The future greatest third baseman of all time saw the then-greatest third baseman of all time on the best day of his life - at Riverfront Stadium.

        It all happened in Game 1 of the 1970 World Series, Reds vs. the Baltimore Orioles.

        Yes, the historical footnotes are cascading over the walls of Cinergy Field this weekend likes the falls of Niagara. Everybody who's anybody has a story to tell. And as stories go, this one ranks right up there.

        Mike Schmidt, a part-time Philadelphia Phillies coach who is in town this weekend, was a student at Ohio University in 1970 when his buddy, who was a pilot, offered to fly the two of them from Athens to Cincinnati to see the opening of the World Series. It wasn't Schmidt's first World Series. He's from Dayton, and his dad took him to a World Series game at Crosley Field in 1961 (Reds vs.New York Yankees). But Game1 in 1970 is the one he'll never forget.

        “That was that game where Brooks (Robinson) made that play over the bat against Lee May,” Schmidt said. “My other fond memories of Riverfront have to do with my mom and dad and my sister and my grandparents sitting there behind the dugout in first-row seats and me getting to play in front of them.”

        Schmidt always had a lot of success at Riverfront - it was one of his favorite hitters' parks - and for a long time he had the career record for most home runs by a visiting player. San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds recently surpassed Schmidt on that list.

        “The other distinct memory I have is playing the Big Red Machine in the 1976 NLCS,” he said. “I'll never forget it. It was Game3. They'd won two at the Vet, and we came in here and had a nice lead (6-4) going into the ninth inning. Ron Reed was on the mound. They (George Foster and Johnny Bench) hit a couple of (back-to-back) home runs to deep left-center field and wound up sweeping us. That was a negative memory, but I sure can't forget it. That was our first trip to the playoffs.”

        And typical of a hitter, Schmidt remembers pitchers.

        “I used to hate coming in here to face (Rob Dibble),” Schmidt said. “And Rawley Eastwick, he was tough. I had some good battles with Jose Rijo in the latter stages of my career. Freddie Norman, Jack Billingham, Don Gullett.”

Reds' rainout creates day-night doubleheader Players' spirits not dampened Nuxhall, 5 others worked stadium beginning to end Schmidt cherishes best Cinergy moments Casey plans to grab souvenir Greatest Stadium Moments No. 7: Game 3, 1976 NLCS Greatest Stadium Moments No. 6: Pete Rose's return Watch stadium's greatest moments online Althaus biggest Reds fan - by miles Cardinals wrap up NL Central Athletics clinch playoff berth Angels near first playoffs in 16 years Dodgers fall two games behind Giants widen wild-card lead Baseball Notebook: Attackers say coach provoked them

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