Dave Schmidt, a former catcher who spent nearly a decade in the Boston Red Sox organization and made a brief appearance in the big leagues, passed away Monday at the age of 69.
Schmidt’s major league career may have lasted just 15 games in 1981, but his path to the show was anything but short. Drafted straight out of Mission Viejo High School in California in the second round of the 1975 MLB June Amateur Draft, Schmidt spent seven seasons grinding through the minors before finally getting his shot in Boston. That journey alone speaks volumes about his perseverance and dedication to the game.
When Schmidt did get his chance in the majors, he made the most of it in limited action. In those 15 games, he posted a .238/.347/.405 slash line and hit a pair of home runs - solid numbers for a player trying to carve out a role on a team stacked with catching talent.
One of the key figures in Schmidt’s story is Rich Gedman, a fellow catcher who came up through the Red Sox system alongside him. Gedman debuted in 1980, a year before Schmidt, and quickly emerged as the more prominent prospect.
By 1981, he had finished as the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year and would go on to become a two-time All-Star. As Gedman’s star rose, opportunities for Schmidt became harder to come by.
By 1982, Schmidt found himself back in the minors. Reflecting on that time in a conversation with baseball historian Bill Nowlin, Schmidt admitted that the organization had essentially moved on from him. He also acknowledged that his arm wasn’t what it once was - a tough reality for any catcher trying to stay in the game.
While Schmidt didn’t become the long-term answer behind the plate that Boston may have envisioned when they drafted him, his minor league numbers tell the story of a player with legitimate talent. Across eight seasons, he posted a .806 OPS and hit 71 home runs - production that’s nothing to scoff at, especially for a catcher.
Reaching the majors is a dream that thousands chase and only a fraction achieve. Dave Schmidt did it, even in a system loaded with talent at his position. His story is a reminder of just how difficult - and how meaningful - it is to make it to that level, even if only for a short time.