Mike Schmidt's Language Barrier

[Pogo]

In a radio interview yesterday Mike Schmidt who still works with the Phillies as a TV color commentator and guest Spring training instructor, was asked if young centerfielder Odubel Herrera could be a player that a team could build around. Schmidt's answer was bizarre:

>> “My honest answer to that would be no,” Schmidt said. “First of all, it’s a language barrier. Because of that, I think he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game; or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game; or come over to a guy and say, ‘Man, you gotta run that ball out.’ ”

Schmidt then said again that Herrera, a native of Venezuela who has used an interpreter at times for on-camera interviews, “just can’t be — because of the language barrier — that kind of a player.” <<​

(For the record, Herrera actually does speak English and has done interviews in English which went just fine; he seems to lack confidence in his facility with the second language. His manager Pete Mackanin also speaks Spanish.)

Later in the day Schmidt called Herrera to apologize for the strange remark. Herrera accepted it in good grace.

Two things strike me as odd -- one, when Schmidt called Herrera to apologize, that conversation would have taken place in English (Schmidt does not speak Spanish) which directly undercuts his own point. It's a bit of an M.C. Esher in words, like the robot phone voice that tells you "press one for English" --- and it just said that in English.

Second, Schmidt himself for all his awesome abilities as a player -- and they were awesome --- he has never had much facility for communication, was never himself a demonstrative "leader" on the field, and is doing what can only be termed a horrendous job as a color commentator, in his own native language. Ironic.

Story here

 

[Pogo]

I should add, in the last four games after coming back from being benched for a disastrous slump, the player in question (Herrera) has gone 9-for-17, all extra base hits (7 doubles and two homers) which has exactly coincided with the team's four-game win streak.

If that's not "leadership", it's nevertheless having the same effect.

 

[Pogo]

So anyway I think I can see what's really going on here. A writer quoted in my OP link tries to make the case Schmidt is being "casually racist". I don't think so --- I've known Mike Schmidt for over 40 years and have never seen any signs of racism or bigotry from him.

The clue is in his previous comment:

>> “He’s not afraid to do things that sort of irk the other team if you will, and you know what that is,” Schmidt told Angelo Cataldi. “I probably would hate him if I played against him because of his antics on the field, but he’s not afraid.” <<​

He's referring to Herrera's signature bat-flips mostly, and generally to his ostentatious exuberance on the field, including making a "horns" sign on his temples when he hits a double, signifying the "El Torito" mystique. ("El Torito, 'little bull' is a nickname given Herrera by his dad which has become something of a team totem).

That demonstrativism rubs Schmidt the wrong way. Schmidt was always known (and criticized) for his über-self control of emotions on the field, to the point where if he actually did show some, it was a special event. Herrera by contrast brings an obvious energy from his enthusiasm. That's why Schmidt first describes Herrera as his "exact opposite" as a player. It's a personal style thing of which Schmidt disapproves, and he's looking for some way to justify it, and all he could come up with was a "language barrier", even though the game has a long history, going back to before Schmidt's era, of Roberto Clementes and Juan Marichals and Fernando Valenzuelas and Ichiro Suzukis, none of whom were ever deemed unworthy because of what their first language was.

He just doesn't like the emotional factor. He scraped around for something to make that work, and struck out.

 

[HaShev]

This is why I was always more of a
Greg Luzinski fan.

I actually got to be coached by
Pete Mackanin in a summer baseball camp held at Gladsboro State College, as he was one of the Celebrity Baseball instructors. It was cool that he eventually became the Phillies manager, but we all know how that is gonna turn out, I'm sorry to say.

 

[Pogo]

This is why I was always more of a
Greg Luzinski fan.

I actually got to be coached by
Pete Mackanin in a summer baseball camp held at Gladsboro State College, as he was one of the Celebrity Baseball instructors. It was cool that he eventually became the Phillies manager, but we all know how that is gonna turn out, I'm sorry to say.

I guess I get the second part more than the first. Good riddance to Sandberg -- he was like a funeral director. Pete's not exactly a drama queen himself either though. You gotta put some spirit into it. Not to the Larry Bowa degree maybe, but sump'm.

How do you mean about Luzinski? Showing emotion on the field?

I fully cop to being an O'Double fan, and have been ever since I found out he was born on my birthday.

 

[HaShev]

Luzinski for his frame was fun to watch in his day, especially when he surprised you & stole a base. The infielders did not want to get run over by that charging bull and you'd laugh watching the fear in their eyes.
He had pure power, was one of the great clutch hitters for his time, and was a great guy off the field donating those groups of
box seats in left field – dubbed
“The Bull Ring” – for underprivileged children.

 

[Pogo]

Thread alert for Meathead

 

[Meathead]

Schmidt ran afoul of PC, but of course was essentially right. Playing well, which Herrera occasionally does, does not necessarily garner respect of one's teammates. Oddy is no-doubt a talented and flamboyant munchkin, but his communication abilities are questionable even in his native language.

Given the potential talent the Phillies have in the outfield (Alther, Quinn, Cozens, Williams and Moniak on the way), he may ultimately be trade bait for a city that would embrace him better like SF or NY.

 

[Pogo]

Schmidt ran afoul of PC, but of course was essentially right. Playing well, which Herrera occasionally does, does not necessarily garner respect of one's teammates. Oddy is no-doubt a talented and flamboyant munchkin, but his communication abilities are questionable even in his native language.

Given the potential talent the Phillies have in the outfield (Alther, Quinn, Cozens, Williams and Moniak on the way), he may ultimately be trade bait for a city that would embrace him better like SF or NY.

It isn't "PC", it's strictly personal. You remember how Schmidt was -- fans hounded him for his seeming lack of passion. That's what rubs him the wrong way about O'Double. He's jealous of seeing a trait so freely expressed that in himself was so rigidly suppressed. That was the first thing he mentioned so it's clear where he was coming from. But he couldn't, or didn't want to, go on describing it that way, being too close to home, so he grabbed at "language" as a pretext, and it came out sounding silly. Again language wasn't a hindrance for Clemente, Marichal, Hideki Matsui, Ichiro, Valenzuela, etc etc etc.

Also again, not every player is destined to "be a leader" even if they do excel in performance. Schmidt himself being a prime example. But in Herrera's case I see the "horns" sign passed around by his other teammates, and that's a sign of at the very least camaraderie.

Now try to imagine Schmidt giving the "horns" sign. See what I mean?

One particular incident always comes to mind --- Schmidt's John Lennon moment. Somewhere Schmidt had given an interview where he said something to the effect of the local fans not being appreciative (which was again, because of that perceived lack of passion). Don't remember the exact quote but it was something that a reader, if a reader wanted to, could infer as a put-down. So the interview came out in print and all day the fan base was abuzz. Didn't look good for Schmidt at that night's game at the vet. Boobirds were locked and loaded. Everybody knew what was coming. When the ump said "play ball" Schmidt took his position at third like this:

​

Boobirds went "Boo---uh... .what? hahahahahahaha". Schmidt had completely undercut them with a joke, thus showing some humanity. All was instantly forgiven and the interview was never brought up again.

That's all it takes -- humanity. Schmidt was always afraid to let it out, Herrera is not.

 

[sakinago]

In a radio interview yesterday Mike Schmidt who still works with the Phillies as a TV color commentator and guest Spring training instructor, was asked if young centerfielder Odubel Herrera could be a player that a team could build around. Schmidt's answer was bizarre:

>> “My honest answer to that would be no,” Schmidt said. “First of all, it’s a language barrier. Because of that, I think he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game; or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game; or come over to a guy and say, ‘Man, you gotta run that ball out.’ ”

Schmidt then said again that Herrera, a native of Venezuela who has used an interpreter at times for on-camera interviews, “just can’t be — because of the language barrier — that kind of a player.” <<​

(For the record, Herrera actually does speak English and has done interviews in English which went just fine; he seems to lack confidence in his facility with the second language. His manager Pete Mackanin also speaks Spanish.)

Later in the day Schmidt called Herrera to apologize for the strange remark. Herrera accepted it in good grace.

Two things strike me as odd -- one, when Schmidt called Herrera to apologize, that conversation would have taken place in English (Schmidt does not speak Spanish) which directly undercuts his own point. It's a bit of an M.C. Esher in words, like the robot phone voice that tells you "press one for English" --- and it just said that in English.

Second, Schmidt himself for all his awesome abilities as a player -- and they were awesome --- he has never had much facility for communication, was never himself a demonstrative "leader" on the field, and is doing what can only be termed a horrendous job as a color commentator, in his own native language. Ironic.

Story here

Herrera is not that good. He's a good ball player, but team leader good, no. He's just a good cog in the wheel. He's seems good because the team around him is sooo bad. Thanks Rueben Amaro. And what the hell is happening with the pitching coaches? Phillies pitchers could be pretty damn good, they for some reason fall apart past the fifth inning. But they got dirty dirty stuff they pitch 1 out of 3 times, and almost never after inning five. The talent is there, it needs to be honed. Which this year, it's clear that it is not.

Anyway, I get what Schmidt is saying. I don't think it would rule someone like Herrera out as a team leader. But it would certainly effect it. I take it you don't work or interact with any Spanglish speaking people? Even if they or you know a good bit of a second language...communication is still hard for both parties to completely understand. It's hard when both parties are speaking the same language. And then throw thick accents in...It definitely has an effect

 

[Pogo]

In a radio interview yesterday Mike Schmidt who still works with the Phillies as a TV color commentator and guest Spring training instructor, was asked if young centerfielder Odubel Herrera could be a player that a team could build around. Schmidt's answer was bizarre:

>> “My honest answer to that would be no,” Schmidt said. “First of all, it’s a language barrier. Because of that, I think he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game; or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game; or come over to a guy and say, ‘Man, you gotta run that ball out.’ ”

Schmidt then said again that Herrera, a native of Venezuela who has used an interpreter at times for on-camera interviews, “just can’t be — because of the language barrier — that kind of a player.” <<​

(For the record, Herrera actually does speak English and has done interviews in English which went just fine; he seems to lack confidence in his facility with the second language. His manager Pete Mackanin also speaks Spanish.)

Later in the day Schmidt called Herrera to apologize for the strange remark. Herrera accepted it in good grace.

Two things strike me as odd -- one, when Schmidt called Herrera to apologize, that conversation would have taken place in English (Schmidt does not speak Spanish) which directly undercuts his own point. It's a bit of an M.C. Esher in words, like the robot phone voice that tells you "press one for English" --- and it just said that in English.

Second, Schmidt himself for all his awesome abilities as a player -- and they were awesome --- he has never had much facility for communication, was never himself a demonstrative "leader" on the field, and is doing what can only be termed a horrendous job as a color commentator, in his own native language. Ironic.

Story here

Herrera is not that good. He's a good ball player, but team leader good, no. He's just a good cog in the wheel. He's seems good because the team around him is sooo bad. Thanks Rueben Amaro. And what the hell is happening with the pitching coaches? Phillies pitchers could be pretty damn good, they for some reason fall apart past the fifth inning. But they got dirty dirty stuff they pitch 1 out of 3 times, and almost never after inning five. The talent is there, it needs to be honed. Which this year, it's clear that it is not.

Anyway, I get what Schmidt is saying. I don't think it would rule someone like Herrera out as a team leader. But it would certainly effect it. I take it you don't work or interact with any Spanglish speaking people? Even if they or you know a good bit of a second language...communication is still hard for both parties to completely understand. It's hard when both parties are speaking the same language. And then throw thick accents in...It definitely has an effect

What keeps striking me is -- what's the reason for the interviewer even bringing up the question in the first place? When did O'Double ask to be a "leader"? Shouldn't he get some say in the idea?

To be fair I don't think the interviewer phrased it that way, I believe it was "a player you can build a team around" which somewhere got morphed into "leader" even though they're not the same thing.

Besides, he already does speak English, and when Schmidt called him that day they would have spoken -- in English. Which means they just got done, what Schmidt had just got done saying couldn't be done.

The issue isn't language and never was. That's a cover. The issue is personal style on the field. O'Double expresses his passion where Schmidt always suppressed it. That's exactly what cost him the fan support when he played -- that inability to show some passion. Herrera has it, and Schmidt doesn't, and he resents it. The entire 'language' issue is a smokescreen for that. And if there's any doubt about that as the underlying issue --- it was the first thing Schmidt brought up.

Mike Schmidt tends to talk himself into circles, even if he starts out with a lucid point. Part of why he himself was never a "leader" on the field, even without a language disadvantage. Which is fine --- no one asked Mike Schmidt to be a "leader" either, nor should they have. But he talked himself into a circle here. Ironically it seems Schmidt needs an interpreter more than Herrera does.

 

[sakinago]

In a radio interview yesterday Mike Schmidt who still works with the Phillies as a TV color commentator and guest Spring training instructor, was asked if young centerfielder Odubel Herrera could be a player that a team could build around. Schmidt's answer was bizarre:

>> “My honest answer to that would be no,” Schmidt said. “First of all, it’s a language barrier. Because of that, I think he can’t be a guy that would sort of sit in a circle with four, five American players and talk about the game; or try and learn about the game or discuss the inner workings of the game; or come over to a guy and say, ‘Man, you gotta run that ball out.’ ”

Schmidt then said again that Herrera, a native of Venezuela who has used an interpreter at times for on-camera interviews, “just can’t be — because of the language barrier — that kind of a player.” <<​

(For the record, Herrera actually does speak English and has done interviews in English which went just fine; he seems to lack confidence in his facility with the second language. His manager Pete Mackanin also speaks Spanish.)

Later in the day Schmidt called Herrera to apologize for the strange remark. Herrera accepted it in good grace.

Two things strike me as odd -- one, when Schmidt called Herrera to apologize, that conversation would have taken place in English (Schmidt does not speak Spanish) which directly undercuts his own point. It's a bit of an M.C. Esher in words, like the robot phone voice that tells you "press one for English" --- and it just said that in English.

Second, Schmidt himself for all his awesome abilities as a player -- and they were awesome --- he has never had much facility for communication, was never himself a demonstrative "leader" on the field, and is doing what can only be termed a horrendous job as a color commentator, in his own native language. Ironic.

Story here

Herrera is not that good. He's a good ball player, but team leader good, no. He's just a good cog in the wheel. He's seems good because the team around him is sooo bad. Thanks Rueben Amaro. And what the hell is happening with the pitching coaches? Phillies pitchers could be pretty damn good, they for some reason fall apart past the fifth inning. But they got dirty dirty stuff they pitch 1 out of 3 times, and almost never after inning five. The talent is there, it needs to be honed. Which this year, it's clear that it is not.

Anyway, I get what Schmidt is saying. I don't think it would rule someone like Herrera out as a team leader. But it would certainly effect it. I take it you don't work or interact with any Spanglish speaking people? Even if they or you know a good bit of a second language...communication is still hard for both parties to completely understand. It's hard when both parties are speaking the same language. And then throw thick accents in...It definitely has an effect

What keeps striking me is -- what's the reason for the interviewer even bringing up the question in the first place? When did O'Double ask to be a "leader"? Shouldn't he get some say in the idea?

To be fair I don't think the interviewer phrased it that way, I believe it was "a player you can build a team around" which somewhere got morphed into "leader" even though they're not the same thing.

Besides, he already does speak English, and when Schmidt called him that day they would have spoken -- in English. Which means they just got done, what Schmidt had just got done saying couldn't be done.

The issue isn't language and never was. That's a cover. The issue is personal style on the field. O'Double expresses his passion where Schmidt always suppressed it. That's exactly what cost him the fan support when he played -- that inability to show some passion. Herrera has it, and Schmidt doesn't, and he resents it. The entire 'language' issue is a smokescreen for that. And if there's any doubt about that as the underlying issue --- it was the first thing Schmidt brought up.

Mike Schmidt tends to talk himself into circles, even if he starts out with a lucid point. Part of why he himself was never a "leader" on the field, even without a language disadvantage. Which is fine --- no one asked Mike Schmidt to be a "leader" either, nor should they have. But he talked himself into a circle here. Ironically it seems Schmidt needs an interpreter more than Herrera does.

Well I cannot speak to schmidts tendacies since I'm a Dallas transplant, who has enjoyed philly sports, especially baseball, outside of the Eagles (of who I wouldn't be totally against had I not gotten completely railed in school for being a Dallas fan back when they sucked at the time, and eagles were doing pretty good). I don't doubt he puts his foot in his mouth, I just haven't seen it for myself.

Herrera speaks better than chooch ever did, but barely. As to why the interviewer asked the question, my best guess, is phillies suck now, and philly sports have been lacking, on top of a an already slow time in philly sports. No basketball, no footbal, and no hockey...phillies the only team playing, and Herrera one of the few players to highlight. There needs to be something talked about, and that's what this reporter could come up with.

 

[Pogo]

Mike Schmidt tends to talk himself into circles, even if he starts out with a lucid point. Part of why he himself was never a "leader" on the field, even without a language disadvantage. Which is fine --- no one asked Mike Schmidt to be a "leader" either, nor should they have. But he talked himself into a circle here. Ironically it seems Schmidt needs an interpreter more than Herrera does.

Developing this thought a bit ---

Mike Schmidt tends to talk in non sequiturs, as demonstrated by his obviously woefully lacking skills in the broadcast booth. Tends to be a stream-of-consciousness "no filter" type that, when he's asked to speak, engages mouth before brain.

That's not necessarily a personal flaw, depending on what's needed in the moment. If the moment is playing third base (which he did spectacularly), you don't want your infielder (or your baserunner if you're on offense) standing around pondering the finer points of whether the throw should go to second or to home plate -- you want him to act immediately on instinct, without deliberation. And without question Schmidt excelled at that. Very smart baserunner, very quick infielder and a master of the deke. But that's a whole different thought process from the analytical rumination needed for the question he was asked, or for being a broadcast booth analyst (or to manage a team, which Schmidt tried to do in the minors and failed after one, count 'em, one year).

Some people are built for instinct, others for profundity. Schmidt is the former. Frankly the only reason he's in the broadcast booth is to sell the broadcast with a big name; it's clearly not on any analytical prowess. The team is exploiting and/or humoring him with a gig that he's unsuited for.


Second final thought on the Herrera thing --- I suspect that Schmidt, and certainly fans and commenters, are assuming that Herrera "doesn't speak English" based on the near-constant presence of Diego Ettedgui, the team's Spanish-English interpreter, in every interview. What gets left out of that image is that Ettedgui (a Venezuelan whose English is perfectly fluent) is hired by the team because MLB and the player's union declared prior to last season that all thirty teams have to employ one, exactly for this purpose (and others, including mound visits).

So it's arguable that the interpreter's participation in a given interview may be as much a matter of a team giving an assignment to an employee it's required to employ, as it may be about the Latin player's needs. Diego Ettedgui interprets for other players too but Herrera gets more camera time because as the player he is, he's involved in more highlights. But the presence of an interpreter is not sufficient evidence to conclude that that player cannot speak English himself, when it may simply be the team delegating assignments to its employees. In other words --- the question of how to conduct an interview may not even be up to the player. I doubt this occurred to Mike Schmidt.

Which invites another irony --- the presence of a constant player-shadow who's fluent in both languages presumably would be a boon to the player who needs to improve, just as a batting coach is. On the other hand the image of his presence in a given interview implies -- but does not prove -- that the player cannot speak English on his own.

 

[HaShev]

Don't know if it's a coincidence, but something motivated and put a fire in him, he's having a great month.

 

[sakinago]

Mike Schmidt tends to talk himself into circles, even if he starts out with a lucid point. Part of why he himself was never a "leader" on the field, even without a language disadvantage. Which is fine --- no one asked Mike Schmidt to be a "leader" either, nor should they have. But he talked himself into a circle here. Ironically it seems Schmidt needs an interpreter more than Herrera does.

Developing this thought a bit ---

Mike Schmidt tends to talk in non sequiturs, as demonstrated by his obviously woefully lacking skills in the broadcast booth. Tends to be a stream-of-consciousness "no filter" type that, when he's asked to speak, engages mouth before brain.

That's not necessarily a personal flaw, depending on what's needed in the moment. If the moment is playing third base (which he did spectacularly), you don't want your infielder (or your baserunner if you're on offense) standing around pondering the finer points of whether the throw should go to second or to home plate -- you want him to act immediately on instinct, without deliberation. And without question Schmidt excelled at that. Very smart baserunner, very quick infielder and a master of the deke. But that's a whole different thought process from the analytical rumination needed for the question he was asked, or for being a broadcast booth analyst (or to manage a team, which Schmidt tried to do in the minors and failed after one, count 'em, one year).

Some people are built for instinct, others for profundity. Schmidt is the former. Frankly the only reason he's in the broadcast booth is to sell the broadcast with a big name; it's clearly not on any analytical prowess. The team is exploiting and/or humoring him with a gig that he's unsuited for.


Second final thought on the Herrera thing --- I suspect that Schmidt, and certainly fans and commenters, are assuming that Herrera "doesn't speak English" based on the near-constant presence of Diego Ettedgui, the team's Spanish-English interpreter, in every interview. What gets left out of that image is that Ettedgui (a Venezuelan whose English is perfectly fluent) is hired by the team because MLB and the player's union declared prior to last season that all thirty teams have to employ one, exactly for this purpose (and others, including mound visits).

So it's arguable that the interpreter's participation in a given interview may be as much a matter of a team giving an assignment to an employee it's required to employ, as it may be about the Latin player's needs. Diego Ettedgui interprets for other players too but Herrera gets more camera time because as the player he is, he's involved in more highlights. But the presence of an interpreter is not sufficient evidence to conclude that that player cannot speak English himself, when it may simply be the team delegating assignments to its employees. In other words --- the question of how to conduct an interview may not even be up to the player. I doubt this occurred to Mike Schmidt.

Which invites another irony --- the presence of a constant player-shadow who's fluent in both languages presumably would be a boon to the player who needs to improve, just as a batting coach is. On the other hand the image of his presence in a given interview implies -- but does not prove -- that the player cannot speak English on his own.

Does galvis get an interpreter?

 

[sakinago]

Dammit, all this talk, I should've joined the freaking softball league.

 

[Pogo]

Don't know if it's a coincidence, but something motivated and put a fire in him, he's having a great month.

Yeah that started a few days prior, as a result it seems of getting benched three out of four games. Then he came back swinging. Now he's got an 11-game hitting streak.

How embarrassing must it be to be benched while a paperweight like Michael Saunders starts...

 

[Pogo]

Mike Schmidt tends to talk himself into circles, even if he starts out with a lucid point. Part of why he himself was never a "leader" on the field, even without a language disadvantage. Which is fine --- no one asked Mike Schmidt to be a "leader" either, nor should they have. But he talked himself into a circle here. Ironically it seems Schmidt needs an interpreter more than Herrera does.

Developing this thought a bit ---

Mike Schmidt tends to talk in non sequiturs, as demonstrated by his obviously woefully lacking skills in the broadcast booth. Tends to be a stream-of-consciousness "no filter" type that, when he's asked to speak, engages mouth before brain.

That's not necessarily a personal flaw, depending on what's needed in the moment. If the moment is playing third base (which he did spectacularly), you don't want your infielder (or your baserunner if you're on offense) standing around pondering the finer points of whether the throw should go to second or to home plate -- you want him to act immediately on instinct, without deliberation. And without question Schmidt excelled at that. Very smart baserunner, very quick infielder and a master of the deke. But that's a whole different thought process from the analytical rumination needed for the question he was asked, or for being a broadcast booth analyst (or to manage a team, which Schmidt tried to do in the minors and failed after one, count 'em, one year).

Some people are built for instinct, others for profundity. Schmidt is the former. Frankly the only reason he's in the broadcast booth is to sell the broadcast with a big name; it's clearly not on any analytical prowess. The team is exploiting and/or humoring him with a gig that he's unsuited for.


Second final thought on the Herrera thing --- I suspect that Schmidt, and certainly fans and commenters, are assuming that Herrera "doesn't speak English" based on the near-constant presence of Diego Ettedgui, the team's Spanish-English interpreter, in every interview. What gets left out of that image is that Ettedgui (a Venezuelan whose English is perfectly fluent) is hired by the team because MLB and the player's union declared prior to last season that all thirty teams have to employ one, exactly for this purpose (and others, including mound visits).

So it's arguable that the interpreter's participation in a given interview may be as much a matter of a team giving an assignment to an employee it's required to employ, as it may be about the Latin player's needs. Diego Ettedgui interprets for other players too but Herrera gets more camera time because as the player he is, he's involved in more highlights. But the presence of an interpreter is not sufficient evidence to conclude that that player cannot speak English himself, when it may simply be the team delegating assignments to its employees. In other words --- the question of how to conduct an interview may not even be up to the player. I doubt this occurred to Mike Schmidt.

Which invites another irony --- the presence of a constant player-shadow who's fluent in both languages presumably would be a boon to the player who needs to improve, just as a batting coach is. On the other hand the image of his presence in a given interview implies -- but does not prove -- that the player cannot speak English on his own.

Does galvis get an interpreter?

Haven't seen him use one.
Then again, Galvis has been around a few years before the team interpreter was hired, so it would look kinda weird to start having him interview in Spanish after he's already done a string of them in English.