From My Collection: Mike Schmidt Tribute Cards

I mentioned previously how important Mike Schmidt was to my childhood, growing up in the Philadelphia media market in the late 1970s and 1980s.  I remember the day he retired: a friend was over at my house, and my Dad called us into the living room, because the news had broken in with his press conference.


Back then, to vote for the All-Star game, there were paper ballots at games that you could fill out.  I remember filling them out, still voting for Schmidt.  He did make the All-Star team, but of course didn't play, since he was retired.  After that, I was glad to see that some of the card companies made a special effort with his cards.  Donruss denoted him as an "All-Time Great," and Upper Deck made a "ripped from the headlines"-type card.