Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith | |
---|---|
Shortstop | |
Born: Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | December 26, 1954|
Batted: Switch Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 7, 1978, for the San Diego Padres | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 29, 1996, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
MLB statistics | |
Batting average | .262 |
Hits | 2,460 |
Home runs | 28 |
Runs batted in | 793 |
Stolen bases | 580 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Member of the National | |
Baseball Hall of Fame | |
Induction | 2002 |
Vote | 91.7% (first ballot) |
Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional
Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama; his family moved to Watts, Los Angeles, when he was six years old. While participating in childhood athletic activities, Smith developed quick reflexes; he went on to play baseball at Locke High School in Los Angeles, then at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Drafted as an amateur player by the Padres, Smith made his major league debut in 1978. He quickly established himself as an outstanding fielder, and later became known for performing backflips on special occasions while taking his position at the beginning of a game. Smith won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and made his first All-Star Game appearance in 1981.
When Smith clashed with the Padres' owners, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog flew to San Diego to persuade the shortstop that he would be an appreciated and core component of the St. Louis team. Herzog's overture worked; Smith waived his contract's "no trade" clause and was traded to the Cardinals for shortstop Garry Templeton in 1982.
Upon joining the Cardinals, Smith helped the team win the 1982 World Series. Three years later, his game-winning home run during Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series prompted broadcaster Jack Buck's "Go crazy, folks!" play-by-play call. Despite a rotator cuff injury during the 1985 season, Smith posted career highs in multiple offensive categories in 1987. Smith continued to earn Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances annually until 1993. During the 1995 season, Smith had shoulder surgery and was out nearly three months. After tension with his new manager Tony La Russa developed in 1996, Smith retired at season's end, and his uniform number (No. 1) was subsequently retired by the Cardinals. Smith served as host of the television show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1998.
Early life
Smith was born in
Smith played a variety of sports in his youth, though considered baseball to be his favorite.
While Smith was attending
Professional baseball career
San Diego Padres (1978–1981)
Smith was playing semi-professional baseball in Clarinda, Iowa, when in June 1976 he was selected in the seventh round of the amateur entry draft by the Detroit Tigers.[14][15] The parties could not agree on a contract; Smith wanted a $10,000 ($53,544 today) signing bonus, while the Tigers offered $8,500 ($45,512 today).[16] Smith returned to Cal Poly for his senior year, then in the 1977 draft was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres, ultimately agreeing to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus ($25,140 today).[16] Smith spent his first year of professional baseball during 1977 with the Class A Walla Walla Padres of the Northwest League.[17]
"As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."
—Ozzie Smith describes a fielding play he made in 1978[18]
Smith began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San Diego Padres' spring training camp in Yuma, Arizona. Smith credited Padres manager Alvin Dark for giving him confidence by telling reporters the shortstop job was Smith's until he proved he can't handle it.[19] Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp, Smith made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on April 7, 1978.[20][21]
It did not take long for Smith to earn recognition in the major leagues, making what some consider his greatest fielding play only 10 games into his rookie season.[5][22] The Padres played host to the Atlanta Braves on April 20, 1978, and with two out in the top of the fourth inning, Atlanta's Jeff Burroughs hit a ground ball up the middle.[23] Smith described the play by saying, "He hit a ball back up the middle that everybody thought was going into center field. I instinctively broke to my left and dove behind second. As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."[18]
During a roadtrip to
After working with a hitting instructor during the offseason, Smith failed to record a base hit in his first 32 at-bats of the 1979 season.[29] Among players with enough at-bats to qualify for the 1979 National League Triple Crown, Smith finished the season last in batting average (.211), home runs (0), and RBI (27).[30] Off the field, conflict developed between Padres' ownership and the combination of Smith and his agent, Ed Gottlieb. The parties entered into a contract dispute before the 1980 season, and when negotiations lasted into spring training, the Padres renewed Smith's contract at his 1979 salary of $72,500[31] Smith's agent told the Padres the shortstop would forgo the season to race in the Tour de France, despite the fact Smith admitted to The Break Room on 96.5 WCMF in Rochester, New York, he had never heard of the Tour. Angered by the Padres' attitude during those contract talks, Gottlieb took out a help-wanted ad in the San Diego Union, part of which read, "Padre baseball player wants part-time employment to supplement income."[32] When Joan Kroc, wife of Padres owner Ray Kroc, publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant gardener on her estate, Smith and Gottlieb's relationship with the organization deteriorated further.[33]
Meanwhile, Smith was winning recognition for his accomplishments on the field. In 1980, he set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop (621), and began his string of 13 consecutive
Trade
While Smith was having problems with the Padres' owners, the St. Louis Cardinals also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop, Garry Templeton. Templeton's relationship with Cardinal Nation had become increasingly strained and finally came to a head during a game at Busch Stadium on August 26, 1981, when (after being heckled for not running out a ground ball) he made obscene gestures at fans, and had to be physically pulled off the field by manager Whitey Herzog.[39][40]
Given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner
St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1996)
1982–1984
On December 10, 1981, the Padres traded Smith,
Smith became a father during the 1982 season with the birth of his son O.J., today known as Nikko, on April 28.[54] Smith also developed a lasting friendship with teammate Willie McGee during the season, and Smith said he likes to think he "helped Willie get over some of the rough spots of adjusting to the major leagues".[55] Smith later participated in the postseason for the first time when the Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-five 1982 National League Championship Series (NLCS). In Game 1, Smith drove in the series' first run by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored McGee, ultimately going five for nine in St. Louis' three-game series sweep.[56]
Just as Herzog had predicted in December, Smith found himself as the team's starting shortstop in the best-of-seven 1982 World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. During the series, Smith scored three runs, had five hits, and did not commit an error in the field.[57] When St. Louis was trailing 3–1 with one out in the sixth inning of Game 7, Smith started a rally with a base hit to left field, eventually scoring the first of the team's three runs that inning.[58] The Cardinals scored two more runs in the 8th inning for a 6–3 win and the championship.
In January 1983, Smith and the Cardinals agreed on a new contract that paid Smith $1 million per year.[59]
During the 1983 season, Smith was voted the National League's starting shortstop in the All-Star Game for the first time in 1983, and at season's end won a fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.[60]
In July 1984, Smith's wrist was broken by a pitch as he batted against the Padres.
1985–1986
"Smith corks one into right, down the line! It may go ... Go crazy, folks, go crazy! It's a home run, and the Cardinals have won the game, by the score of 3 to 2, on a home run by the Wizard! Go crazy!"
"And that's driven to deep right field, back goes Marshall ... gone!
In 1985, Smith amassed a .276 batting average, 31 stolen bases, and 591 assists in the field.
After Smith's teammate Jack Clark hit a late-inning home run of his own in Game 6 to defeat the Dodgers, the Cardinals moved on to face the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Once again sportswriters were quick to draw attention to Smith's outstanding defensive play instead of his 2 for 23 effort at the plate.[69][70] After the Cardinals took a three-games-to-two advantage, a controversial Game 6 call by umpire Don Denkinger overshadowed the remainder of the Series (which the Royals won in seven games).[71]
What was not publicly known during the regular season and playoffs was that Smith had torn his rotator cuff after suffering an impingement in his right shoulder during the July 11–14 homestand against the Padres.[72][73] After suffering the impingement diving back into first base on a pickoff throw, Smith altered his throwing motion to such a degree that the rotator cuff tear subsequently developed.[72] The 5'10" (1.78 m), 180-pound (82 kg) Smith opted to forgo surgery and instead built up his arm strength via weightlifting, playing through whatever pain he encountered.[65] Said Smith, "I didn't tell anybody about the injury, because I wanted to keep playing and didn't want anybody thinking they could run on me or take advantage of the injury. I tried to do almost everything, except throw a baseball, left-handed: opening a door, turning on the radio—everything. It didn't get any better, but it was good enough that I didn't have to have surgery."[74]
Because of his injury, Smith let his then four-year-old son Nikko perform his traditional Opening Day backflip before the Cardinals' first home game of the 1986 season.[75] Smith made an "eye-popping" play later that season on August 4, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium.[65] In the top of the ninth inning, Phillies pinch-hitter Von Hayes hit a short fly ball to left field, which was pursued by both Smith and left fielder Curt Ford.[76] Running with his back to home plate, Smith dove forward, simultaneously catching the ball while parallel to the ground and flying over the diving Ford, avoiding a collision by inches.[4][65]
1987–1990
"The thing about Ozzie is, if he misses a ball, you assume it's uncatchable. If any other shortstop misses a ball, your first thought is, 'Would Ozzie have had it?'"
—Former New York Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson in 1987[5]
After hitting in either the second or eighth spot in the batting order for most of his time in St. Louis, Herzog made Smith the number-two hitter full-time during the 1987 season.
The 1987 World Series matched the Cardinals against the American League champion Minnesota Twins. The home team won every game of the contest, as Minnesota won the series.[81] In 28 at-bats during the Series, Smith scored three runs and had two RBIs.[70] Smith finished second in MVP balloting to Andre Dawson, who had played on the last-place Chicago Cubs, largely because Smith and teammate Jack Clark split the first-place vote.[82] Following the 1987 season, Smith was awarded the largest contract in the National League at $2.34 million.[83]
While the team did not see the postseason for the remainder of the decade, Smith continued to rack up All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves. Combined with the attention he received from his contract, Smith continued to be a national figure. Known as a savvy dresser, he made the April 1988 cover of GQ magazine.[84] Smith was witness to change within the Cardinal organization when owner Gussie Busch died in 1989 and Herzog quit as manager during the 1990 season.[85][86]
1990–1995
"No one paid attention to my offense. So having 2,000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment."
—Ozzie Smith, from the 1993 St. Louis Cardinals Yearbook[12]
Smith won his final Gold Glove in 1992, and his 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at
1996
As Smith entered the 1996 season, he finalized a divorce from his wife Denise during the first half of the year.[25][95] Meanwhile, manager Tony La Russa began his first season with the Cardinals in tandem with a new ownership group. After General Manager Walt Jocketty acquired shortstop Royce Clayton during the offseason, La Russa emphasized an open competition for the spot that would give the Cardinals the best chance to win.[96] When spring training concluded, Smith had amassed a .288 batting average and zero errors in the field, and Clayton batted .190 with eight errors.[25] Smith believed he had earned the position with his spring training performance, but La Russa disagreed, and awarded Clayton the majority of playing time in the platoon situation that developed, where Smith typically saw action every third game.[25][97] La Russa said,
I think it's fair to say he misunderstood how he compared to Royce in spring training ... When I and the coaches evaluated the play in spring training—the whole game—Royce started very slowly offensively and you could see him start to get better. By what he was able to do defensively and on the bases, Royce deserved to play the majority of the games.[98]
Smith missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, and continued to harbor ill feelings toward La Russa that had developed after spring training ended.[25][99] In a closed-door meeting in mid-May, La Russa asked Smith if he would like to be traded.[25] Instead, Smith and his agent negotiated a compromise with Cardinals management, agreeing to a buyout of special provisions in his contract in conjunction with Smith announcing his retirement.[25] The agreement prompted a press conference at Busch Stadium on June 19, 1996, during which Smith announced he would retire from baseball at season's end.[100]
As Smith made his final tour of the National League, he was honored by many teams, and received a standing ovation at the
In the postseason, the Cardinals first faced the San Diego Padres in the 1996 National League Division Series. After sitting out Game 1, Smith got the start in Game 2 at Busch Stadium, helping his team go up two games in the series by notching a run, a hit and two walks at the plate, along with an assist and a putout in the field.[104] The Cardinals then swept the series by winning Game 3 in San Diego.[105]
The Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Championship Series. Smith started Game 1 and subsequently registered three putouts and one assist in the field, but went hitless in four at-bats in the Cardinals' 4–2 loss.[106] The Cardinals then won Games 2, 3, and 4, contests in which Smith did not appear.[107][108][109] Upon receiving the start in Game 5, Smith nearly duplicated his Game 1 performance with four putouts, one assist, and no hits in four at-bats as part of another Cardinals defeat.[110] The Cardinals also failed to win Game 6 or Game 7 in Atlanta, ending their season.[111] When the Cardinals were trailing by 10 runs during Game 7 on October 17, Smith flied out to right field while pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, marking the end of his playing career.[112]
Smith finished his career with distinctions ranging from the accumulation of more than 27.5 million votes in All-Star balloting, to holding the record for the most MLB at-bats without hitting a grand slam.[4][113]
Post-playing career
Upon retirement, Smith took over from
On January 8, 2002 Smith learned via a phone call he had been elected to the
Smith has also been an entrepreneur in a variety of business ventures. Smith opened "Ozzie's" restaurant and sports bar in 1988, started a youth sports academy in 1990, became an investor in a grocery store chain in 1999, and partnered with David Slay to open a restaurant in the early 2000s.[123][124][125][126] Of those businesses the youth academy remains in operation, with the restaurant having closed in 2010 after changing ownership and locations once.[127][128] Aside from appearing in numerous radio and television commercials in the St. Louis area since retiring from baseball, Smith authored a children's book in 2006 and launched his own brand of salad dressing in 2008.[129]
Besides the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Smith has also been inducted or honored in other halls of fame and recognitions. In 1999, he ranked number 87 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,[130] and finished third in voting at shortstop for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.[131][132] He was honored with induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Cal Poly.[133][134][135] In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Smith among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.[136]
In March 2023, Smith returned to his alma mater, as his statue in Baggett Stadium was rededicated as part of Ozzie Smith Plaza at the facility's entrance.[137]
Career MLB statistics
Hitting
Category | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Statistic[27] | 2,573 | 9,396 | 1,257 | 2,460 | 402 | 69 | 28 | 793 | 1,072 | 580 | 589 | .262 | .337 | .328 |
Fielding
Category | G | PO | A | E | CH | DP | FP | RF/9 | Innings |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Statistic[27] | 2,511 | 4,249 | 8,375 | 281 | 12,624 | 1,590 | .978 | 5.22 | 21,785.67 |
Personal life
Smith is the father to three children from his marriage to former wife Denise: sons
Smith still lives in and remains a visible figure around St. Louis, making varied appearances like playing the role of the Wizard in the St. Louis Municipal Opera's summer 2001 production of The Wizard of Oz.[141][142] He is the host of Cardinals Insider, a weekly news magazine television show about the club.[143] Since 2016, he has opened five regenerative medicine clinics around Missouri.[144]
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of St. Louis Cardinals team records
References
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- ^ a b Smith and Rains 1988: 6
- ^ a b c d Smith and Rains 1988: 9
- ^ a b c Eisenbath 1999: 284–285
- ^ a b c d Fimrite, Ron (September 28, 1987). "No. 1 In His Field". Sports Illustrated.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
- ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 8
- ^ Smith and Rains 2002: 24
- ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 7
- ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 4
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- ^ a b "Ozzie Smith". Cal Poly Land. Archived from the original on September 13, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
- ^ a b Lang, Dave. "There is Only 1 Ozzie Smith." St. Louis Cardinals Official 1993 Yearbook. 1993. 17
- ^ "Ozzie Smith". California Polytechnic State University. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
- ^ Faber, Charles F. "Ozzie Smith". Society for American Baseball Research. Archived from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
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- ^ Schoor 1990: 362
- ^ a b Schoor 1990: 418
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- ^ a b Smith and Rains 1988: 121
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- ^ a b Rains and Reid 2002: 111
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- ISBN 1932888837.
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- ^ "Baseball Great Ozzie Smith To Be Cal Poly's Honored Commencement Speaker". CSU Newsline. May 9, 2003. Archived from the original on July 23, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
- ^ Cardinals Press Release (January 18, 2014). "Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process". stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Foreman, Dylan (March 25, 2023). "Cal Poly alum and MLB Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith rededicated outside Baggett Stadium". KSBY TV. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
- ^ Stambaugh, Phil (September 12, 2006). "Say What? with Ozzie Smith". PGATOUR.com. Archived from the original on May 26, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2008.
- ^ Wald, Jaina. "When it's 'Idol' time at Ozzie's, folks go crazy for Nikko". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. April 6, 2005. E3. Retrieved on March 19, 2008.
- ^ "Ozzie Smith Auctions 13 Gold Gloves". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 2, 2012. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- ^ Rains and Reid 2002: 114
- ^ "STL Celebrity FAQ: Ozzie Smith". Explore St. Louis. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Cardinals Insider Editorial Staff". MLB.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Ozzie Smith teams with IMAC Regeneration Center in St. Louis". imacregeneration.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
Further reading
- Eisenbath, Mike (1999). The Cardinals Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. OCLC 40193767.
- Garner, Joe (2000). And The Fans Roared. Naperville: Sourcebooks. OCLC 44509368.
- OCLC 14132084.
- OCLC 40550886.
- ISBN 978-0-9661397-9-2.
- Leach, Matthew (2008). Game of my Life — St. Louis Cardinals. Champaign: Sports Publishing L.L.C. ISBN 978-1-59670-273-8.
- Nemec, David; Saul Wisnia (2002). 100 Years of Baseball. Publications International, Ltd. OCLC 51621011.
- O'Neill, Dan; Joe Buck; Robert W. Duffy; Bernie Miklasz (2005). Mike Smith (ed.). Busch Stadium Moments. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. OCLC 62385897.
- Rains, Rob; Alvin Reid (2002). Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship. Chicago: Triumph. OCLC 49942657.
- Rains, Rob (2003). Cardinal Nation (2nd ed.). St. Louis: The Sporting News. OCLC 52577755.
- Rains, Rob (2009). Tony La Russa — Man on a Mission. Chicago: Triumph. OCLC 244420814.
- Schoor, Gene (1990). The History of the World Series. New York: William Morrow and Company. OCLC 21303516.
- Smith, Ron (1998). The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. St. Louis: The Sporting News. OCLC 40392319.
- Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (1988). Wizard. Chicago: Contemporary Books. OCLC 17649043.
- Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (2002). Ozzie Smith — The Road to Cooperstown. Sports Publishing L.L.C. OCLC 50326570.
- Smith, Ozzie (2006). Hello, Fredbird!. Mascot Books. ISBN 1-932888-83-7.
- Spatz, Lyle, ed. (2007). The SABR Baseball List and Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics. Society for American Baseball Research. OCLC 86072285.
External links
- Ozzie Smith at the Baseball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Ozzie Smith at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Ozzie Smith at St. Louis Walk of Fame
- Interview with Ozzie Smith on KUT's "In Black America" radio series, September 8, 1988 at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting