Dick Smith (third baseman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dick Smith |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||
| Third baseman | |||
| Born: July 21, 1926 Blandburg, Pennsylvania |
|||
| Died: January 25, 2021 (aged 94) Boalsburg, Pennsylvania |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 14, 1951, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 1, 1955, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .134 | ||
| Home runs | 0 | ||
| Runs batted in | 11 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
Richard Harrison Smith (born July 21, 1926 – died January 25, 2021) was an American baseball player. He played in 70 games over five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). From 1951 to 1955, he was a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Smith mainly played third base. He also played shortstop and second base. He was born in Blandburg, Pennsylvania. He threw and batted with his right hand. Smith was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 160 pounds. He went to Penn State University and Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.
Dick Smith's Baseball Career
Dick Smith's professional baseball career lasted for 12 seasons. It began in 1949. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the MLB.
Early MLB Years
Smith made his debut in the MLB in 1951. This was his rookie year. He had a batting average of .174 that season. This means he got a hit about 17 out of every 100 times he tried to hit the ball. He had 46 at bats in 1951.
Playing for the Pirates
Overall, Smith's batting average in the MLB was .134. He got 25 hits during his time in the major leagues. These hits included two doubles and two triples. He also had 11 runs batted in (RBIs). An RBI means he helped a teammate score a run.
His longest time playing in the major leagues was in 1952. He played in 29 games for the 1952 Pirates. That year, the Pirates team finished in last place. They won 42 games and lost 112 games. Smith got seven hits in 1952. His batting average that year was .106.
Life After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Dick Smith became a professor. He taught sports science and physical education at Pennsylvania State University. He also worked as an assistant coach for the Penn State Nittany Lions' baseball team.
Dick Smith passed away on January 25, 2021. He died in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.
