Chino Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chino Smith |
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: September 24, 1901 Greenwood, South Carolina |
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| Died: January 15, 1932 (aged 30) New York City |
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| debut | |||
| 1925, for the Brooklyn Royal Giants | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1931, for the Brooklyn Royal Giants | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Batting average | .408 | ||
| Hits | 248 | ||
| Home runs | 32 | ||
| Runs batted in | 160 | ||
| Stolen bases | 29 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Charles E. "Chino" Smith (born September 24, 1901 – died January 15, 1932) was an amazing baseball player. He was an outfielder in the Negro Leagues. Chino Smith was known as one of the best hitters from the mid-1920s to the early 1930s.
Even though he was only 5 feet 6 inches tall, he could hit the ball with incredible power. Famous pitcher Satchel Paige once said that Chino Smith was one of the two most dangerous hitters in Negro League history. He was great at watching the ball and hitting strong line drives to all parts of the field.
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Chino Smith's Early Life and Career
Chino Smith was born in Greenwood, South Carolina. In 1924, he started playing for a semi-professional team called the Philadelphia Giants. He also worked at Penn Station in New York City. In 1925, he played baseball for their team, the Pennsylvania Red Caps of New York. He played as a second baseman alongside shortstop Dick Seay.
Later in 1925, Smith joined the professional Brooklyn Royal Giants team. He quickly showed how good he was at hitting. In 1925, his batting average was .341. By 1927, it jumped to an amazing .439.
Joining the Lincoln Giants
In 1929, Chino Smith joined the New York Lincoln Giants. This team was part of the new American Negro League. That year, he had an incredible batting average of .464. He got 118 hits in just 67 games. He also hit 23 home runs and 24 doubles. All of these numbers were the best in the league.
The American Negro League did not last long and folded the next year. However, the Lincoln Giants continued to play as an independent team. They competed against the Homestead Grays for the championship in the East. Chino Smith continued his amazing hitting, batting .468 during this season.
Playing at Yankee Stadium
In 1930, Chino Smith played in a very important game. It was the first time a Black baseball team played at Yankee Stadium. In that game, he showed off his skills by hitting a triple and two home runs.
His Incredible Hitting Skills
Records from that time are not complete, but they show that Chino Smith had a career batting average of .423 in the Negro Leagues. He also played in Cuba during the winter and hit .335 there. When he played against white Major League players, he hit around .405 or .423, depending on the source.
His nickname "Chino" might have come from his appearance, which some thought looked Asian.
Fellow Negro League player Cool Papa Bell said about Chino Smith: "He'd go out there, say 'I guess I'll get me three hits,' and go out there and hit that ball. I don't care who pitched, he could do everything." This shows how confident and skilled Chino Smith was at the plate.
Illness and Passing
Sadly, Chino Smith became very ill at the age of 30. He caught yellow fever while playing baseball in Cuba. He passed away from the illness.
Years later, in 1952, a newspaper called the Pittsburgh Courier held a poll. Players voted for the best Negro League players ever. On what would have been his 51st birthday, Chino Smith received the second-highest number of votes for best right fielder. This shows how much his fellow players respected his talent.
See also
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
