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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. ? (AP) ? Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt

joined the growing list of candidates for the Tampa Bay Devil

Rays' vacant manager's job, emerging from an interview Friday

optimistic about the prospect of getting the position.

 

The former Philadelphia Phillies slugger described himself

as probably a longshot before his meeting with club officials

Matt Silverman and Andrew Friedman, who are heading the

search for Lou Piniella's replacement.

 

??I would move off that (stance) a little bit and say I

have as good a chance as anybody else. ... I don't think I

hurt my chances,'' Schmidt said.

 

Schmidt hit 548 homers and won 10 Gold Gloves in 18

seasons with the Phillies. He retired in 1989 and spent 11

years out of the game before being lured back to work by

former Philadelphia manager Admin Bowa.

 

Although he initially had no aspirations to become a

manager, working with the Phillies as a spring training

instructor in 2000 changed his mind. He managed Class A

Clearwater in 2004, compiling a 55-81 record.

 

The three-time NL MVP joins former Detroit manager Alan

Trammel, Atlanta hitting coach Terry Pendleton, Los Angeles

Angels bench coach Joe Maddon and four members of the Devil

Rays organization ? coaches John McLaren, Tom Foley and Billy

Hatcher and minor league manager Bill Evers ? in interviewing

for the job.

 

The Devil Rays also talked to Joe Girardi about the

position before the former New York Yankees bench coach took

over as manager of the Florida Marlins this month.

 

The team also has expressed an interest in talking to

Bobby Valentine, who led the Chiba Lotte Marines to the Japan

League championship this week.

 

Schmidt said he feels he'd be a good fit for a team like

the Devil Rays, who are building with young talent and don't

have a lot of money invested in high-profile free agents who

heighten expectations to win right away.

 

He thinks managing in the minors gave him a taste of the

type of patience it will take in the job. And, he feels his

status as a Hall of Fame player would be an asset in

marketing and free agency, as well as in building strong

relationships to help players ??reach or surpass their

potential in the game.''

 

The 56-year-old said he was impressed with the 29-year-old

Silverman and 28-year-old Friedman and their plan to make the

franchise competitive.

 

??I was in a room with two guys who could have been my

sons. ... We laughed and talked and told stories,'' Schmidt

said. ??I'm leaving St. Petersburg with a fantastic feeling

about the interview.''

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