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. Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is in the running for his first major league managerial position. "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.