Mike Schmidt’s return to the ceremonial first-pitch spotlight at the 2026 MLB All-Star Game came with a catch: the Phillies legend could barely lift his right arm.
Schmidt, 76, moved slowly toward the mound on Tuesday night before turning to the infield grass and lining up his toss to Scott Rolen. At first glance, it looked like he was simply being careful, especially with Steve Carlton, 81, also taking part in the pregame honors.
Carlton’s throw to Cole Hamels wasn’t exactly a rocket, but Schmidt’s situation was different. He went underhand, and the reason was physical, not theatrical.
According to OnSI’s Jeff Kerr, Schmidt tried to make an overhand throw but couldn’t get his right arm above his shoulder. That left him with no real choice but to flip the ball underhand. Kerr also reported that Schmidt is done with ceremonial first pitches for now, though he left the door open for one more if the Phillies reach the World Series.
Mike Schmidt told me he was thinking of trying overhand for the first pitch, but he can’t lift his arm over his shoulder - so he was going to throw underhand.
Unless the #Phillies make the World Series, he said this is his last first pitch. pic.twitter.com/OsiAc8MYT3
- Jeff Kerr (@JeffKerrPHL) July 15, 2026
This wasn’t Schmidt’s first recent turn in that role. He also threw out the first pitch before Game 1 of the Phillies’ NLDS series against the Dodgers last October, a moment that didn’t go especially well once Teoscar Hernández later launched that pitch into orbit after it had “mutated a few times.”
Before that, Schmidt had been a familiar presence in these kinds of moments, including a co-appearance with George Brett before a Phillies-Royals game in 2013 and a spring training game in 2017.
For now, the underhand toss looks like the end of the line. Unless the Phillies make a World Series run, Schmidt’s ceremonial first-pitch days appear to be over. If that happens, he said he’d reconsider, and he’d once again be willing to stretch, wince and deliver one more measured throw.
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