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By the time current Phillies television analyst Gary Matthews Sr. joined Philadelphia as a player, he was already a veteran of eight full Major League seasons. An outfielder, Matthews was named as the National League Rookie of the Year in 1973 as a member of the San Francisco Giants. Matthews debuted in the Majors at age 21 in 1972. Having only played 20 games, as a late season call up, he was still considered a rookie the following season. In 1973, Matthews posted double digits in stolen bases, doubles, triple and homeruns while batting .300 en route to being named the senior circuit's top freshman. During his years in San Francisco, Matthews, a first round draft pick by the Giants in 1968, continued to be a steady contributor. Following the 1976 season, the Giants and Matthews could not agree on terms for a new deal and Matthews was granted free agency. Matthews would sign with Atlanta where he became an All-star. His best season as a Brave came in 1979, when Matthews posted a .3...

This week I heard old news about how when the Indianapolis Colts won the Super Bowl, they gave former Colt Edgerrin James a championship ring. "Edge" had been a Colt for seven years, and even though he was gone when they won the big one, the team and the coaching staff felt as though James had contributed in building the team that won it all, so they awarded him a ring. This got me wondering which people, in an extended Phillies phamily , would be deserving of a 2008 World Series Champions ring. I heard an interview with Mike Schmidt, in the days that followed the Series, and when asked if he thought he'd get a ring, he said, "They have my (ring) size." Schmidt, the Hall of Fame thirdbaseman , was a long time Phillie, a one time coach of the single-A Clearwater Threshers (where he managed World Series MVP Cole Hamels ) and appears as a guest hitting instructor in Phillies spring training every year. With all those things in mind, of course Mike Schmidt shou...