Schroeder (Peanuts) arrives with a toy violin and asks Schroeder if he could play Beethoven on it, and Schroeder scoffs at such an absurd idea. Peppermint Patty once called Schroeder a "miniature Leonard Bernstein" after she heard him whistling a classical piece during a ball game shortly after she was introduced to the strip and briefly took over management of the team. Schroeder's other distinguishing mark as a character is his constant refusal of Lucy's love. Lucy is infatuated with Schroeder, and frequently lounges against his piano while he is playing, professing her love for him. But Beethoven was a lifelong bachelor,
Peanuts agreement, United Media stored these unpublished strips, the existence of which eventually became public. Plastino himself also claimed to have ghostwritten for Schulz, apparently uncredited, while Schulz underwent heart surgery in 1983. In the 1980s and the 1990s, the strip remained the most popular comic in history, even though other comics, such as "Garfield" and "Calvin and Hobbes", rivaled "Peanuts" in popularity. Schulz continued to write the strip until announcing his retirement on December 14, 1999, due to his failing health. The final daily original "Peanuts" comic strip was published on Monday, January 3, 2000. The strip contained a note