Schmidt, 92, born in Hartford on Feb. 9, 1916, is one of the oldest living major leaguers, among the last who can speak of the good, the bad and sometimes the ugliness of baseball in the 1940s, heyday of the Cardinals. He threw his last pitch in Brownsville, Texas, in 1953, slamming his tiny, tattered glove against the dugout and telling his teammates he was through.

He had pitched in the major leagues for only three seasons — 1944, '46 and '47 — with a career record of 13-11. So much of his time was in the minors before and after his stint in the majors.

And today he can pick up that same old Rawlings Mort Cooper model glove, about 8 1/2 inches long and 8 1/2 wide, and demonstrate his old windup until his wife tells him to be careful.

"They called it the pump handle," he said. "You see, you move your arms up and down several times, you get a rhythm with your whole body. They don't do that today. I think the way they throw, it's all arm. That's why they get hurt."



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