Gene Smith (Negro leagues pitcher)
Encyclopedia
Eugene F. ″Genie″ Smith was an American
pitcher
who played for several Negro league baseball
teams between and . Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., Smith was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was born in Ansley, Louisiana
. His younger brother, Quincy Smith
, also played in the Negro Leagues.
Like many Negro Leaguers, Gene Smith never realized his dream of playing Major League Baseball
. By the time Jackie Robinson
broke the color barrier
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
in 1947
, Smith was nearing the end of his own career, with an arm unable to cope with the demands of pitching due to assorted injuries.
Smith was known as a hard-throwing
pitcher during a solid career that saw him play for nine different Negro league clubs. In addition, he pitched for teams in Canada
, Mexico
, Puerto Rico
and Minor league baseball
, taking a three-year break to serve in the US Army during World War II
(1943-1945).
Smith entered the Negro Leagues in 1938 with the Atlanta Black Crackers
, playing for them one year before joining the Ethiopian Clowns
(1939), New Orleans-St. Louis Stars (1940-1941), Kansas City Monarchs
(1941) and New York Black Yankees
(1942). Following military discharge, he played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords
(1946), Homestead Grays
(1946-1947), Cleveland Buckeyes
(1946-1950) and Chicago American Giants
(1951).
In 1938, while pitching for the Black Crackers, Smith threw two no-hitter
s in one day, and in 1941 with the Stars hurled another against the Black Yankees. He also started Games 3 and 6 of the 1947 Negro League World Series against the New York Cubans
.
Smith ended his career in 1953, dividing his playing time with the Statesboro Pilots of the Georgia State League
and the Fond du Lac Panthers of the Wisconsin State League
.
Following his baseball career, Smith worked as a packer for National Lead Co., retiring in 1977. He also coached baseball for the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club. Then, in 1983 he gained induction into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1997, Smith and other Negro League veterans were honored during a St. Louis Cardinals
home game for their work in paving the way for Robinson to make his jump from the Negro Leagues to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Smith was a long resident of Richmond Heights, Missouri
, where he died at the age of 94, following a congestive heart failure.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played for several 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...
teams between and . Listed at 6' 1", 185 lb., Smith was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was born in Ansley, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. His younger brother, Quincy Smith
Quincy Smith
Quincy O. Smith [״Q״] was an American outfielder who played in Negro league baseball and the Minor leagues. Listed at 5' 10, 171 lb., he was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed...
, also played in the Negro Leagues.
Like many Negro Leaguers, Gene Smith never realized his dream of playing 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...
. By the time Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
broke the color barrier
Baseball color line
The color line in American baseball excluded players of black African descent from Organized Baseball, or the major leagues and affiliated minor leagues, until Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers organization for the 1946 season...
with the Brooklyn Dodgers
1947 Brooklyn Dodgers season
On April 15, Jackie Robinson was the opening day first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first black player in Major League Baseball since . Robinson went on to bat .297, score 125 runs, steal 29 bases and be named the very first Rookie of the Year...
in 1947
1947 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers *All-Star Game, July 8 at Wrigley Field: American League, 2-1-Other champions:*First College World Series: California...
, Smith was nearing the end of his own career, with an arm unable to cope with the demands of pitching due to assorted injuries.
Smith was known as a hard-throwing
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
pitcher during a solid career that saw him play for nine different Negro league clubs. In addition, he pitched for teams in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, taking a three-year break to serve in the US Army during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1943-1945).
Smith entered the Negro Leagues in 1938 with the Atlanta Black Crackers
Atlanta Black Crackers
The Atlanta Black Crackers were a professional Negro league baseball team which played during the early to mid 20th century.- Founding :The Crackers were founded in 1919...
, playing for them one year before joining the Ethiopian Clowns
Ethiopian Clowns
The Ethiopian Clowns were an independent barnstorming baseball team. Originally based in Miami, Florida, the team was founded by Sid Pollock in 1937....
(1939), New Orleans-St. Louis Stars (1940-1941), Kansas City Monarchs
Kansas City Monarchs
The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...
(1941) and New York Black Yankees
New York Black Yankees
The New York Black Yankees was a professional baseball team based in New York City, Paterson, NJ, and Rochester, NY which played in the Negro National League from 1936 to 1948. The Black Yankees played in Paterson, New Jersey from 1933-1937 and then from 1939-1945. The 1938 season saw the Black...
(1942). Following military discharge, he played for the Pittsburgh Crawfords
Pittsburgh Crawfords
The Pittsburgh Crawfords, popularly known as the Craws, were a professional Negro league baseball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Named after the Crawford Grill, a club in the Hill District of Pittsburgh owned by Gus Greenlee, the Crawfords were originally a youth semipro team sponsored by...
(1946), 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...
(1946-1947), Cleveland Buckeyes
Cleveland Buckeyes
The Cleveland Buckeyes were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro Leagues. They were established in 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio . The following season, the team moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where they played their games at League Park...
(1946-1950) and Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants
Chicago American Giants were a Chicago-based Negro league baseball team, owned and managed from 1911 to 1926 by player-manager Andrew "Rube" Foster. From 1910 until the mid-1930s, the American Giants were the most dominant team in black baseball...
(1951).
In 1938, while pitching for the Black Crackers, Smith threw two no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
s in one day, and in 1941 with the Stars hurled another against the Black Yankees. He also started Games 3 and 6 of the 1947 Negro League World Series against the New York Cubans
New York Cubans
The New York Cubans were a Negro league baseball team that played during the 1930s and from 1939 to 1950. Despite playing in the Negro leagues, the team occasionally employed white-skinned Hispanic baseball players as well, because Hispanics in general were largely ignored by the major league...
.
Smith ended his career in 1953, dividing his playing time with the Statesboro Pilots of the Georgia State League
Georgia State League
The Georgia State League was an American Class D minor league in professional baseball that existed in 1906, 1914, 1920-21 and 1948-56. During its last incarnation, it existed alongside two nearby Class D circuits, the Georgia-Florida League and the Georgia-Alabama League.The version of the GSL...
and the Fond du Lac Panthers of the Wisconsin State League
Wisconsin State League
There was a class D league called the Wisconsin State League which began in 1905. In 1908 it changed its name to the Wisconsin-Illinois League. Another Wisconsin State League began in 1940, shut down for World War II from 1943 through 1945, then operated from 1946 through 1953...
.
Following his baseball career, Smith worked as a packer for National Lead Co., retiring in 1977. He also coached baseball for the Mathews-Dickey Boys' & Girls' Club. Then, in 1983 he gained induction into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 1997, Smith and other Negro League veterans were honored during a 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...
home game for their work in paving the way for Robinson to make his jump from the Negro Leagues to the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Smith was a long resident of Richmond Heights, Missouri
Richmond Heights, Missouri
Richmond Heights, a city in St. Louis County, is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 8,603 at the 2010 census. According to Robert L. Ramsay, the name was suggested by Robert E. Lee, who thought the topography of the area resembled Richmond, Virginia...
, where he died at the age of 94, following a congestive heart failure.