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Roy Smalley (AL baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Roy Frederick Smalley III (born October 25, 1952 in Los Angeles, California
) is a former professional baseball
shortstop
. From 1975 through 1987, Smalley played in Major League Baseball
for the Texas Rangers
(1975–76), Minnesota Twins
(1976–82; 1985–87), New York Yankees
(1982–84) and Chicago White Sox
(1984). He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father, Roy Jr. was also a former major league shortstop, and his uncle, Gene Mauch
was a long-time major league manager
.
at the University of Southern California
. While at USC he was a part of the 1972 and 1973 College World Series
championship teams. He was named an All-American and received All-College World Series honors in 1973. Smalley was drafted four times by Major League baseball teams between 1970 and 1973 without signing. After being selected by the Montreal Expos
in the 35th round of the June 1970 draft
, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox
in the 4th round of the January 1971 draft
, by the St. Louis Cardinals
in the 2nd round on the June 1971 draft
, and again by the Red Sox in the 5th round of the January 1972 draft
. Smalley was the number one overall pick in the January 1974 amateur draft
by the Rangers.
where he held his own, hitting .251 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI as a 21 year old straight out of college. Following a brief stint with the AAA Spokane Indians
, Smalley would be promoted to the big leagues for good, seeing time in 78 games for the Rangers in 1975, despite hitting only .228 with 3 home runs. Smalley would start the 1976 season back in Texas, but would not improve on his 1975 average. On June 1, his career would take a major corner.
, the Twins franchise made few headlines in the transaction department. However, Smalley's arrival to, and departure from, the Twins both involved blockbuster trades. On June 1, 1976, Smalley was traded to the Twins, along with Texas infielder Mike Cubbage
, pitchers Jim Gideon
and Bill Singer
and cash, for Twins' ace Bert Blyleven
and shortstop Danny Thompson
. Smalley would be inserted into the Twins' starting lineup and man shortstop until 1982. During his first go around with the Twins, Smalley would develop into an all-star.
Smalley's best season came in 1979, when he was voted the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star game. Smalley had a sensational first half of the season, entering the break with the second-highest batting average in the Major Leagues (.341). Though he tailed off in the second half, Roy established career highs in runs, RBIs and home runs, and was named the shortstop on The Sporting News AL All-Star team. In 1979 he also led the league in games played, plate appearances, all fielders in assists, and all shortstops in putouts, while hitting .271 and leading the team with 24 home runs and 95 RBI. He did not build on this season with the Twins, as injuries struck, and he played only 133 games in 1980 and 56 in 1981.
and shortstop Greg Gagne. With the Yankees, Smalley showed a glimpse of the player he had been in 1979, hitting 20 home runs in 1982 and 18 in 1983. After a bad start to the 1984 season, in which he hit only .239 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI over the first 67 games of the season, Smalley was traded again, this time to the White Sox for middle reliever Kevin Hickey
and future Pittsburgh Pirates
Cy Young and 155-game winner Doug Drabek
.
with 163 home run
s and 694 RBI
in 1653 games played
.
Smalley now works for Fox Sports North as an analyst during Minnesota Twins games. Smalley also owns a restaurant near the Twins home park, Target Field
.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) is a former professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....
shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
. From 1975 through 1987, Smalley played 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...
for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1975–76), 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...
(1976–82; 1985–87), New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
(1982–84) and Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
(1984). He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father, Roy Jr. was also a former major league shortstop, and his uncle, Gene Mauch
Gene Mauch
Gene William Mauch was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers , Pittsburgh Pirates , Chicago Cubs , Boston Braves , St...
was a long-time major league 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...
.
Amateur career
Smalley attended and played college baseballCollege baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. While at USC he was a part of the 1972 and 1973 College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
championship teams. He was named an All-American and received All-College World Series honors in 1973. Smalley was drafted four times by Major League baseball teams between 1970 and 1973 without signing. After being selected by the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
in the 35th round of the June 1970 draft
1970 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1970 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The regular and secondary phases of the January draft proved more fruitful to major league clubs than the June draft...
, he was drafted by 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"...
in the 4th round of the January 1971 draft
1971 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The June 1971 draft was a productive one, even though none of its top ten choices yielded players who would have memorable major league careers...
, by 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...
in the 2nd round on the June 1971 draft
1971 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1971 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The June 1971 draft was a productive one, even though none of its top ten choices yielded players who would have memorable major league careers...
, and again by the Red Sox in the 5th round of the January 1972 draft
1972 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
. Smalley was the number one overall pick in the January 1974 amateur draft
1974 Major League Baseball draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1974 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :With the number one pick of the June regular phase, San Diego tabbed infielder Bill Almon from Brown University, one of six shortstops selected in round one...
by the Rangers.
Rangers
After signing, Smalley was sent to the Pittsfield Rangers in the AA Eastern LeagueEastern League
Eastern League may refer to:*Eastern League , a professional baseball minor league in the United States*International League, a baseball minor league known as the Eastern League from 1884 to 1912...
where he held his own, hitting .251 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI as a 21 year old straight out of college. Following a brief stint with the AAA Spokane Indians
Spokane Indians
The Spokane Indians are a minor league baseball team located in Spokane, Washington, United States. They are a Short-Season A classification team in the Northwest League and have been a farm team of the Texas Rangers since 2003. The Indians play home games at Avista Stadium...
, Smalley would be promoted to the big leagues for good, seeing time in 78 games for the Rangers in 1975, despite hitting only .228 with 3 home runs. Smalley would start the 1976 season back in Texas, but would not improve on his 1975 average. On June 1, his career would take a major corner.
Twins
Under the ownership tenure of Calvin GriffithCalvin Griffith
Calvin Robertson Griffith , born Calvin Robertson in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was a Major League Baseball team owner...
, the Twins franchise made few headlines in the transaction department. However, Smalley's arrival to, and departure from, the Twins both involved blockbuster trades. On June 1, 1976, Smalley was traded to the Twins, along with Texas infielder Mike Cubbage
Mike Cubbage
Michael Lee Cubbage in Charlottesville, VA was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball from 1974 until the close of the 1981 season...
, pitchers Jim Gideon
Jim Gideon
James Leslie Gideon is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for one season. He pitched for the Texas Rangers for one game on September 14 during the 1975 Texas Rangers season.-External links:...
and Bill Singer
Bill Singer
William Robert Singer is a former baseball pitcher with a 14-year career from 1964 to 1977. He played primarily for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the California Angels , spending his final two seasons with the Texas Rangers , Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays .-Los Angeles Dodgers:Singer made...
and cash, for Twins' ace Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven
Bert Blyleven is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , and was best known for his curveball. Blyleven was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011...
and shortstop Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson (baseball)
Danny Leon Thompson was a professional baseball player, a major league shortstop from 1970-76.Born in Wichita, Kansas, Thompson grew up in tiny Capron, Oklahoma, and played college baseball at Oklahoma State, where he was an All-American. He broke into the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 1970...
. Smalley would be inserted into the Twins' starting lineup and man shortstop until 1982. During his first go around with the Twins, Smalley would develop into an all-star.
Smalley's best season came in 1979, when he was voted the starting shortstop for the American League in the All-Star game. Smalley had a sensational first half of the season, entering the break with the second-highest batting average in the Major Leagues (.341). Though he tailed off in the second half, Roy established career highs in runs, RBIs and home runs, and was named the shortstop on The Sporting News AL All-Star team. In 1979 he also led the league in games played, plate appearances, all fielders in assists, and all shortstops in putouts, while hitting .271 and leading the team with 24 home runs and 95 RBI. He did not build on this season with the Twins, as injuries struck, and he played only 133 games in 1980 and 56 in 1981.
Yankees and White Sox
After showing that he'd recovered from his injuries, Smalley was traded on April 10, 1982 to the Yankees for pitchers Ron Davis and Paul BorisPaul Boris
Paul Stanley Boris is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during one season at the major league level for the Minnesota Twins. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent in...
and shortstop Greg Gagne. With the Yankees, Smalley showed a glimpse of the player he had been in 1979, hitting 20 home runs in 1982 and 18 in 1983. After a bad start to the 1984 season, in which he hit only .239 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI over the first 67 games of the season, Smalley was traded again, this time to the White Sox for middle reliever Kevin Hickey
Kevin Hickey
Kevin John Hickey , is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played all or part of six seasons in the majors, between and . for the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles....
and future Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
Cy Young and 155-game winner Doug Drabek
Doug Drabek
Douglas Dean Drabek is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. Known for his fluid pitching motion and sound mechanics, he won the National League Cy Young Award in 1990.-Early life:...
.
Career summary
In a 13-season career, Smalley posted a .257 batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
with 163 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...
s and 694 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in 1653 games played
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,...
.
Post-playing career
He was inducted in the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.Smalley now works for Fox Sports North as an analyst during Minnesota Twins games. Smalley also owns a restaurant near the Twins home park, Target Field
Target Field
Target Field is a baseball park located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the home ballpark of the Minnesota Twins, the city's Major League Baseball franchise. It is the franchise's sixth ballpark and third in Minnesota. The Twins moved to Target Field for the 2010 Major League Baseball...
.