READING — When someone hears the name Mike Schmidt, the instant reaction is baseball Hall of Famer, one of the greatest Phillies of all time, or the Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base that remains among the best the game has ever seen.
But beyond all the accolades and hardware, it was what happened after his playing career that proved to be one of the most pivotal moments of his life, giving the Phillies legend a different outlook on life.
In 2013, Schmidt was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma, and that diagnosis came by chance.
On the way to the airport to pick up his wife, Donna, Schmidt decided to stop at his dermatologist’s office because of a spot on his hand that had been bothering him.
That visit led to Schmidt’s dermatologist performing a full-body skin examination before discovering a mole on his back, a warning sign of the disease.
Three days later, following a biopsy, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma, one of the most serious and aggressive forms of skin cancer.
“I got a call after a biopsy three days later that I had stage three melanoma,” Schmidt said Tuesday at the Reading Fightin Phils game while spreading awareness for sun safety and skin cancer prevention. “It knocked me on my ass. I’ll tell you, I was scared to death.”
Schmidt was enrolled in a new drug trial after a chemotherapy treatment failed to work with his immune system. The new treatment began attacking the cancer cells in his body.
The MLB Hall of Famer had lymph nodes removed and doctors discovered seven spots on his brain and another 12 on his lungs.
Thanks to a chance decision to stop by his dermatologist’s office, Schmidt’s life was ultimately saved.
That moment proved to be pivotal in Schmidt’s one-of-a-kind life, giving him a profound new outlook.
“As I learned more about it, talked to more doctors, got a great team of doctors, learned about drugs that were coming off trial, and how they can boost your immune system, I got more confident about not dying,” Schmidt said. “I never stopped at one red light through that entire period, thinking about dying. Whenever I was alone, by myself on the toilet, or whatever, my brain always went to ‘maybe you should get your stuff in order.’ Maybe I’ll never see my granddaughters graduate from high school. When you think about death, that’s a scary thing to think about.”
Schmidt now partners with Dermatology Partners of Philadelphia to spread awareness about sun safety, encouraging others to get regular skin checks because, just like in his case, a simple visit could save a life. One in five people will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.
“When I started to get my life back, my attitude about everything changed. But one thing that’s never changed is I appreciate my life so much more now than I ever did.”
Schmidt spoke to a packed crowd on a hot Tuesday evening at FirstEnergy Stadium, sharing his health journey and giving fans a glimpse of the man behind the iconic pinstripes.
Career in Reading
It had been quite some time since Schmidt was last in Reading, where he spent one season in 1971 before moving on to Triple-A and eventually reaching the major leagues.
In Reading, Schmidt batted .211 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 74 games.
And it wasn’t necessarily his performance during that season that earned him a call-up after his lone year in Reading.
In an exhibition game prior to the 1971 season, Schmidt was given the opportunity to play with the major league club after Larry Bowa became ill. In town to sign his minor league contract, Schmidt made the most of the opportunity by hitting a home run.
And just like that, by chance, Schmidt found himself on the path that would ultimately define his career.
“Paul Owens (former Phillies manager) asked me if I wanted to go play with the big league team. Are you kidding me? I tell you, that was one of the most exciting moments of my life. So I came up here, played with the big league team, had all the major league players around me, and ended up hitting a home run,” Schmidt said of his favorite memory from Reading.
Two seasons after his retirement in 1989, Schmidt had his No. 24 jersey retired in Reading, becoming the first player in Fightin Phils history to receive the honor. The late Pete Rose even made a surprise appearance that night despite his MLB ban.
“Those were the great years in my life,” Schmidt said, recalling his early professional days. “Playing minor league baseball was almost exactly like playing college baseball. I wasn’t married, had a lot of late nights with the boys, and traveled on buses everywhere. Met a lot of characters, a lot of characters.”
Just three years later after beginning his career in Reading, Schmidt made the first of his 12 All-Star appearances as his Hall of Fame career took off.
Widely regarded as the greatest Phillie and the greatest third baseman of all time, Schmidt built a Hall of Fame career that included three MVP awards, 12 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger Awards, the 1980 World Series MVP, and a World Series championship, all while spending his entire 18-year career in Philadelphia.
Current Phillies Landscape
Now, Schmidt is rooting for the 2026 Phillies to accomplish the ultimate goal of winning a World Series, just as he helped lead the franchise to one 46 years ago.
The Hall of Famer starts every morning by watching the Phillies’ condensed game on YouTube to catch up on what he missed and said, “Everything’s clicking right now.”
As the All-Star break approaches on July 11, the Phillies dug out of a deep hole to to make a run at the NL East title.
After speaking to the crowd at FirstEnergy Stadium about sun safety and skin cancer awareness, Schmidt also discussed the current state of the Phillies, including Kyle Schwarber and Don Mattingly.
On Sunday, June 28, Schwarber launched his 30th home run of the season over the fence at Citi Field in a 5-4 victory over the Mets.
The Phillies’ designated hitter became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 30 home runs in a season, doing so in 84 games and breaking Schmidt’s previous record of 87 games set in 1979.
“Before the All-Star break, 30 home runs, that’s pretty special,” Schmidt said. “Mine didn’t turn into 62 or 63 at the end of the year, but I really respect Kyle for a lot of reasons. On the field, for sure, he’s a great hitter, he’s a great teammate, he’s big in the community, he has some charitable initiatives that I know about. He’s getting some national commercials now. He’s just got a great attitude about everything. He’s a man of the people.”
Schmidt finished with 45 home runs in 1979 after cooling off following the All-Star break. Many Phillies fans are hoping Schwarber can challenge Ryan Howard’s franchise single-season record of 58 home runs after finishing just two shy of tying it in 2025.
When asked about interim manager Don Mattingly, Schmidt endorsed what “Donnie Baseball” has done to get the team back on track after a disastrous start to the season.
“I get the sense that they love him,” Schmidt said of the clubhouse’s opinion of Mattingly. “It’s hard not to, with the respect that you have for Don Mattingly. There’s tremendous respect as a player to manager.”
The 76-year-old also revealed he will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at this year’s MLB All-Star Game, which will be held in Philadelphia for the first time since 1996, when the game was played at Veterans Stadium.
Schmidt will continue to keep a close eye on the Phillies, but an even closer one on his own health, making sure to stay on top of his regular checkups every four months while maintaining the renewed outlook on life that came from his battle with cancer.
