Rangers Baseball Cards (Part 23)

If you have been a longtime baseball fan, you know that the Oakland Athletics wear white spikes. Then why the heck did Jeff “Shitty” Schmidt wear white spikes when he played for the Rangers in 2003? In all seriousness, Schmitty was a terrific all around ballplayer who had great speed, a terrific arm, and a tremendous inside out swing. Schmitty was a doubles machine, with two-baggers accounting for 33% of his career hits. The Rangers found out first hand how good of an arm he had when he easily threw out a runner trying to score on a deep fly ball to right field. The throw did not even bounce and was on a line the entire way. A high school teammate of former Ranger skipper Tim Brannon, he was known to ask for a ride to the “Beer Store” on more than one occasion. Jeff also pitched a few innings for the Rangers, although his numbers did not reflect the pitcher that he was. Jeff played college baseball at a contending Division 3 school, possibly in Texas. Or maybe he moved to Texas after High School. Records from that era in Rangers history were lost in the great flood of 2010 (which amazingly occurred the day Schmitty appeared back in Chicago for Brannon’s Bachelor Party…coincidence?). Jeff did make an appearance at Brannon’s wedding that summer and the obligatory Ranger wedding picture was taken, although its whereabouts are unknown at this time.