Ira Smith (baseball) facts for kids

Ira Lamonte Smith, born on August 4, 1967, is a former American baseball player from Chestertown, Maryland. He played baseball in college and then in the minor leagues. While playing at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), Ira Smith made history! He was the first player ever to win two NCAA batting titles, and he won them in a row. A batting title means a player had the highest batting average in the league.

College Baseball Achievements

Ira Smith was an amazing college baseball player. In 1989, he finished the season with a fantastic .488 batting average. This means he got a hit almost half the times he went up to bat! Because of his great performance, he was named the team's MVP.

Setting New Records

In 1990, Ira Smith did something even more incredible. He batted .519, which is one of the highest batting averages ever in NCAA Division I baseball. He was again named his team's MVP. His career batting average in college was .431, which is the 14th highest in Division I history. This shows how consistently good he was at hitting the ball.

Playing Professional Baseball

After his impressive college career, Ira Smith was chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 37th round of the 1990 MLB Draft. This draft is where professional baseball teams pick new players.

Minor League Career

Ira Smith played professional baseball for 14 years. He spent time in both the Minor Leagues and Independent Leagues. During his professional career, he had a solid .292 batting average. He played several seasons in Triple-A, which is just one step below Major League Baseball. Even though he played at a very high level, he never got to play in a game for a Major League Baseball team.

Future Coaching Plans

In 1997, there were reports that the Detroit Tigers baseball team was thinking about training Ira Smith to become a coach or manager. This was partly because of his connection to Randy Smith, who was a general manager for other baseball teams and then for the Tigers.

Life After Playing Baseball

After his playing career, Ira Smith continued to be recognized for his achievements.

Hall of Fame Inductions

• In 2004, he was elected into the UMES Athletics Hall of Fame. This honors athletes who played exceptionally well at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
• In 2005, he was named to the Eastern Shore Baseball Hall of Fame.
• In 2010, he was elected to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
• In 2011, the NCAA announced that Ira Smith would be considered for the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Coaching Roles

Ira Smith also spent time coaching baseball teams.

• In 2004, he was a bench coach for the Lincoln Saltdogs.
• In 2005, he became the hitting coach for the Saltdogs, helping players improve their batting skills.
• In 2006, he moved to become the hitting coach for the Joliet Jackhammers.