Ken Smith (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ken Smith |
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| First baseman | |||
| Born: February 12, 1958 Youngstown, Ohio |
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| debut | |||
| September 22, 1981, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| June 14, 1983, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .268 | ||
| Home runs | 1 | ||
| Runs batted in | 5 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Kenneth Earl Smith, born on February 12, 1958, is a former professional baseball player. He played as a first baseman for the Atlanta Braves in Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1983.
Ken was born in Youngstown, Ohio. He was a star athlete at East High School in his hometown. In 1976, he became well-known when the Atlanta Braves picked him as their top choice in the free agent draft. After a great spring training where he hit for a .400 average, Smith was sent to a Class A team in Greenwood, South Carolina. This team was part of the Western Carolinas League.
Playing in the Minor Leagues
In 1977, while playing for the Greenwood team, Ken Smith had an impressive batting average of .369. His manager, Bobby Dews, thought very highly of him. Dews said that Ken was one of their best young players. He believed Ken would definitely make it to the Atlanta Braves if he kept showing such strong desire and determination.
From 1978 to 1979, Smith played for another Atlanta Braves farm team. This was a Class AA club in Savannah. After that, he spent two more years with a Class AAA team in Richmond.
Making it to the Major Leagues
Ken Smith joined the Atlanta Braves in 1981. He played in three regular season games that year. In the spring training of 1982, he was hitting over .300. He was excited to play with the Braves for the upcoming season. However, in April, Smith was sent back to Richmond. This happened after the Braves got another first baseman, Bob Watson, from the New York Yankees.
Because of this, Ken often traveled between Richmond and Atlanta. In 1982, he had a .293 batting average when he was called upon to pinch-hit for the Braves. He played his final season with the Braves in 1983.
On October 20, 1983, Smith became a free agent. He later signed a new contract with the Braves to play in their minor league system. He played two more seasons there. After playing the 1986 season in the Baltimore Orioles organization, his professional baseball career came to an end.
