Schmidt clarifies Herrera remarks

Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt said Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera can be a team leader as he “becomes more comfortable with the language.”

Schmidt drew criticism Tuesday for saying in an interview on a Philadelphia radio station that Herrera’s language barrier prevented him from being a player the Phillies can build their team around.

He later clarified his remarks in a statement.

“All I said was the language barrier he has now would make it difficult to be a team leader,” Schmidt told The Associated Press. “In the future, when he learns to communicate better, he can be anything he wants.”

Herrera, a Venezuelan, was an All-Star in 2016. Schmidt, a part-time analyst and spring training instructor for the team, said he picked Herrera to win the NL batting title this season.

The 25-year-old Herrera speaks to reporters through an interpreter and isn’t as comfortable doing interviews as some of his Spanish-speaking teammates.

“I’m very sorry this misrepresentation of my answer occurred and may have offended some- one,” Schmidt said in a statement released by the team. “I assure everyone I had no intention of that. Odubel is a dynamo on the field, and as he becomes more comfortable with the language his leadership skills will improve and he will be a centerpiece in the Phillies’ future.”

Angelo Cataldi, host of the radio show, adamantly defended Schmidt.

“There was absolutely no connotation of racism to what Schmidt said,” Cataldi said. “It was strictly a reference to Herrera’s language barrier. If this was newsworthy, I would’ve known as soon as he said it.”