Clay Smith (baseball)

Clay Smith
Clay Smith
	Pitcher
	Born: September 11, 1914; Cambridge, Kansas
	Died: March 5, 2002 (aged 87); Winfield, Kansas
	Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
	September 13, 1938, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
	September 22, 1940, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	1–1
Earned run average	5.94
Strikeouts	17
Teams
	Cleveland Indians (1938); Detroit Tigers (1940);

Clay Jamieson Smith (September 11, 1914 – March 5, 2002) was an American

Cleveland Indians (four games in 1938) and Detroit Tigers (14 contests in 1940). A member of the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame, he hurled in one game of the 1940 World Series

for the Tigers. During his playing career, he batted and threw right-handed, stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall, and weighed 190 pounds (86 kg).

Smith was born in Cambridge, in Cowley County, Kansas. He is one of three major leaguers (through 2022) out of Southwestern College of Winfield, Kansas, also in Cowley County. He was on the baseball, basketball, wrestling and track teams in college, and is a member of the college's basketball hall of fame.

Baseball career

He began pitching in the minors for the Fargo–Moorhead Twins of the

Wilkes–Barre of the Class A Eastern League

, where he went 8–14 with an earned run average of 3.35.

Smith was recalled to Cleveland late in the season and made his major league debut on September 13, 1938, throwing two innings of relief against the eventual 1938 world champion New York Yankees.^[1]

Smith spent 1939 with the

MLB win as Detroit rallied from a 3–1 deficit to nip Washington, 4–3.^[2]

World Series appearance

Each win was precious for the

Briggs Stadium. But starter Dizzy Trout was ineffective: he surrendered three runs on six hits, and left the game in the third frame with runners on second and third base and none out. Called upon to stanch the bleeding by manager Del Baker, Smith retired Jimmie Wilson, Eddie Joost and Paul Derringer to keep the score 3–0, Cincinnati. He went on to pitch a total of four full innings, allowing only one hit and one run, before he exited the game for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning with the Tigers trailing, 4–2.^[3]

The Reds would win the contest, 5–2, to tie the Series, and eventually triumph in Game 7 to capture the world championship.

The

bases on balls, and 24 earned runs, with 17 strikeouts

. But, in his stellar Fall Classic appearance against the Reds, Smith posted a 2.25 ERA, allowing three walks but only one hit and one earned run.

Smith returned to the minors in 1941, pitching for the St. Paul Saints through 1943. After baseball, he was a rancher and mail carrier, and worked a farm north of Cambridge until he was 71 years old. He died in Winfield in 2002, aged 87.

References

^ "New York Yankees 7, Cleveland Indians 1". Retrosheet. September 13, 1938. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
^ "Detroit Tigers 4, Washington Senators 3 (1)". Retrosheet. July 13, 1940. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
^ "Cincinnati Reds 5, Detroit Tigers 2". Retrosheet. October 5, 1940. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

External links

Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference

[1] "New York Yankees 7, Cleveland Indians 1". Retrosheet. September 13, 1938. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

[2] "Detroit Tigers 4, Washington Senators 3 (1)". Retrosheet. July 13, 1940. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

[3] "Cincinnati Reds 5, Detroit Tigers 2". Retrosheet. October 5, 1940. Retrieved July 27, 2023.

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