Chino Smith
Encyclopedia
Charles "Chino" Smith was an American
outfielder
in Negro league baseball
who was one of the Negro leagues' most skillful hitters of the mid-1920s and early 1930s. He stood only 5'6" tall but could hit the ball with prodigious power and efficiency. In fact, Satchel Paige
called him one of the two most dangerous hitters in Negro league history. He had an incredible eye and hit amazing line drives to all fields, striking fear into opposing pitchers during all plate appearances.
He was born in Greenwood, South Carolina
and played for the semipro Philadelphia Giants
in 1924. Smith worked at New York City's Penn Station and played second base
for their baseball team in 1925. He broke into the professional Brooklyn Royal Giants
later that year. He recorded batting average
s of .341 in 1925 and .439 in 1927. In 1929 he joined the New York Lincoln Giants of the new American Negro League, and walloped pitching to the tune of a .464 average, collecting 118 hits in only 67 games, with 23 home run
s and 24 doubles
, all of which paced the league. The league was not a stable one, however, and it folded the next year, with the Lincoln Giants continuing on as an independent team. They battled the Homestead Grays
for the eastern title, only to lose out at the end of the season. During this season he destroyed opposing pitchers at a .468 clip. But this season was to be his last. At the age of 28, Smith became ill with yellow fever
while playing in Cuba
and died.
The incomplete records of the time show that Smith had an astounding .423 career batting average in Negro league competition. He hit .335 in Cuban winter ball and .405 (or .423 depending upon sources) against white major leaguers. His abrupt death ended a career which could have been one of the finest of all time and we can only speculate about what could have been.
Smith's nickname of "Chino" is thought to have originated from his Asian-like appearance. This may be politically incorrect
in our times, but, as inappropriate as it may seem to us, racially based nicknames were not rare in baseball throughout its history.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in Negro league baseball
Negro league baseball
The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...
who was one of the Negro leagues' most skillful hitters of the mid-1920s and early 1930s. He stood only 5'6" tall but could hit the ball with prodigious power and efficiency. In fact, Satchel Paige
Satchel Paige
Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
called him one of the two most dangerous hitters in Negro league history. He had an incredible eye and hit amazing line drives to all fields, striking fear into opposing pitchers during all plate appearances.
He was born in Greenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 22,071 at the 2000 census and had slightly increased to 22,710 according to a 2009 estimate.-Geography:...
and played for the semipro Philadelphia Giants
Philadelphia Giants
The Philadelphia Giants were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1902 to 1916. From 1904 to 1909 they were one of the strongest teams in black baseball, winning five eastern championships in six years. The team was organized by Sol White, H. Walter Schlichter, and Harry Smith.- Founding...
in 1924. Smith worked at New York City's Penn Station and played second base
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
for their baseball team in 1925. He broke into the professional Brooklyn Royal Giants
Brooklyn Royal Giants
The Brooklyn Royal Giants were a professional baseball team based in Brooklyn, New York which played in the Negro Leagues. They were one of the premier professional teams before World War I, winning multiple championships in the East.- League play :...
later that year. He recorded batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
s of .341 in 1925 and .439 in 1927. In 1929 he joined the New York Lincoln Giants of the new American Negro League, and walloped pitching to the tune of a .464 average, collecting 118 hits in only 67 games, with 23 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 24 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, all of which paced the league. The league was not a stable one, however, and it folded the next year, with the Lincoln Giants continuing on as an independent team. They battled the Homestead Grays
Homestead Grays
The Homestead Grays were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and would remain in continuous operation for 38 seasons. The team was based in Homestead, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Pittsburgh.-Franchise...
for the eastern title, only to lose out at the end of the season. During this season he destroyed opposing pitchers at a .468 clip. But this season was to be his last. At the age of 28, Smith became ill with yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
while playing in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and died.
The incomplete records of the time show that Smith had an astounding .423 career batting average in Negro league competition. He hit .335 in Cuban winter ball and .405 (or .423 depending upon sources) against white major leaguers. His abrupt death ended a career which could have been one of the finest of all time and we can only speculate about what could have been.
Smith's nickname of "Chino" is thought to have originated from his Asian-like appearance. This may be politically incorrect
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
in our times, but, as inappropriate as it may seem to us, racially based nicknames were not rare in baseball throughout its history.