MLB Great Mike Schmidt: Teams Can’t Build Around Spanish-Speaking Players Because of the ‘Language Barrier’
Hall of Fame baseball player Mike Schmidt is under fire for comments about a Spanish-speaking Philadelphia Phillies player, whom Schmidt does not believe is capable of leading the team because of the “language barrier.”
Speaking on WIP Radio in Philadelphia, the retired Phillies great said that the team’s current centerfielder, Odubel Herrera, is not a player that the team should build around because of, in part, the fact that he doesn’t speak fluent English.”
“[I]t’s a language barrier,” Schmidt said. “Because of that, 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. Or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game. Or come over to a guy and say, ‘Man, you gotta run that ball out.’ Just can’t be — because of the language barrier — that kind of a player.”
Schmidt is also not enamored with Herrera’s style of play, which he believes shows up other teams.
“He’s not afraid to do things that sort of irk the other team if you will, and you know what that is,” Schmidt said. “I probably would hate him if I played against him because of his antics on the field, but he’s not afraid. He’s not afraid to do that.”
Fans, sports writers, and others on Twitter reacted swiftly to the comments:
Mike Schmidt said today an MLB team can’t build around a player/leader who doesn’t speak English first. Someone tell that to David Ortiz.
— Glen Macnow (@RealGlenMacnow) June 6, 2017
Stop ?? asking ?? old ?? baseball ?? players ?? for ?? their ?? thoughts ?? about ?? the ?? sport https://t.co/PhoSPzI8og
— Jon Tayler (@JATayler) June 6, 2017
Remember when Hideki Matsui accepted his 2009 World Series MVP trophy with his translator by his side? Mike Schmidt does not. https://t.co/xUM0sgDDga
— Kavitha A. Davidson (@kavithadavidson) June 6, 2017
Ahh I see #Phillies great Mike Schmidt coming in hot w the ill informed take that no one needed.
Never change “Old Baseball Guy”— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) June 6, 2017
Mike Schmidt is an embarrassment to the @Phillies organization and to baseball in general pic.twitter.com/UDeRBaO8O4
— Matt Winkelman (@Matt_Winkelman) June 6, 2017
Today in dumb opinions: Mike Schmidt wouldn’t build a team around a player who speaks Spanish https://t.co/Lv16zHe8lU pic.twitter.com/vwQB6NcB54
— Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk) 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
According to Mike Schmidt, Odubel Herrera can’t be a team leader because English isn’t his 1st language…? https://t.co/rh5VTHYr3M
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) June 6, 2017
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
what’s strange is schmidt doesn’t think anyone is capable of picking up a new language. https://t.co/9iCyvnb8tZ
— El Flaco (@bomani_jones) June 6, 2017
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