Lonnie Smith
Encyclopedia
Lonnie Smith is a former Major League Baseball
outfielder
. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies
on September 2, 1978 and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals
, Kansas City Royals
, Atlanta Braves
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, and Baltimore Orioles
. He overcame bouts with drug abuse
to become one of the top base-stealer
s in baseball during the decade of the 1980s. He played on five pennant-winning teams, three of which won the World Series
.
pennant and defeated the Kansas City Royals
in the World Series
. Smith's performance was strong enough for him to finish third in the Rookie of the Year balloting following the season. He continued to play well in the strike-shortened season, hitting .324.
Smith was in the MLB All-Star Game for the only time in his career in 1982. He had a batting average of .307, and on-base percentage of .381.
He led the National League with 120 runs scored, which was the only time that he scored 100+ runs in a season during his baseball career.
Smith also set career highs in 1982 with 592 at-bats, 182 hits, 35 double
s, and 257 total bases
during the regular season.
He also ranked second in the National league with a career-high 68 stolen base
s on the basepaths, but he was also caught stealing a career-high 26 times, since the Cardinals' manager had ordered his fastest players to attempt to steal bases whenever possible as part of his strategy for winning.
All of the above pushed Smith all the way up to second place in voting for the regular-season National League Most Valuable Player for 1982. That season, the outfielder Dale Murphy
of the Atlanta Braves
won the National League MVP award, tying for the lead in runs batted in and walloping 36 home run
s.
Smith batted a healthy .321 during the 1982 World Series
, and he helped the Cardinals to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers
("Harvey's Wallbangers"), four games to three.
Smith continued to play well during , batting .321, but in just 130 games, to again draw some MVP votes. However, this baseball season was struck with his first bout with illicit drug abuse, and that sidelined him for a month at mid-season - though nobody but Smith knew the real reason at the time.
Smith returned to the Cardinals after his time on the bench in 1983, and he remained with them through the end of the baseball season.
on May 17, 1985. The Royals were able to fill their left field spot with Smith; they had lacked an everyday player since the departure of Amos Otis
two years earlier. Smith's past met his present following the regular season, when he hit .333 in the 1985 World Series
to lead the Royals to a seven-game upset of the favored Cardinals. Smith went on to have his best season in three years in , but saw his playing time reduced during the season.
that under his agreement with the Commissioner of baseball he was supposed to be tested six to eight times per-year but had not been tested so far during 1987. More so, he strongly disagreed with Commissioner Ueberroth that professional baseball
was free from illicit drugs. Following the 1987 season, Smith had trouble finding a new team to play with, and he came to think that the Royals General Manager, John Schuerholz
, had blackball
ed him from the other baseball teams.
By his own account, Smith was depressed
and also addicted to cocaine
when he considered murder
ing Schuerholz, and had even purchased a pistol
for that purpose. However, Smith then had second thoughts about committing such a serious crime, and he dropped that idea entirely.
During March of , the Atlanta Braves
team offered Smith a contract to play there. During Spring Training, he made it to the team's 25-man roster, but he batted just .237 in limited playing time that season. However, in 1989
, he cracked the starting line-up for the Braves' outfield, and he went on to accomplish one of his best baseball seasons, ever. During that season, Smith had a batting average
of .315, and also had a career-high total of 21 home run
s. Smith also led the National League with a .415 on-base percentage. Smith finished 11th in the voting of N.L. Most Valuable Player, and he was awarded the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
.
Smith continued to be a regular outfielder for the Braves during the next two baseball seasons, batting .305 in and .275 in . Smith's play in 1991 helped the Braves move from last place in the National League West
in 1990 up to winning the National League pennant 1991, and playing in the World Series
for the first time since 1958, back when the Braves had Milwaukee, Wisconsin
as their home city.
, playing against the Minnesota Twins
. Smith was on first base with no men out in the eighth inning of this scoreless (0 - 0) game. Then, the Braves' batter Terry Pendleton
stuck a line-drive double
to left field. It appeared that Smith should have been able to score following this hit, but as he was rounding second base, he stumbled momentarily, and he stopped at third base
. Smith later stated that he had lost sight of the baseball against the ceiling of the Minnesota Metrodome stadium
, but replays from the TV coverage of the game showed that the Twins' second baseman
Chuck Knoblauch
had deceived Smith by pretending to receive the baseball thrown in from the outfielder
.
Regardless of the cause, Smith advanced just to third base. Next, the bases became loaded, and then Smith was forced out at home plate in a double play. The Braves did not score a run during this team at-bat. The score remained (0 - 0), and that was how it remained at the end of the ninth inning.
The Twins went on to score one run in the bottom of the tenth inning, hence winning the game 1-0 and winning the World Series four games to three.
.
Next, Smith departed from the Braves, and he signed up with the Pittsburgh Pirates
, where he played one season, and then one more with the Baltimore Orioles
, where he played mostly as just a pinch-hitter. Smith played in his final Major League Baseball
game on August 10, 1994.
After retiring from pro baseball, Smith married once more, and he and his wife returned to Atlanta to reside. They became the parents of three children. Smith very briefly re-entered national attention in 2006, when he told a newspaper from Columbia, S.C., about his notion (then reversed it) to murder John Schuerholz
eighteen years earlier.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
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...
. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
on September 2, 1978 and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
. He overcame bouts with drug abuse
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
to become one of the top base-stealer
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in baseball during the decade of the 1980s. He played on five pennant-winning teams, three of which won the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
.
Philadelphia Phillies
After brief trials with the Phillies in 1978 and 1979, Smith broke into the team's lineup in , batting .339 in 100 games. The Phillies won the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pennant and defeated the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
in the World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
. Smith's performance was strong enough for him to finish third in the Rookie of the Year balloting following the season. He continued to play well in the strike-shortened season, hitting .324.
St. Louis Cardinals
He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in November 1981. Smith continued to hit well in , and to have a good on-base percentage. In fact, 1982 was a high-water year for Smith in several different ways:Smith was in the MLB All-Star Game for the only time in his career in 1982. He had a batting average of .307, and on-base percentage of .381.
He led the National League with 120 runs scored, which was the only time that he scored 100+ runs in a season during his baseball career.
Smith also set career highs in 1982 with 592 at-bats, 182 hits, 35 double
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....
s, and 257 total bases
Total bases
In baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i.e., the sum of his hits weighted by 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run.Only bases attained from hits count toward this total....
during the regular season.
He also ranked second in the National league with a career-high 68 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s on the basepaths, but he was also caught stealing a career-high 26 times, since the Cardinals' manager had ordered his fastest players to attempt to steal bases whenever possible as part of his strategy for winning.
All of the above pushed Smith all the way up to second place in voting for the regular-season National League Most Valuable Player for 1982. That season, the outfielder Dale Murphy
Dale Murphy
Dale Bryan Murphy is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. During an 18-year baseball career, 1976–1993, he played for three different teams, but is noted for his time with the Atlanta Braves...
of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
won the National League MVP award, tying for the lead in runs batted in and walloping 36 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.
Smith batted a healthy .321 during the 1982 World Series
1982 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1982 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Brewers' left-hander Mike Caldwell pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only three hits. The Brewers' offense was led by Paul Molitor, who had a World Series-record five hits and two RBIs...
, and he helped the Cardinals to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
("Harvey's Wallbangers"), four games to three.
Smith continued to play well during , batting .321, but in just 130 games, to again draw some MVP votes. However, this baseball season was struck with his first bout with illicit drug abuse, and that sidelined him for a month at mid-season - though nobody but Smith knew the real reason at the time.
Smith returned to the Cardinals after his time on the bench in 1983, and he remained with them through the end of the baseball season.
Kansas City Royals
Smith was traded to the Royals in exchange for outfielder John MorrisJohn Morris (outfielder)
John Daniel Morris is a former professional baseball player who played seven seasons in the major leagues for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, and California Angels....
on May 17, 1985. The Royals were able to fill their left field spot with Smith; they had lacked an everyday player since the departure of Amos Otis
Amos Otis
Amos Joseph Otis is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets , Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates . He batted and threw right-handed....
two years earlier. Smith's past met his present following the regular season, when he hit .333 in the 1985 World Series
1985 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 19, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri-Game 2:Sunday, October 20, 1985 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri...
to lead the Royals to a seven-game upset of the favored Cardinals. Smith went on to have his best season in three years in , but saw his playing time reduced during the season.
Atlanta Braves
In July 1987, Smith told the Kansas City TimesKansas City Times
The Kansas City Times was a morning newspaper in Kansas City, Missouri, that was published from 1867 to 1990.The morning Kansas City Times, under ownership of afternoon The Kansas City Star, won two Pulitzer Prizes and was actually bigger than its parent when its name was changed to the...
that under his agreement with the Commissioner of baseball he was supposed to be tested six to eight times per-year but had not been tested so far during 1987. More so, he strongly disagreed with Commissioner Ueberroth that professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
was free from illicit drugs. Following the 1987 season, Smith had trouble finding a new team to play with, and he came to think that the Royals General Manager, John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz is the President of the Atlanta Braves of the National League. Before joining Atlanta, he spent twenty-two years with the Kansas City Royals organization, including nine as the club's General Manager. Among the teams he has built are the 1985 Royals and 1995 Braves, both world...
, had blackball
Blackball
Blackball, black-ball or black ball may refer to:-Society and culture:* Blackballing, ostracizing someone socially, e.g. prevention of finding local or field-specific employment, blacklisting from a club or other organization, etc-Geography:...
ed him from the other baseball teams.
By his own account, Smith was depressed
Mood disorder
Mood disorder is the term designating a group of diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders classification system where a disturbance in the person's mood is hypothesized to be the main underlying feature...
and also addicted to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
when he considered murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing Schuerholz, and had even purchased a pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
for that purpose. However, Smith then had second thoughts about committing such a serious crime, and he dropped that idea entirely.
During March of , the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
team offered Smith a contract to play there. During Spring Training, he made it to the team's 25-man roster, but he batted just .237 in limited playing time that season. However, in 1989
1989 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants ; Dave Stewart, MVP*American League Championship Series MVP: Rickey Henderson*National League Championship Series MVP: Will Clark...
, he cracked the starting line-up for the Braves' outfield, and he went on to accomplish one of his best baseball seasons, ever. During that season, Smith had a 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 :...
of .315, and also had a career-high total of 21 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. Smith also led the National League with a .415 on-base percentage. Smith finished 11th in the voting of N.L. Most Valuable Player, and he was awarded the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
.
Smith continued to be a regular outfielder for the Braves during the next two baseball seasons, batting .305 in and .275 in . Smith's play in 1991 helped the Braves move from last place in the National League West
National League West
The National League Western Division, or NL West, is one of the three divisions of Major League Baseball's National League. It was created in 1969 when the previously undivided National League expanded its membership to twelve teams, positioning half of them in an Eastern division and the other...
in 1990 up to winning the National League pennant 1991, and playing in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
for the first time since 1958, back when the Braves had Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
as their home city.
1991 World Series
Smith committed a baserunning blunder very late in the Seventh Game of the 1991 World Series1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
, playing against the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Smith was on first base with no men out in the eighth inning of this scoreless (0 - 0) game. Then, the Braves' batter Terry Pendleton
Terry Pendleton
Terry Lee Pendleton is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball, and a former hitting coach and current first base coach of the Atlanta Braves. He played primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves, but he also spent time with the Florida Marlins, Cincinnati Reds, and Kansas...
stuck a line-drive double
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....
to left field. It appeared that Smith should have been able to score following this hit, but as he was rounding second base, he stumbled momentarily, and he stopped at third base
Third Base
is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...
. Smith later stated that he had lost sight of the baseball against the ceiling of the Minnesota Metrodome stadium
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University...
, but replays from the TV coverage of the game showed that the Twins' second baseman
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...
Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch
Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
had deceived Smith by pretending to receive the baseball thrown in from the 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...
.
Regardless of the cause, Smith advanced just to third base. Next, the bases became loaded, and then Smith was forced out at home plate in a double play. The Braves did not score a run during this team at-bat. The score remained (0 - 0), and that was how it remained at the end of the ninth inning.
The Twins went on to score one run in the bottom of the tenth inning, hence winning the game 1-0 and winning the World Series four games to three.
Retirement
Smith remained with the Braves through the end of the baseball season, and he helped the Braves win the National League pennant once again, though they lost the World Series four games to two against the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
Next, Smith departed from the Braves, and he signed up with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, where he played one season, and then one more with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
, where he played mostly as just a pinch-hitter. Smith played in his final Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game on August 10, 1994.
After retiring from pro baseball, Smith married once more, and he and his wife returned to Atlanta to reside. They became the parents of three children. Smith very briefly re-entered national attention in 2006, when he told a newspaper from Columbia, S.C., about his notion (then reversed it) to murder John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz
John Schuerholz is the President of the Atlanta Braves of the National League. Before joining Atlanta, he spent twenty-two years with the Kansas City Royals organization, including nine as the club's General Manager. Among the teams he has built are the 1985 Royals and 1995 Braves, both world...
eighteen years earlier.
Career highlights
- Smith is the only player to be a member of three different World SeriesWorld SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
winning teams (the Phillies, Cardinals, and Royals) within a single decade, and he did this in a six-year period.
- Smith set the franchise record for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
on September 4, 1982, when he stoleStolen baseIn baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
five bases in a single game.
- During the World Series1991 World SeriesThe 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
in 1991, Smith hit home runs in three straight games (games three through five) for the Braves against the TwinsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
.
- During the fifth game of the World Series1992 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
in 1992, Smith knocked a Grand Slam home runGrand slam (baseball)In the sport of baseball, a grand slam is a home run hit with all three bases occupied by baserunners , thereby scoring four runs—the most possible in one play. According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term originated in the card game of contract bridge, in which a grand slam involves...
for the Braves against the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
.
- Smith won the National League's runs-scored championship in 1982, when he scored 120 runs for the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. In that baseball season, he led the Cardinals to the National League pennant and also a World Series championship. The was also his only baseball season in which he was selected to play on the National League All-Star TeamMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
.
- Smith was branded with the nickname "Skates" due to his somewhat awkward footwork while playing the outfieldOutfieldThe outfield is a sporting term used in cricket and baseball to refer to the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield...
in baseball. The baseball historian Bill JamesBill JamesGeorge William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
wrote about this nickname at some length. He wryly stated that Smith should have had a post-retirement career teaching (so-called) "defensive recovery and cost containment", since he had excelled at recovering from defensive difficulties in the outfield.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- Major League Baseball ScandalsMajor League Baseball ScandalsThere have been many dramatic on-and-off-field moments in over 130 years of Major League Baseball. The sport has had its share of troubles and events which have harmed or threatened to harm the public image of the game.-Gambling scandals:...