Phenomenal Smith
Encyclopedia
John Francis "Phenomenal" Smith, Born as John Francis Gammon, (December 12, 1864 – April 3, 1952) was an American
Major League Baseball
player from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
who pitched
for six different teams during his eight year career.
and got his nickname when he struck out
16 batters in a game in while pitching for the Newark Domestics. On June 17, 1885, while playing for the Brooklyn Grays
, his team decided to punish him for his perceived brash and cocky demeanor by intentionally committing 14 "errors", losing the game 18-5. All 18 runs against the brash left-hander were at first scored as unearned‚ but record books indicate that 11 of the runs were earned
. Having been nicknamed "Phenomenal", he reportedly claimed that he was so good that he didn't need his teammates to win. The intentional misplays of his teammates caused club President Lynch to fine the guilty players $500 each‚ but he reluctantly agrees to release Smith to ensure team harmony.
Most of his playing time came with the Baltimore Orioles
in the and seasons, winning 41 games as the second man in the pitching rotation to Matt Kilroy
.
manager
and player-manager, winning the batting title in , and is credited with discovering the Christy Mathewson
who later became a Hall of Fame
pitcher for the New York Giants
. He later became a member of the Manchester police department, from which he would retire, and would stay in the area. Smith died in Manchester, New Hampshire
at the age of 87, and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Bedford, New Hampshire
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
player from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
who pitched
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...
for six different teams during his eight year career.
Phenomenal
According to the Museum of New Hampshire History, Smith lived most of his life in New HampshireNew Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and got his nickname when he struck 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....
16 batters in a game in while pitching for the Newark Domestics. On June 17, 1885, while playing for the Brooklyn Grays
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, his team decided to punish him for his perceived brash and cocky demeanor by intentionally committing 14 "errors", losing the game 18-5. All 18 runs against the brash left-hander were at first scored as unearned‚ but record books indicate that 11 of the runs were earned
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...
. Having been nicknamed "Phenomenal", he reportedly claimed that he was so good that he didn't need his teammates to win. The intentional misplays of his teammates caused club President Lynch to fine the guilty players $500 each‚ but he reluctantly agrees to release Smith to ensure team harmony.
Most of his playing time came with the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles (19th century)
The Baltimore Orioles were a 19th-century American Association and National League team from 1882 to 1899. The club, which featured numerous future Hall of Famers, finished in first place three consecutive years and won the Temple Cup championship in 1896 and 1897...
in the and seasons, winning 41 games as the second man in the pitching rotation to Matt Kilroy
Matt Kilroy
Matthew Aloysius Kilroy was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Rookie season:...
.
Post-Major League Baseball career
After his Major league career, he became a minor league baseballMinor 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...
manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
and player-manager, winning the batting title in , and is credited with discovering the Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson
Christopher "Christy" Mathewson , nicknamed "Big Six", "The Christian Gentleman", or "Matty", was an American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire career in what is known as the dead-ball era...
who later became a 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...
pitcher for the New York 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 later became a member of the Manchester police department, from which he would retire, and would stay in the area. Smith died in Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
at the age of 87, and was buried at St. Joseph Cemetery in Bedford, New Hampshire
Bedford, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the Census of 2000, there were 18,274 people, 6,251 households, and 5,125 families residing in the town. The population density was 556.6 people per square mile . There were 6,401 housing units at an average density of 195.0 per square mile...
.