Schmidt, Benard Added to Giants Wall of Fame
Becoming the latest additions to the Giants' Wall of Fame Plaques enabled Marvin Benard and Jason Schmidt to add the final touches to their baseball lives. For Benard, Saturday's ceremony on King Street outside AT&T Park gave him the opportunity to deliver a heartfelt "thank you" to his parents, Vern and Cherryl, who moved their family from Nicaragua to Los Angeles when Marvin was 12. "It all starts with them," said Benard, who was briefly overcome with emotion during his speech, which was attended by a couple of hundred fans. During a subsequent interview session with reporters, Benard explained why he got choked up. "You're so focused on the next task -- how do I get better, what do I need to do -- and you forget about the things you went through and the sacrifices your family ends up making," he said. "When you get a chance like this, you get to reflect on all that and you remember the ups and downs and hard work. You try to let those people know, 'Thank you for sticking with me and being there.' Benard stuck with the Giants from 1995-2003 despite being a 50th-round Draft choice. For Schmidt, returning to San Francisco settled his soul. He never got to say a proper goodbye to the organization or the city after signing with the Dodgers as a free agent following the 2006 season. "To come out here and get this, it's good closure for me," Schmidt said. Schmidt was the acknowledged ace of the staff through most of his Giants tenure (2001-06). The three-time All-Star compiled a 78-37 mark as a Giant and owns a .678 winning percentage, the highest among pitchers with at least 100 decisions since the franchise moved to San Francisco in 1958. Schmidt ranks among the all-time San Francisco leaders in wins (seventh), ERA (fourth, 3.36), shutouts (tied for 10th with nine) and strikeouts (fourth, 1,065). Schmidt also tied Christy Mathewson's 102-year-old franchise mark in 2006 when he struck out 16 Florida Marlins. Benard and Schmidt swelled the number of honorees whose plaques are displayed on the King Street wall to 48. The Wall of Fame commemorates the accomplishments of retired players who performed for a minimum of nine seasons as a San Francisco Giant, or five seasons with at least one All-Star selection while representing the club.