Mike Schmidt, at Phillies camp, talks steroids, Ryan Howard, and Michael Young

Mike Schmidt knows what he’s talking about! (reads his take on Michael Young/HOF…strike button at ready)

“I sort of ride the fence on that whole steroid era issue,” Schmidt said. “I don’t have a definite opinion like some of my fellow Hall of Famers. Some of the guys were very, very adamant about a person being associated with steroids: ‘They’ll never be in the Hall of Fame. If they are, I’ll never come back.’ I’ve heard that from some of my fellow members, and I think that’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Schmidt, in camp until March 20 as a special instructor, said he is concerned about players such as Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio being “lumped in with guys who have a stronger relationship with the PED issue.”

“If a guy played and had great numbers in his generation, ask yourself if he was involved,” Schmidt said. “It’s just too bad. I think time will cure that. I really do think Biggio and Piazza will eventually become Hall of Famers.

“The guys who failed tests or the facts show or they admitted they were involved with PED use, that’s one thing. But to assume a guy did because his teammate did or he has a big neck or a big head or there was a spike in his numbers, to assume that is not right.”

...On Young: “Michael Young could retire tomorrow, and he would be a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. He’s probably two Michael Young years away from being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. I don’t know what his career hitting numbers are, but he’s a little like Derek Jeter. Is he not? If he played in New York, imagine what people would be saying about Michael Young’s career. Somebody would have mentioned the Hall of Fame a long time ago.”