (like Frank Robinson, Joe Torre, Baker) - or to be big (like Dallas Green) or scary (like Weaver, Billy Martin) - in order to truly get a player's attention and respect.

Schmidt is both great and pretty intimidating - - that should help him.

[KCBOOMER]

Always good to see the greats of the game stay involved.

[Firpo Marberry]

Originally Posted by Wolf Hopper

I recall a theory a ways back that said it helps a MGR to have been a very good to great player (like Frank Robinson, Joe Torre, Baker) - or to be big (like Dallas Green) or scary (like Weaver, Billy Martin) - in order to truly get a player's attention and respect.

Schmidt is both great and pretty intimidating - - that should help him.

Ted Williams was a great player, I think. I don't think he was considered to have garnered much respect from his players. F Robby was soundly criticized for expecting it to be as easy for all his players as it was for him. Billy was scary when he was likkered up and had a few old cronies to help restrain the guy he was swinging at.

Earl Weaver was a squirt and not a good player. I don't know that he was scary. Jim Palmer didn't think so. I don't think Rick Dempsey ever mentioned it. Tom Kelly had neither size nor a big-league BA. Jim Leyland stood up to Barry, but I don't know that means he meets any of the criteria.

I still like Stengel's theory about keeping the five guys who hate you away from the ones who are undecided. I don't know that it's valid, or has any more validity than any other theory. But I like it.

[Firpo Marberry]

Originally Posted by Craig S.

Mike Schmidt will be the manager in Clearwater next season:

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/7014791.htm

I know it's tough to tell without his having any experience, but do you think he has a shot at being a good manager? I like the guy, so I'm hoping he does well.

And he's the best diet expert in America. No need for those Dr. Phil books, Schmidt devised the best diet ever.

Around '78 or so he had a down year and muttered about his weight. So he said he quit eating after 6 p.m. No nightcaps, either. He'd eat what he always did, but after 6, that was it.

What a genius. Unless you're getting up at 2 a.m., you're going half a day without eating, and you're not eating at a time of day when people normally get little physical activity to wear it off. It's a foolproof diet for 98 percent of all slobs.

[nyy26wc]

Originally Posted by Firpo Marberry

And he's the best diet expert in America. No need for those Dr. Phil books, Schmidt devised the best diet ever.

Around '78 or so he had a down year and muttered about his weight. So he said he quit eating after 6 p.m. No nightcaps, either. He'd eat what he always did, but after 6, that was it.

What a genius. Unless you're getting up at 2 a.m., you're going half a day without eating, and you're not eating at a time of day when people normally get little physical activity to wear it off. It's a foolproof diet for 98 percent of all slobs.

Schmidt was able to have that diet while working under different conditions than other slobs. With the amount of night games he played, the majority of the season involved Schmidt eating and then being able to work it off with his physical activity that evening. Then, when it was the offseason, or night games, or days off, his body was already used to no evening food routine.

Also, it's a lot easier to not grab that bag of potato chips at 8 PM when you're about to grab a bat.

[Firpo Marberry]

Originally Posted by nyy26wc

Schmidt was able to have that diet while working under different conditions than other slobs. With the amount of night games he played, the majority of the season involved Schmidt eating and then being able to work it off with his physical activity that evening. Then, when it was the offseason, or night games, or days off, his body was already used to no evening food routine.

Also, it's a lot easier to not grab that bag of potato chips at 8 PM when you're about to grab a bat.

Except my understanding is this was an off-season program, not an in-season one.

Whenever I mention this as fool-proof diet to people who want to lose weight, I always hear, "I don't get home until six," or "it's hard to do with my family eating at night," or some other reason.

No wonder "fad" diets sell. People want to lose weight, but they want to do it eating Three Musketeers with whipping cream on them for breakfast.

[SmedIndy]

Lee - I've lost 20 some pounds this summer because I decided it was time to stop going to Taco Bell and Burger King every day, among a few other things. All it takes is some willpower and determination and keep to whatever was working. I do paperwork at lunch eating soup for the most part now, if not playing basketball. So I can see where Schmidt decided this was what he was going to do, and he stuck with it.

Originally Posted by SmedIndy

Lee - I've lost 20 some pounds this summer because I decided it was time to stop going to Taco Bell and Burger King every day, among a few other things. All it takes is some willpower and determination and keep to whatever was working. I do paperwork at lunch eating soup for the most part now, if not playing basketball. So I can see where Schmidt decided this was what he was going to do, and he stuck with it.

Shouldn'tthis be in the Netshrine Diet forum? ;-)

Hopefully Schmidt will bring his diet acumen to camp. seriously though, I am of the opinion that his in game skills are probably of interest to the local fans, but in an organizational sense, having a legend at that level is a pretty big plus in terms of developing and motivating players. And if he turns out to be a bonehead (possible given the many odd things he has done) that's almost a plus too - "hey if that idiot Schmidt could do this I certainly can!"

[Firpo Marberry]

Originally Posted by Elmo

Shouldn'tthis be in the Netshrine Diet forum? ;-)

Hopefully Schmidt will bring his diet acumen to camp. seriously though, I am of the opinion that his in game skills are probably of interest to the local fans, but in an organizational sense, having a legend at that level is a pretty big plus in terms of developing and motivating players. And if he turns out to be a bonehead (possible given the many odd things he has done) that's almost a plus too - "hey if that idiot Schmidt could do this I certainly can!"

We've had some fairly good players become fairly good managers, but the list of great managers among HOF-caliber players is not very long, is it?

Schmidt strikes me as a smart guy. Maybe, just maybe, some 19-year-old kid will be impressed with his playing ability and be enthused that Schmidt is the manager. But just as likely not. Looking at it from an "old-guy perspective," I'd be inclined to think people would be wowed that he's a "legend." Looking at if from a Brittany Spears, skateboarding perspective, I'd be inclined to think, "Who's the geezer?"

Other than being able to tell your old high school chums a HOFer is your manager, rather than tell them Larry Bowa's your manager, I'm not sure how much Schmidt's lofty status in our eyes translates on the field in the realm of kids looking forward to their first legal alcoholic beverage.

My dear Firpo....I was trying to be nice about it - giving a Schmidt a job is a training camp boost and then...basically a waste.

Schmidt was out of touch when he played and painfully so now. It's nice and good when an organization creates a family atmosphere....

anyway....

[SmedIndy]

It doesn't translate directly on the field, but if Schmidt can impart some wisdom onto those kids it will help.

Originally Posted by SmedIndy

It doesn't translate directly on the field, but if Schmidt can impart some wisdom onto those kids it will help.

thank you Dr. Science......

[SmedIndy]

The point is that in low A successful managing really isn't about W and L. It's about building the skill sets.