Roy Smith (1980s pitcher)
Encyclopedia
Le Roy Purdy Smith is a former professional baseball
pitcher
and executive. He played all or part of eight seasons in Major League Baseball
from until . He is currently a scout
for the New York Mets
.
by the Philadelphia Phillies
. After three seasons in the Phillies' farm system, Smith and two other players, were to the Cleveland Indians
late in the season for pitcher John Denny
.
After another season and a half in the minors, he made his major league debut on June 23, , against the Seattle Mariners
, a game in which he also picked up his first major league win.
Smith split between the major and minor leagues once again, then was traded in the following off-season to the Minnesota Twins
in a four-player deal. He continued to shuttle between the majors and minors for three more seasons before finally making the majors to stay in . He had his best season that year, going 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA. He would fall to 5-10 with an ERA nearly a run higher the following season, and was released.
Smith pitched one more season in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles
in , but with even less success. He continued to pitch in the minors until , when he finally retired.
in the Pittsburgh Pirates
system, the Pirates made him a scout in 1994. He moved into the team's front office, serving as assistant general manager from until , then moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers
. There, he worked as their Vice-President for Scouting and Player Development for two seasons, but left the organization along with his boss, Paul DePodesta
, and returned to the Pirates. He later worked as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays
. He became a scout for the Mets in November 2010.
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....
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...
and executive. He played all or part of eight seasons 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...
from until . He is currently a scout
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...
for 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...
.
Playing career
Smith was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
by the Philadelphia Phillies
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...
. After three seasons in the Phillies' farm system, Smith and two other players, were to the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
late in the season for pitcher John Denny
John Denny
John Allen Denny is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher from 1974 to 1986 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cincinnati Reds. He won the Cy Young Award in 1983.-Career:Denny was born in Prescott, Arizona and attended Prescott High School...
.
After another season and a half in the minors, he made his major league debut on June 23, , against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, a game in which he also picked up his first major league win.
Smith split between the major and minor leagues once again, then was traded in the following off-season to the 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...
in a four-player deal. He continued to shuttle between the majors and minors for three more seasons before finally making the majors to stay in . He had his best season that year, going 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA. He would fall to 5-10 with an ERA nearly a run higher the following season, and was released.
Smith pitched one more season in the majors for 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 , but with even less success. He continued to pitch in the minors until , when he finally retired.
Baseball executive
After spending his final season with the Buffalo BisonsBuffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
in the 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...
system, the Pirates made him a scout in 1994. He moved into the team's front office, serving as assistant general manager from until , then moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers
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...
. There, he worked as their Vice-President for Scouting and Player Development for two seasons, but left the organization along with his boss, Paul DePodesta
Paul DePodesta
Paul DePodesta is the Vice President of player development and scouting for the New York Mets. He was formerly a Front Office assistant for the San Diego Padres...
, and returned to the Pirates. He later worked as a scout for 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 ....
. He became a scout for the Mets in November 2010.