Baseball Hall of Famer wouldn’t build team around Spanish-speaking players
A Hall of Fame third baseman for the Braves' rival Philadelphia Phillies, Mike Schmidt created an uproar on social media Tuesday when he said on the 94 WIP Morning Show that he wouldn't build a team around players like Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera, who is from Venezuela, because of the language barrier.
“I think he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game,” Schmidt said. “Or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game.”
It’s legitimate to ask whether Odubel Herrera is good enough for Phillies to build around. But “the language barrier” cited by Mike Schmidt…
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 6, 2017
Remember how, in 1980, Mike Schmidt helped get Manny Trillo out of a slump by giving him a pep talk in Spanish? https://t.co/dBB9lAxRCF
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) June 6, 2017
Mike Schmidt had more comments that aren’t getting blogged around. It’s as if he knows he’s stepping into something but can’t help himself pic.twitter.com/LQpumQvjyr
— Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk) June 6, 2017
Schmidt spent his entire 18-year playing career with the Phillies, retiring in 1989. He was elected to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.
The Braves face the Phillies at SunTrust Park tonight.
