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BOB PUTNAMHall of Famer Mike Schmidt returns to baseball full time in his first managerial position.
Moments after being handed his new jersey, Mike Schmidt asked his first question as manager of the Clearwater Threshers.
"Looks like the size is right, but do we have to wear these things when it's 95 degrees in August?" Schmidt deadpanned.
Playing in the dog days of summer is just one thing the Hall of Famer and 12-time All-Star will have to adjust to as he embarks on his first managerial job.
Scmidt, 54, spent his entire major league career (1972 to 1989) as a player with the Philadelphia Phillies. He returns to the organization on a full-time basis this summer after spending nearly 15 years largely away from the game.
"I trained in Clearwater for almost 20 years and lived here for almost 15," said Schmidt. "Things look a little bit different. I tell you it's great to feel like you have something in your future that can mean something to people's lives other than your own."
Schmidt walked away from his big-league career on Memorial Day 1989, saying at the time he could no longer play at the level he expected of himself. He took up hobbies such as golf and fishing, but it wasn't enough to fill the void left by baseball.
To get back in the game, Schmidt served as a part-time hitting instructor the past two years for the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training before agreeing to manage the Threshers.
He signed a one-year deal to replace Roly deArmas, who returns to the rookie-level Gulf Coast team he managed during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.