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Lee Smith (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Lee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball
pitcher
who played 18 years in Major League Baseball
(MLB) for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs
, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher
during his career. One of the dominant closers
in baseball history, Smith held the major league record for career saves from until , when San Diego Padres
relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman
passed his final total of 478.
A native of Jamestown
in Bienville Parish
in north Louisiana
, Smith was scouted by Buck O'Neil
and drafted by the Cubs in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft. Smith was an intimidating figure on the pitcher's mound at 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 m) and 265 pounds
(120 kg
) with a 95 mile per hour (150 km/h) fastball
. In , Smith set a National League
(NL) record with 47 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals
, and was runner-up for the league's Cy Young Award
; it was the second of three times he led the NL in saves, and he later led the American League
(AL) once while with the Baltimore Orioles
in . He also set the major league career record for games finished
(802), and his 1,022 career games pitched
were the third-most in history when he retired; he still holds the team records for career saves for the Cubs (180), and he also held the Cardinals record (160) until 2006.
Smith has been a candidate for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
five times since 2003, but has generally received 37-45% of the necessary votes on all total ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America
, with 75% needed for election. After the end of his major league career, Smith spent time working as a pitching instructor at the minor-league level with the San Francisco Giants
. He then served as the pitching coach for the South Africa national baseball team
in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Lee currently continues his job as a minor-league roving pitching instructor for the Giants.
, Louisiana
, and raised in the small town of Castor
in Bienville Parish
. Buck O'Neil
claimed credit for having scouted
him. At age 17, partly on O'Neil's recommendation, Smith was drafted
in the second round as the 28th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 1975 draft. Smith began his professional career as a starting pitcher
. In 1978 with the Class AA minor league
Midland Cubs
, Smith struggled as a starter with an ERA
near 6.00, prompting manager Randy Hundley
to move him to the bullpen
. Smith resisted the move and briefly tried college basketball
at Northwestern State University
. At the behest of former Cubs outfielder Billy Williams, Smith returned to Midland as a reliever for the 1979 season and pitched well enough to earn a promotion to Class AAA baseball for 1980. With the major league Chicago Cubs struggling to a last-place finish, Smith came into the big leagues as a September call-up that season.
, coming in relief for starting pitcher Dennis Lamp
, who had given up four runs and eight hits in the four innings he pitched. Smith pitched one inning, giving up no hits, striking out one and walking two. He finished the season for the last-place Cubs and was invited back to the majors for 1981. He was used mostly as a middle relief pitcher
. A streak of poor pitching was interrupted by the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, and he finished with an ERA of 3.51.
The Cubs' closer for 1981, Dick Tidrow
, had a 3–10 season with a 5.06 ERA, and as a result, in 1982 Smith, Willie Hernández
and Bill Campbell
shared closing duties. Smith pitched well and even started
five games from mid-June to early July. Significantly, former Cubs star pitcher Ferguson Jenkins
returned to the team in 1982, and became a major influence on the young reliever; Smith credited Jenkins with simplifying his delivery, introducing him to the slider
and forkball
, and teaching him how to set up hitters. In what would be the last start of his career, Smith picked up his first major league hit
, a home run
off eventual Hall of Famer Phil Niekro
. Smith managed only two singles
for the rest of his career. He saved 17 games during that season and performed as the regular closer for the Cubs, a position he held for the next five years.
In 1983, Smith had his best season in the majors up to that point. By May 6, he had pitched in ten games without allowing any runs
while allowing only three hits and striking out
12 batters. His ERA rose to 1.85 by the end of May, but he lowered it to 1.15 in July. Smith was selected for his first All-Star Game but did not fare well, surrendering the final two runs in the American League
's 13–3 rout. Although the Cubs continued losing, Smith finished with a career-best 1.65 ERA—more than two points below the league average—and a career-best 1.074 WHIP
while leading the National League
with 29 saves and 56 games finished. He also received a point in the NL's Cy Young Award
voting and eight points in the NL Most Valuable Player Award voting.
The Cubs were the best team Smith pitched for in his career. While they finished with the franchise's best record and had their first postseason appearance since 1945, Smith compiled his worst ERA of the decade—although he saved more than 30 games for the first time in his career. In Game 2 of the NL Championship Series
, Smith recorded two outs
for the save to give Chicago a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five series against the San Diego Padres
, putting them one win away from the World Series
. In Game 4, the score was tied when Smith began the eighth inning. After a scoreless eighth and a strikeout to start the bottom of the ninth, Smith allowed a one-out ninth-inning single to Tony Gwynn
, and Steve Garvey
followed with a two-run homer to force Game 5. The Cubs led that game in the seventh inning, but the underdog Padres scored four runs and won a trip to the World Series. It would be the Cubs' only winning season in Smith's eight years with the team.
In 1985, Smith for the first time dominated the league in strikeouts as a relief pitcher. After averaging fewer than eight strikeouts per nine innings in each prior season, he improved to 10.32 in 1985. He finished the season with a career-high 112 strikeouts in only 97.2 innings
. Meanwhile, the Cubs were in first place until a 13-game losing streak from June 12 to June 25 from which they never recovered.
Smith saved more than 30 games while the Cubs had losing records in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1987, he was chosen for his second All-Star Game. When the midsummer classic went into extra innings
, Smith pitched the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, striking out four and getting credit for the win
when the NL scored the only two runs of the game in the 13th.
With his 30th save in , Smith became only the second pitcher (joining Dan Quisenberry
) to reach the mark in four consecutive seasons. Even before then, he was known as one of the most feared relief pitchers in the game. One player told writers Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo for their book, Baseball Confidential, that one of the most daunting sights in the majors was Smith throwing "pure gas from the shadows" of Wrigley Field
, which didn't have lights at the time.
Despite his numbers, rumors were swirling about his weight and its effect on his knees and his request for a trade out of Chicago. On December 8, Smith, the team's career leader in saves, was traded to the Boston Red Sox
for pitchers Al Nipper
and Calvin Schiraldi
. Nipper pitched only 104 more innings in the majors, and Schiraldi was out of baseball before age 30. Smith, meanwhile, registered nearly 300 saves after the trade. The trade started Smith on a journey involving seven teams in eight seasons, which may have hurt his chances in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
to the New York Mets
, the Red Sox compiled a winning percentage below .500 for 1987. One of the main problems was a weak bullpen
, and Smith was brought in to rectify the relief problems.
Despite giving up a game-winning home run in his 1988 opening day
Fenway Park
debut, Smith posted his best ERA in five years. The Red Sox had the good fortune of being in the American League's Eastern division; in September, they caught the Detroit Tigers
and held off every other team to clinch Smith's second and last trip to the postseason. In Game 2 of the 1988 ALCS
against the Oakland Athletics
, Smith gave up three singles, including Walt Weiss
' game-winning RBI single, in the ninth inning of a tied game. Boston had a 0–2 series deficit going to Oakland
. After Boston lost Game 3, Smith surrendered two insurance runs after entering Game 4 with the score 2–1 to complete the four-game sweep.
Smith's salary rose to over $1.4 million, but he followed his 1988 season with a mediocre 1989, finishing with his worst ERA in five years. For the seventh consecutive season, his number of innings pitched decreased or remained the same. However, he compiled 12.23 strikeouts per nine innings, nearly two higher than any other season of his career. It was also the last of his four seasons with more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
Smith's statistics for the 1980s gave him a valid claim as the best reliever of the decade, although he was rivaled by Jeff Reardon
. While Smith had four consecutive 30-save seasons, Reardon finished the decade with five consecutive. Smith saved 234 games by the end of 1989, and Reardon had 266. Reardon was also a member of the 1987 World Series
-winning Minnesota Twins
. On December 6, , the Red Sox had both closers on their roster when they signed Reardon as a free agent
. Two of the past decade's most dominating closers in history were even pitching in games together for Boston for the first month of 1990 with Reardon setting up
Smith for a save on April 18—a game started by a third famous pitcher, Roger Clemens
. The unusual double-closer situation lasted less than a month before Smith was traded to St. Louis for slugging outfielder
Tom Brunansky
on May 4, 1990.
's National League record from 1984 (Coincidentally, when Sutter and Smith reached 45 saves in their respective seasons, both were ex-Cubs pitching for St. Louis against the Cubs). Smith claimed the league record for himself three days later and finished the season with a career-high 47 saves. One difference for him in 1991 was walks
as he surrendered only 1.60 walks per nine innings, by far the best in his career to that point. Smith won his first Rolaids Relief Award, received the most significant consideration for league MVP in his career, and finished second in Cy Young Award voting behind only Tom Glavine
, who had a breakout 20-win season in 1991.
In the early 1990s, records were falling quickly for closers. Lee Smith set the single-season National League record for saves in 1991 and was on pace to break his own record in 1992. However, he fell four short of his record, which was broken the following season by Rod Beck
. In 1992, Smith's former teammate, Jeff Reardon, broke the career saves record held for over a decade by Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers
. However, Smith was registering saves at a faster pace than Reardon and by the end of 1992, he was not far behind him on the career list. Just two weeks into the 1993 season, Smith passed Reardon with career save number 358. At age 37, Reardon was slowing down, and Smith was well in front of him when Reardon retired in 1994. The day after setting the career major league record, he saved his 301st National League game to break that record as well. (As had been the case with the single-season NL record, the career NL record was held by Bruce Sutter). Smith had 15 saves in June 1993, the most ever in one month for a pitcher until John Wetteland
and Chad Cordero
tied him in June 1996 and June 2005, respectively. He reached 30 saves in only the 83rd game of the season, tying the record set by Bobby Thigpen
in 1990 for the earliest any pitcher had reached 30 saves. (Eric Gagné
broke the record in 2002). While only in August, Smith logged his 40th save for the third consecutive year, but his ERA had ballooned to a career-worst 4.50. Also, the Cardinals were ten games behind Philadelphia
, seemingly out of contention, and Smith was poised to become a free agent after the season. On August 31, , the Cardinals traded Smith to the Yankees for a career minor leaguer. Smith left the team as their all-time save leader until Jason Isringhausen
passed him on June 13, .
the Toronto Blue Jays
when they acquired Lee Smith, and he pitched nearly perfectly for the last month of the season. In eight games, Smith did not allow a single run and picked up three saves and 11 strikeouts. The Yankees as a team, however, did poorly during the remainder of the season, and Toronto easily pulled away to win the division. Smith's New York career lasted just those eight games as he filed for free agency after the season. He signed with Baltimore for 1994 for $1.5 million plus incentives.
At age 36, Smith started 1994 pitching better than ever. In his first 12 games, he had 12 saves and a 0.00 ERA. After nearly two months, his ERA was still under 1.00 and it was still under 2.00 in mid-July. Smith had been selected for the All-Star Game in 1991, 1992 and 1993 but had not played. After his sixth selection in 1994, Smith was brought into the game to hold a two-run American League lead in the ninth inning. Instead, he gave up a game-tying two-run home run to Fred McGriff
, and the AL lost in ten innings. Smith's bad streak continued for the next several weeks until the 1994 Major League Baseball strike ended the season. He filed for free agency again and signed a two-year contract with the California Angels
for over $2.5 million while the strike was still in progress.
In 1995, Smith registered a save in every appearance from April 28 to June 25. On June 11, he saved his 16th consecutive game to break the major league record set by Doug Jones
in 1988. He ran his streak to 19 games before finally blowing a save on June 28. (John Wetteland broke the record the next year by saving 24 straight). After keeping his ERA at 0.00 through the first two months of the season, he was selected to his seventh and final All-Star Game, thereby becoming only the fourth player to be an All-Star for four different teams (after Walker Cooper
, George Kell
and Goose Gossage
). Smith did not fare well for the next month, pushing his ERA all the way up to 5.40. Regardless, the Angels held a double-digit lead in the division and seemed set for the postseason. Instead, California suffered one of the worst collapses in major league history, blowing the entire double-digit lead in less than six weeks. While the rest of the team was reeling, Smith reverted to his early-season form and pitched fantastically for the last two months, only blowing one save attempt in that span. He finished the season with 37 saves and a 3.47 ERA, which was more than a point higher than the league average.
For 1996, the Angels replaced Smith in the closer role with second-year pitcher Troy Percival
. After only eight games as a setup pitcher, Smith, who was unhappy in California, was traded to Cincinnati for Chuck McElroy
on May 27. He resumed setup duty for the Reds—this time for Jeff Brantley, who was in the midst of his best season—but did not fare as well in his return to the National League. His ERA was nearly as high as the league average, his strikeout rate was the lowest in 15 years, and the Reds granted him free agency after the season.
He was picked up by the Montreal Expos in the following season for only $400,000 and had the worst season of his career. His last game of the season was two innings of relief during extra innings of an all-Canada interleague
game (sometimes called the Pearson Cup
) won by Toronto on July 2. It turned out to be the last game of his major league career. On July 15, 1997, Lee Smith announced his retirement.
After posting career-worsts in ERA (5.82), hits per nine innings (11.63) and several other statistics and then announcing his retirement in mid-July, Smith was released by the Expos on September 25, . Regardless, the Kansas City Royals
signed Smith as a free agent and invited him to spring training
for 1998. When he refused to start the season in the minor leagues, the Royals released him. Later in 1998, he signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros
, but with an ERA near 7.00 at Triple-A, he retired from the majors again.
, Jack Hiatt, offered the job to Smith, who gladly agreed, since it was right in his hometown. Smith still held this job with the Giants as of 2009.
In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, Smith served as the pitching coach of the South Africa national baseball team, which was given 20,000 to 1 odds of winning the tournament. In 2007, Smith participated as a coach in the second annual European Baseball Academy for Major League Baseball International in Tirrenia
, Italy
. The Academy provides instruction to young players from Europe
and Africa
, several of whom have signed professional contracts.
Lee Smith became the father of twins, Nicholas and Alanna, in October 2003. He also has three children from a previous marriage, Nikita (born c. 1987), Lee Jr. (born c. 1989) and Dimitri (born c. 1993).
selected Lee Smith as the active player most likely to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, describing him as "the best one-inning pitcher the game ever saw," and "the best at smuggling a game into the clubhouse in history." Since his retirement two years later, much speculation has centered on Smith's specific chances of becoming a member of the Hall of Fame as well as the criteria for relief pitchers and closers in general. Only Hoyt Wilhelm
, Rollie Fingers
, Dennis Eckersley
, Goose Gossage
, and Bruce Sutter
have been inducted into the Hall of Fame based primarily on their relief pitching, and only Sutter has been inducted with fewer innings or starting appearances than Smith. In addition, Fingers and Eckersley – the only two to be elected in fewer than eight tries – won MVP awards, and Sutter captured a Cy Young Award
, but Smith was rarely a serious contender for either trophy. He pitched in a transitional era, when closers began to be expected to pitch only a single inning; although Smith and Goose Gossage
each pitched in slightly over 1,000 games, Gossage ended his career with over 500 more innings. Sutter was the first pitcher ever elected to the Hall with less than 1,700 innings pitched; Smith, who pitched fewer innings every year from 1982 through 1989 and never pitched more than 75 innings after 1990, ended his career with less than 1,300. In 2005, statistician Alan Schwarz
described Smith as a long shot for election despite the career record, and used Retrosheet
data to compare the saves of several top relievers including Smith, Eckersley, Fingers, Gossage and Sutter. While Smith's save percentage (82%), outs per save (3.72) and average of inherited runners per game (.50) compared well with Eckersley's marks (84%, 3.33, .49), his figures in the last two categories sharply trailed those of the others; Fingers, Gossage and Sutter all averaged between 4.72 and 4.82 outs per save, with Sutter inheriting .67 runners per game and the other two .86, suggesting their saves were harder to achieve.
At Sutter's July 2006 induction to the Hall, Smith talked with reporters about his chances for election. Like many others, he commented that he was puzzled that he had not yet been selected. "This confuses the hell out of me. But I've always been baffled by it," he said. Smith's candidacy may have been hampered by the number of outstanding relievers on the ballot; Sutter had earned increasing vote totals for nine years before Smith appeared on the ballot, and Gossage—who first appeared on the ballot three years before Smith—has received greater support in each year from 2004 until his induction in 2008.
To be eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a candidate needs to receive votes on 75 percent of the total ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America. However, if the candidate receives less than 5 percent, he is no longer eligible for future Hall of Fame consideration by the BBWAA. Smith was first eligible for the ballot five years after he retired, and is allowed to be on the ballot through 2017 if he continues to meet the minimum vote threshold. Should he fail to be elected by the BBWAA, he will remain eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee
; under current rules, his first chance for consideration by that body would be in 2019 for the induction class of 2020. In his first year of eligibility, 2003
, Smith received 210 votes, or 42 percent of the 496 total ballots cast. The following year
, Smith only received 185 votes, or 37 percent of the 506 total ballots cast. In 2005
, Smith improved from the previous year's results, and received a total of 200 votes, or 39 percent of the 516 total cast. Smith came closer to joining the Hall of Fame in 2006
by receiving 45 percent of the ballots cast, or 234 votes. In 2007
, Smith's received only 217 votes, just 40 percent of the 545 total ballots cast. Smith increased his total in 2008
, with 235 votes, 43.3% of the total ballots cast. He received 44.5% of the vote in 2009 and 47.3% of the vote in 2010. In 2011, he received 45.3% of the vote.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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 18 years in 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...
(MLB) for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
during his career. One of the dominant closers
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
in baseball history, Smith held the major league record for career saves from until , when San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
passed his final total of 478.
A native of Jamestown
Jamestown, Louisiana
Jamestown is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 149 at the 2000 census.Lee Smith, a retired professional baseball player, was born there in 1957.Enoch T...
in Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of the 2000 census, the population is 15,752....
in north 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...
, Smith was scouted by Buck O'Neil
Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout, and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball...
and drafted by the Cubs in the 1975 Major League Baseball Draft. Smith was an intimidating figure on the pitcher's mound at 6 feet, 6 inches (1.98 m) and 265 pounds
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(120 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
) with a 95 mile per hour (150 km/h) fastball
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...
. In , Smith set a National League
National 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...
(NL) record with 47 saves 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...
, and was runner-up for the league's Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
; it was the second of three times he led the NL in saves, and he later led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) once while 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...
in . He also set the major league career record for games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
(802), and his 1,022 career games pitched
Games pitched
In baseball statistics, games pitched is the number of games in which a player appears as a pitcher; a player who is announced as the pitcher must face at least one batter, although exceptions are made if the pitcher announced in the starting lineup is injured before facing a batter, perhaps while...
were the third-most in history when he retired; he still holds the team records for career saves for the Cubs (180), and he also held the Cardinals record (160) until 2006.
Smith has been a candidate for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
five times since 2003, but has generally received 37-45% of the necessary votes on all total ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America
Baseball Writers Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...
, with 75% needed for election. After the end of his major league career, Smith spent time working as a pitching instructor at the minor-league level with the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. He then served as the pitching coach for the South Africa national baseball team
South Africa national baseball team
The South African national baseball team is a baseball team which represents the Republic of South Africa in international baseball competitions such as the World Baseball Classic and formerly the Summer Olympics.-All-Africa Games:...
in the 2006 World Baseball Classic
2006 World Baseball Classic
---------Pool B:-------------Pool C:-------------Pool D:-------------Pool 1:-----------------Pool 2:-------------Finals:-Semifinals:-Final:-Final standings:...
and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Lee currently continues his job as a minor-league roving pitching instructor for the Giants.
Early life and early career
Lee Smith was born in ShreveportJamestown, Louisiana
Jamestown is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 149 at the 2000 census.Lee Smith, a retired professional baseball player, was born there in 1957.Enoch T...
, 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...
, and raised in the small town of Castor
Castor, Louisiana
Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver....
in Bienville Parish
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of the 2000 census, the population is 15,752....
. Buck O'Neil
Buck O'Neil
John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil was a first baseman and manager in the Negro American League, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs. After his playing days, he worked as a scout, and became the first African American coach in Major League Baseball...
claimed credit for having scouted
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
him. At age 17, partly on O'Neil's recommendation, Smith was drafted
Draft (sports)
A draft is a process used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and the Philippines to allocate certain players to sports teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players...
in the second round as the 28th overall pick by the Chicago Cubs in the 1975 draft. Smith began his professional career as a starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. In 1978 with the Class AA minor league
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...
Midland Cubs
Midland RockHounds
The Midland RockHounds are a minor league baseball team based in Midland, Texas, USA. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics major league club. The RockHounds play in Citibank Ballpark, located in Midland. Opened in 2002, the stadium seats...
, Smith struggled as a starter with an ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
near 6.00, prompting manager Randy Hundley
Randy Hundley
Cecil Randolph "Randy" Hundley Jr. is a former American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Minnesota Twins , and the San Diego Padres...
to move him to the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
. Smith resisted the move and briefly tried college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
. At the behest of former Cubs outfielder Billy Williams, Smith returned to Midland as a reliever for the 1979 season and pitched well enough to earn a promotion to Class AAA baseball for 1980. With the major league Chicago Cubs struggling to a last-place finish, Smith came into the big leagues as a September call-up that season.
Chicago Cubs (1980–87)
Smith made his major league debut with the Cubs on September 1, , against the Atlanta BravesAtlanta 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....
, coming in relief for starting pitcher Dennis Lamp
Dennis Lamp
Dennis Patrick Lamp is a former middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1977 through 1992, Lamp played for the Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox , Toronto Blue Jays , Oakland Athletics , Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates .-Career:In a 19-season career, Lamp posted a...
, who had given up four runs and eight hits in the four innings he pitched. Smith pitched one inning, giving up no hits, striking out one and walking two. He finished the season for the last-place Cubs and was invited back to the majors for 1981. He was used mostly as a middle relief pitcher
Middle relief pitcher
In baseball, middle relief pitchers are relief pitchers who commonly pitch in the 6th or 7th innings or in situations where several innings worth of work is required . In the National League, a middle reliever often comes in after the starting pitcher has been pulled for a pinch hitter...
. A streak of poor pitching was interrupted by the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, and he finished with an ERA of 3.51.
The Cubs' closer for 1981, Dick Tidrow
Dick Tidrow
Richard William Tidrow was a Major League Baseball player for the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and New York Mets from 1972 to 1984. He was primarily known as a setup man, or pitcher before the closer; however, on occasion he would also start games...
, had a 3–10 season with a 5.06 ERA, and as a result, in 1982 Smith, Willie Hernández
Willie Hernández
Guillermo "Willie" Hernández Villanueva is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs , Philadelphia Phillies , and the Detroit Tigers . He threw and batted left-handed.-Career:...
and Bill Campbell
Bill Campbell (baseball player)
William Richard Campbell is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1973 to 1987. He played for the Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers all of the American League and the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, St...
shared closing duties. Smith pitched well and even started
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
five games from mid-June to early July. Significantly, former Cubs star pitcher Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Jenkins
Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins, CM, is a Canadian former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He was a three-time All-Star and the 1971 NL Cy Young Award winner. In 1991, Jenkins was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. During a 19-year career, he pitched for four different teams,...
returned to the team in 1982, and became a major influence on the young reliever; Smith credited Jenkins with simplifying his delivery, introducing him to the slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
and forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
, and teaching him how to set up hitters. In what would be the last start of his career, Smith picked up his first major league hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, a 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...
off eventual Hall of Famer Phil Niekro
Phil Niekro
Philip Henry Niekro , nicknamed "Knucksie" because of his usage and skill level with the knuckleball, is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997....
. Smith managed only two singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
for the rest of his career. He saved 17 games during that season and performed as the regular closer for the Cubs, a position he held for the next five years.
In 1983, Smith had his best season in the majors up to that point. By May 6, he had pitched in ten games without allowing any runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
while allowing only three hits and striking out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
12 batters. His ERA rose to 1.85 by the end of May, but he lowered it to 1.15 in July. Smith was selected for his first All-Star Game but did not fare well, surrendering the final two runs in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's 13–3 rout. Although the Cubs continued losing, Smith finished with a career-best 1.65 ERA—more than two points below the league average—and a career-best 1.074 WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
while leading the National League
National 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...
with 29 saves and 56 games finished. He also received a point in the NL's Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
voting and eight points in the NL Most Valuable Player Award voting.
The Cubs were the best team Smith pitched for in his career. While they finished with the franchise's best record and had their first postseason appearance since 1945, Smith compiled his worst ERA of the decade—although he saved more than 30 games for the first time in his career. In Game 2 of the NL Championship Series
1984 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1984 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IllinoisBob Dernier led off the game for the Cubs with a homer, and things went steadily downhill for the Padres as Chicago romped to a crushing 13–0 win in their first postseason game since 1945. Gary Matthews also homered in the first...
, Smith recorded two outs
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
for the save to give Chicago a 2–0 lead in the best-of-five series against the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, putting them one win away from 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...
. In Game 4, the score was tied when Smith began the eighth inning. After a scoreless eighth and a strikeout to start the bottom of the ninth, Smith allowed a one-out ninth-inning single to Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
, and Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
followed with a two-run homer to force Game 5. The Cubs led that game in the seventh inning, but the underdog Padres scored four runs and won a trip to the World Series. It would be the Cubs' only winning season in Smith's eight years with the team.
In 1985, Smith for the first time dominated the league in strikeouts as a relief pitcher. After averaging fewer than eight strikeouts per nine innings in each prior season, he improved to 10.32 in 1985. He finished the season with a career-high 112 strikeouts in only 97.2 innings
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
. Meanwhile, the Cubs were in first place until a 13-game losing streak from June 12 to June 25 from which they never recovered.
Smith saved more than 30 games while the Cubs had losing records in 1985, 1986 and 1987. In 1987, he was chosen for his second All-Star Game. When the midsummer classic went into extra innings
Extra innings
Extra innings is the extension of a baseball or softball game in order to break a tie.Ordinarily, a baseball game consists of nine innings , each of which is divided into halves: the visiting team bats first, after which the home team takes its turn at bat...
, Smith pitched the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, striking out four and getting credit for the win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
when the NL scored the only two runs of the game in the 13th.
With his 30th save in , Smith became only the second pitcher (joining Dan Quisenberry
Dan Quisenberry
Dan Raymond "Quiz" Quisenberry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Kansas City Royals...
) to reach the mark in four consecutive seasons. Even before then, he was known as one of the most feared relief pitchers in the game. One player told writers Bruce Nash and Allan Zullo for their book, Baseball Confidential, that one of the most daunting sights in the majors was Smith throwing "pure gas from the shadows" of Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, which didn't have lights at the time.
Despite his numbers, rumors were swirling about his weight and its effect on his knees and his request for a trade out of Chicago. On December 8, Smith, the team's career leader in saves, was traded to the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
for pitchers Al Nipper
Al Nipper
Albert Samuel Nipper is an American professional baseball coach and a former Major League pitcher who played for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians...
and Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Schiraldi
Calvin Drew Schiraldi is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is best remembered as the losing pitcher of Game 6 and Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.-Amateur career:...
. Nipper pitched only 104 more innings in the majors, and Schiraldi was out of baseball before age 30. Smith, meanwhile, registered nearly 300 saves after the trade. The trade started Smith on a journey involving seven teams in eight seasons, which may have hurt his chances in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Boston Red Sox (1988–90)
After losing the 1986 World Series1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, the Red Sox compiled a winning percentage below .500 for 1987. One of the main problems was a weak bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
, and Smith was brought in to rectify the relief problems.
Despite giving up a game-winning home run in his 1988 opening day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
debut, Smith posted his best ERA in five years. The Red Sox had the good fortune of being in the American League's Eastern division; in September, they caught the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and held off every other team to clinch Smith's second and last trip to the postseason. In Game 2 of the 1988 ALCS
1988 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 5, 1988 at Fenway Park in Boston, MassachusettsIn an interview conducted before Game 1, José Canseco denied reports in that day's Washington Post by baseball reporter Thomas Boswell that he had used steroids...
against the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Smith gave up three singles, including Walt Weiss
Walt Weiss
Walter William Weiss is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball.Weiss was a member of the National League All-Star Team...
' game-winning RBI single, in the ninth inning of a tied game. Boston had a 0–2 series deficit going to Oakland
McAfee Coliseum
O.co Coliseum is a multi-purpose stadium, located in Oakland, California, in the Coliseum Industrial area...
. After Boston lost Game 3, Smith surrendered two insurance runs after entering Game 4 with the score 2–1 to complete the four-game sweep.
Smith's salary rose to over $1.4 million, but he followed his 1988 season with a mediocre 1989, finishing with his worst ERA in five years. For the seventh consecutive season, his number of innings pitched decreased or remained the same. However, he compiled 12.23 strikeouts per nine innings, nearly two higher than any other season of his career. It was also the last of his four seasons with more than 10 strikeouts per nine innings.
Smith's statistics for the 1980s gave him a valid claim as the best reliever of the decade, although he was rivaled by Jeff Reardon
Jeff Reardon
Jeffrey James Reardon , nicknamed "The Terminator" for his intimidating presence on the mound and 98 mph fastball, is a former professional baseball relief pitcher from 1979-1994 who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati...
. While Smith had four consecutive 30-save seasons, Reardon finished the decade with five consecutive. Smith saved 234 games by the end of 1989, and Reardon had 266. Reardon was also a member of the 1987 World Series
1987 World Series
The 1987 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins versus the St. Louis Cardinals.Minnesota was victorious in a World Series that was the first in which the home team won every game...
-winning 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...
. On December 6, , the Red Sox had both closers on their roster when they signed Reardon as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. Two of the past decade's most dominating closers in history were even pitching in games together for Boston for the first month of 1990 with Reardon setting up
Setup pitcher
In baseball, a setup pitcher is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the 7th and/or 8th innings, with the closer pitching the 9th....
Smith for a save on April 18—a game started by a third famous pitcher, Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
. The unusual double-closer situation lasted less than a month before Smith was traded to St. Louis for slugging 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...
Tom Brunansky
Tom Brunansky
Thomas Andrew Brunansky , nicknamed "Bruno", is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from 1981 to 1994 for the California Angels, Minnesota Twins, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers....
on May 4, 1990.
St. Louis Cardinals (1990–93)
As was the case in Boston, Lee Smith's first game with St. Louis went poorly as he gave up two runs in his only inning of pitching. He recovered quickly, registered a 0.00 ERA for the entire month of July, and finished his partial season with St. Louis with a 2.10 ERA and 27 saves. The Cardinals, however, were at a low point in 1990, finishing in last place for the only time since 1918. In 1991, St. Louis righted their ship, and Smith accumulated saves at a record pace. With his salary roughly doubled to nearly $2.8 million, Smith reached 40 saves for the first time in his career. On September 28, he picked up save number 45 to tie Bruce SutterBruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
's National League record from 1984 (Coincidentally, when Sutter and Smith reached 45 saves in their respective seasons, both were ex-Cubs pitching for St. Louis against the Cubs). Smith claimed the league record for himself three days later and finished the season with a career-high 47 saves. One difference for him in 1991 was walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
as he surrendered only 1.60 walks per nine innings, by far the best in his career to that point. Smith won his first Rolaids Relief Award, received the most significant consideration for league MVP in his career, and finished second in Cy Young Award voting behind only Tom Glavine
Tom Glavine
Thomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, who had a breakout 20-win season in 1991.
In the early 1990s, records were falling quickly for closers. Lee Smith set the single-season National League record for saves in 1991 and was on pace to break his own record in 1992. However, he fell four short of his record, which was broken the following season by Rod Beck
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres...
. In 1992, Smith's former teammate, Jeff Reardon, broke the career saves record held for over a decade by Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
. However, Smith was registering saves at a faster pace than Reardon and by the end of 1992, he was not far behind him on the career list. Just two weeks into the 1993 season, Smith passed Reardon with career save number 358. At age 37, Reardon was slowing down, and Smith was well in front of him when Reardon retired in 1994. The day after setting the career major league record, he saved his 301st National League game to break that record as well. (As had been the case with the single-season NL record, the career NL record was held by Bruce Sutter). Smith had 15 saves in June 1993, the most ever in one month for a pitcher until John Wetteland
John Wetteland
John Karl Wetteland is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who specialized as a closer. During a 12-year career , he pitched for four different teams: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.-Playing career:Wetteland was signed by the Dodgers as their second...
and Chad Cordero
Chad Cordero
Chad Patrick Cordero is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He broke into the big league ranks with the Montreal Expos...
tied him in June 1996 and June 2005, respectively. He reached 30 saves in only the 83rd game of the season, tying the record set by Bobby Thigpen
Bobby Thigpen
Robert Thomas "Bobby" Thigpen is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is noted for setting the major league record of 57 saves during the season, which has since been broken by Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher Francisco Rodríguez...
in 1990 for the earliest any pitcher had reached 30 saves. (Eric Gagné
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
broke the record in 2002). While only in August, Smith logged his 40th save for the third consecutive year, but his ERA had ballooned to a career-worst 4.50. Also, the Cardinals were ten games behind Philadelphia
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...
, seemingly out of contention, and Smith was poised to become a free agent after the season. On August 31, , the Cardinals traded Smith to the Yankees for a career minor leaguer. Smith left the team as their all-time save leader until Jason Isringhausen
Jason Isringhausen
Jason Derik Isringhausen is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-New York Mets:Isringhausen was chosen as a draft-and-follow prospect by the New York Mets in the 44th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft...
passed him on June 13, .
Final years (1993–97)
The Yankees were just 1½ games behindGames behind
In sports, the phrase games behind or games back , is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division...
the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto 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 ....
when they acquired Lee Smith, and he pitched nearly perfectly for the last month of the season. In eight games, Smith did not allow a single run and picked up three saves and 11 strikeouts. The Yankees as a team, however, did poorly during the remainder of the season, and Toronto easily pulled away to win the division. Smith's New York career lasted just those eight games as he filed for free agency after the season. He signed with Baltimore for 1994 for $1.5 million plus incentives.
At age 36, Smith started 1994 pitching better than ever. In his first 12 games, he had 12 saves and a 0.00 ERA. After nearly two months, his ERA was still under 1.00 and it was still under 2.00 in mid-July. Smith had been selected for the All-Star Game in 1991, 1992 and 1993 but had not played. After his sixth selection in 1994, Smith was brought into the game to hold a two-run American League lead in the ninth inning. Instead, he gave up a game-tying two-run home run to Fred McGriff
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff is a left-handed former Major League Baseball player who starred for several teams from the mid-1980s until the early 2000s. A power-hitting first baseman with a tall, lanky build, the five-time All-Star became, in , the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both...
, and the AL lost in ten innings. Smith's bad streak continued for the next several weeks until the 1994 Major League Baseball strike ended the season. He filed for free agency again and signed a two-year contract with the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
for over $2.5 million while the strike was still in progress.
In 1995, Smith registered a save in every appearance from April 28 to June 25. On June 11, he saved his 16th consecutive game to break the major league record set by Doug Jones
Doug Jones (baseball)
Douglas Reid Jones is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During a 16-year career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , and Oakland Athletics , all of the American League, and the Houston Astros , Philadelphia Phillies , and...
in 1988. He ran his streak to 19 games before finally blowing a save on June 28. (John Wetteland broke the record the next year by saving 24 straight). After keeping his ERA at 0.00 through the first two months of the season, he was selected to his seventh and final All-Star Game, thereby becoming only the fourth player to be an All-Star for four different teams (after Walker Cooper
Walker Cooper
William Walker Cooper was an American professional baseball player. He was a catcher in Major League Baseball who played for six National League teams from 1940 to 1957...
, George Kell
George Kell
George Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
and Goose Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
). Smith did not fare well for the next month, pushing his ERA all the way up to 5.40. Regardless, the Angels held a double-digit lead in the division and seemed set for the postseason. Instead, California suffered one of the worst collapses in major league history, blowing the entire double-digit lead in less than six weeks. While the rest of the team was reeling, Smith reverted to his early-season form and pitched fantastically for the last two months, only blowing one save attempt in that span. He finished the season with 37 saves and a 3.47 ERA, which was more than a point higher than the league average.
For 1996, the Angels replaced Smith in the closer role with second-year pitcher Troy Percival
Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He gained fame as a closer. During a 14-year baseball career, he pitched from 1995-2009 for four different teams, pitching primarily with the California/Anaheim Angels...
. After only eight games as a setup pitcher, Smith, who was unhappy in California, was traded to Cincinnati for Chuck McElroy
Chuck McElroy
Charles Dwayne McElroy Sr. , is a former professional baseball player who was a relief pitcher in the Major Leagues from 1989-2001. He volunteers at Cal Ripken baseball camp.-C.J.:...
on May 27. He resumed setup duty for the Reds—this time for Jeff Brantley, who was in the midst of his best season—but did not fare as well in his return to the National League. His ERA was nearly as high as the league average, his strikeout rate was the lowest in 15 years, and the Reds granted him free agency after the season.
He was picked up by the Montreal Expos in the following season for only $400,000 and had the worst season of his career. His last game of the season was two innings of relief during extra innings of an all-Canada interleague
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
game (sometimes called the Pearson Cup
Pearson Cup
The Pearson Cup was an annual mid-season Major League Baseball exhibition game between former Canadian rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Montreal Expos. Named after former Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, it was originally created to raise money for minor league baseball in Canada...
) won by Toronto on July 2. It turned out to be the last game of his major league career. On July 15, 1997, Lee Smith announced his retirement.
After posting career-worsts in ERA (5.82), hits per nine innings (11.63) and several other statistics and then announcing his retirement in mid-July, Smith was released by the Expos on September 25, . Regardless, 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...
signed Smith as a free agent and invited him to spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
for 1998. When he refused to start the season in the minor leagues, the Royals released him. Later in 1998, he signed a minor league deal with the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, but with an ERA near 7.00 at Triple-A, he retired from the majors again.
Career statistics
Pitching| G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
Wins Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
Losses | ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
GF Games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game... |
SV | IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
Hits Hit (baseball) In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice.... |
ER Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run... |
HR 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... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
K Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
WHIP Walks plus hits per inning pitched In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base... |
| 1022 | 6 | 71 | 92 | 3.03 | 802 | 478 | 1289.3 | 1133 | 434 | 89 | 486 | 1251 | 1.256 |
Post-retirement activities
Two years after his retirement in 1998, Smith went to work as a roving minor league pitching instructor for the San Francisco Giants. A former teammate, Dick Tidrow, and the manager of the Double-A Shreveport CaptainsShreveport Sports
The Shreveport-Bossier Captains are a professional baseball team based in Shreveport, Louisiana, in the United States. The Captains are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
, Jack Hiatt, offered the job to Smith, who gladly agreed, since it was right in his hometown. Smith still held this job with the Giants as of 2009.
In the 2006 World Baseball Classic, Smith served as the pitching coach of the South Africa national baseball team, which was given 20,000 to 1 odds of winning the tournament. In 2007, Smith participated as a coach in the second annual European Baseball Academy for Major League Baseball International in Tirrenia
Tirrenia
Tirrenia is a frazione of Pisa, Italy with a population of 3,112 inhabitants. Immersed in the pine forest of the Litorale Pisano and the Ligurian Sea , Tirrenia is situated in the center of the coast of Tuscany and the Parco Naturale Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli, between Pisa and...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The Academy provides instruction to young players from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, several of whom have signed professional contracts.
Lee Smith became the father of twins, Nicholas and Alanna, in October 2003. He also has three children from a previous marriage, Nikita (born c. 1987), Lee Jr. (born c. 1989) and Dimitri (born c. 1993).
Hall of Fame candidacy
In 1995, Pulitzer Prize-winning sportswriter Jim MurrayJim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray was an American sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 to 1998.Many of his achievements include winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times...
selected Lee Smith as the active player most likely to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, describing him as "the best one-inning pitcher the game ever saw," and "the best at smuggling a game into the clubhouse in history." Since his retirement two years later, much speculation has centered on Smith's specific chances of becoming a member of the Hall of Fame as well as the criteria for relief pitchers and closers in general. Only Hoyt Wilhelm
Hoyt Wilhelm
James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985....
, Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
, Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Eckersley
Dennis Lee Eckersley , nicknamed "Eck", is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. Eckersley had success as a starter, but gained his greatest fame as a closer, becoming the first of only two pitchers in Major League history to have both a 20-win season and a 50-save season in a career .He...
, Goose Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
, and Bruce Sutter
Bruce Sutter
Howard Bruce Sutter is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He was arguably the first pitcher to make effective use of the splitter....
have been inducted into the Hall of Fame based primarily on their relief pitching, and only Sutter has been inducted with fewer innings or starting appearances than Smith. In addition, Fingers and Eckersley – the only two to be elected in fewer than eight tries – won MVP awards, and Sutter captured a Cy Young Award
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
, but Smith was rarely a serious contender for either trophy. He pitched in a transitional era, when closers began to be expected to pitch only a single inning; although Smith and Goose Gossage
Rich Gossage
Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 22-year baseball career, he pitched from 1972-1994 for nine different teams, spending his best years with the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. The nickname "Goose" is a play on his surname...
each pitched in slightly over 1,000 games, Gossage ended his career with over 500 more innings. Sutter was the first pitcher ever elected to the Hall with less than 1,700 innings pitched; Smith, who pitched fewer innings every year from 1982 through 1989 and never pitched more than 75 innings after 1990, ended his career with less than 1,300. In 2005, statistician Alan Schwarz
Alan Schwarz
Alan Schwarz is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter at the The New York Times best known for writing more than 100 articles that exposed the seriousness of concussions among football players of all ages...
described Smith as a long shot for election despite the career record, and used Retrosheet
Retrosheet
Retrosheet is a non-profit organization whose website features major league baseball box scores and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest from 1871–1872, 1874, 1911 NL, and 1918–2010...
data to compare the saves of several top relievers including Smith, Eckersley, Fingers, Gossage and Sutter. While Smith's save percentage (82%), outs per save (3.72) and average of inherited runners per game (.50) compared well with Eckersley's marks (84%, 3.33, .49), his figures in the last two categories sharply trailed those of the others; Fingers, Gossage and Sutter all averaged between 4.72 and 4.82 outs per save, with Sutter inheriting .67 runners per game and the other two .86, suggesting their saves were harder to achieve.
At Sutter's July 2006 induction to the Hall, Smith talked with reporters about his chances for election. Like many others, he commented that he was puzzled that he had not yet been selected. "This confuses the hell out of me. But I've always been baffled by it," he said. Smith's candidacy may have been hampered by the number of outstanding relievers on the ballot; Sutter had earned increasing vote totals for nine years before Smith appeared on the ballot, and Gossage—who first appeared on the ballot three years before Smith—has received greater support in each year from 2004 until his induction in 2008.
To be eligible for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a candidate needs to receive votes on 75 percent of the total ballots cast by the Baseball Writers Association of America. However, if the candidate receives less than 5 percent, he is no longer eligible for future Hall of Fame consideration by the BBWAA. Smith was first eligible for the ballot five years after he retired, and is allowed to be on the ballot through 2017 if he continues to meet the minimum vote threshold. Should he fail to be elected by the BBWAA, he will remain eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee
Veterans Committee
The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...
; under current rules, his first chance for consideration by that body would be in 2019 for the induction class of 2020. In his first year of eligibility, 2003
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2003
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2003 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
, Smith received 210 votes, or 42 percent of the 496 total ballots cast. The following year
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2004
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2004 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from recent players...
, Smith only received 185 votes, or 37 percent of the 506 total ballots cast. In 2005
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2005
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2005 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from recent players, and the Veterans Committee held a separate election to select from players retired more than 20...
, Smith improved from the previous year's results, and received a total of 200 votes, or 39 percent of the 516 total cast. Smith came closer to joining the Hall of Fame in 2006
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2006
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2006 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001, augmented by a special election; the result was the largest class of inductees in the Hall's history, including the first woman elected. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to...
by receiving 45 percent of the ballots cast, or 234 votes. In 2007
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2007
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2007 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
, Smith's received only 217 votes, just 40 percent of the 545 total ballots cast. Smith increased his total in 2008
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2008
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2008 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
, with 235 votes, 43.3% of the total ballots cast. He received 44.5% of the vote in 2009 and 47.3% of the vote in 2010. In 2011, he received 45.3% of the vote.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball saves champions
- List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in games finished
- List of relief pitchers with most career saves
- Major League Baseball titles leadersMajor League Baseball titles leadersAt the end of each Major League Baseball season, the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced. Leading the league in a particular category is referred to as a title....
External links
- 2008 Hall of Fame candidate profile
- BaseballLibrary - profile, career highlights and SABR bibliography
- Lee Smith at RetrosheetRetrosheetRetrosheet is a non-profit organization whose website features major league baseball box scores and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest from 1871–1872, 1874, 1911 NL, and 1918–2010...