Clearing the Bases: Juiced Players, Monster Salaries, Sham Records, and a Hall of Famer's Search for the Soul of Baseball

After reading "Clearing The Bases" it is apparent to me that there has to be a better Mike Schmidt book than Mike Schmidt himself can write. I loved the book for what it was but I was expecting more. Schmidt briefly covers the terrain of his upbringing and signing by the Phillies. He covers parts of his career and leaves me wondering why he left a large percentage of years out. As a Hall Of Fame third baseman I know that he had way more stories to tell that would have given us a better glimpse of his career. And when he starts writing about the issues of todays game he raises many pertinent points but at times it seems like he's debating himself, such as with the steroid issue. Those are some of the things that weren't as appealing about this book. Here's what I enjoyed: That he did tell some stories of his Phillie years and spoke of some of his teammates, like Gary Maddox and others, who time seems to have forgotten. Those sections are a great stroll down memory lane. He comes clean about quite a few personal things that I wasn't expecting such as the fact that he didn't particularly enjoy his career as it was happening. He admits that he over-thought his hitting and was terrified of failure. He speaks of what life is like after you're out of the game and you're a Hall of Fame player trying to get a job in baseball. He speaks very frankly about his friend Pete Rose and his banishment from baseball. In summation this was a very enjoyable but quick read. It's great for fans to see a little of the real Michael Jack Schmidt but just not as much as I was expecting. His personal revelations and sometimes flighty opinions make this an interesting and light read for any fan. I give it 4 stars but the definitive Mike Schmidt book has yet to be written. Kevin W. Mattingly Harrisburg Times.

Mike Schmidt's love and passion for the game really shine through in this well-written and often funny book. Number 20's observations on steroids, the Hall of Fame, the Pete Rose saga and Barry Bonds are thought-provoking, and he does a good job describing how the game has changed since he played it. Clearing the Bases is recommended for any baseball fan, especially those like myself, who enjoyed watching Schmidt on the field back in the days when baseball was at its peak. (And I'll forgive him for all those homers he hit against my Cubs throughout the years, including four in one game at Wrigley in 1976).

I was never a particular fan of Mike Schmidt in his playing days, mind you, I did not have negative feelings about him either. He was one of those superstars that went about his way, playing the game extremely well but without being flashy. Schmidt caught my attention in his post-playing days for sticking by Pete Rose (one of the few) and that always gets your attention in Cincinnati. It was primarily based on that reason that I picked up this book, what did Schmidt have to say about Rose, and other 'hot potatoes' in baseball? "Clearing the Bases" (201 pages) starts off tentatively in the first half, where Schmidt recounts his days growing up a Reds fan in Dayton, OH, and eventually becoming a superstar in Philadelphia. But the second half of the book is where things really take off, and where Schmidt spouts his thoughts on the hot topics in baseball. "Look, if I had played in the 1990s, I would have considered using steroids" (since it wasn't illegal then, but eventually stating that he wouldn't have). He lays the blame also squarely on the Commisioner and the players' union: "Did they ever bother to compare trading card pictures of guys in, say, 1993 with their cards in 1999?" Schmidt also makes a convincing argument that with the many changing circumstances since his playing days (new hitter-friendly ballparks, changes in the make-up of bats, etc.), he would've averaged 50 homers a year instead of the mid-30s in his playing days. As to Pete Rose, Schmidt clearly is disappointed in both Rose's handling in the matter (not forthcoming, etc.) as well as the Commissioner's (not getting back to Rose after the November, 2002 private confession, 14 months before Rose published his tell-all book). In all, this is a much better book than I expected. Schmidt is clearly a man of integrity, full of admiration, and respect, for the game. His disappointment for not having been considered for the manager's position for the Phillies in late 2004 is one I share. Baseball needs more guys like Schmidt.

Mike Schmidt's most recent book, "Clearing the Bases," offers a wonderful prescription for the troubled state of baseball today. Instead of bashing the game, Schmidt takes a hard, candid look at such issues and steriod-inflated slugging records, Pete Rose's on-going challenge to be admitted to Cooperstown, hitter-friendly parks, free agency's impact of player-team loyalty, and what ittakes to manage in the pros today. While his solutions may not please the baseball purist, they are carefully thought-out and reasonable. On the issue of steroids, for example, Schmidt admits to understanding the temptation for players to "gain an edge" in order to remain "at the top of their game." But he believes that he would not take steroids if he were playing today. As for the record books? Baseball must take into consideration the context of the time in which these records were set. While steroids should not be tolerated in the game, baseball cannot justifiably eliminate slugging records simply because a player was suspected of taking performance-enhancing drugs. Nor should a "suspect" be eliminated from Hall of FAme consideration. These are strong sentiments from a Hall of Fame slugger whose own records have been broken in the steroid era. What sets this book aside from other prescriptive tomes is Schmidt's earnest desire to approach each of these difficult issues from the standpoint of a former player, minor league manager, parent, and, now, fan. Thus, his judgements are informed by "all sides" of the debate. This is a wonderful book, judiciously told by one of baseball's greatest stars. In that sense, "Clearing the Bases" represents Schmitty's 549th life-time dinger.

Mike Schmidt not only was a tremendous baseball player, but has great talent as an author. He's right in musing that today's records are tarnished by meds, and the guilty escape unpunished. Schimdt has wit, yet his writing flows well and is absent of ego, making CLEARING a pleasure to read. The only book I've enjoyed more this year was John Galloway's FINE DINING MADNESS: The rules & realities of fine dining, which is an absolute laugh riot. Both books are well worthy of your time. Well done Mr. Schmidt!