Lonnie Smith (baseball) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lonnie Smith |
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Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: December 22, 1955 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 2, 1978, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 10, 1994, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .288 | ||
| Home runs | 98 | ||
| Runs batted in | 533 | ||
| Stolen bases | 370 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Lonnie Smith (born December 22, 1955) is a former American professional baseball player. He was a talented left fielder in Major League Baseball. Lonnie Smith started his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles.
Smith was known as one of the best base-stealers in the 1980s. He played on five teams that won their league championship. Three of these teams went on to win the World Series.
Playing Baseball
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Lonnie Smith began his baseball journey in the minor leagues. He played for the Auburn Doubledays in 1974. The next year, he was a star for the Spartanburg team. He led the league in hits, runs, and stolen bases. In 1978, playing for Oklahoma City, he stole 66 bases. He also scored 106 runs the following year.
Time with the Philadelphia Phillies
After a few short tries with the Phillies in 1978 and 1979, Smith joined the team full-time in 1980. He had a great season, hitting for a .339 average in 100 games. The Phillies won the National League championship that year. They then defeated the Kansas City Royals in the 1980 World Series. Lonnie Smith's strong play helped him finish third in the voting for Rookie of the Year. He continued to play well in 1981, hitting .324.
Playing for the St. Louis Cardinals
In November 1981, Smith was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. He continued to play well in 1982. This was a very successful year for him.
Smith was chosen for the MLB All-Star Game in 1982. This was the only time he made the All-Star team in his career. He had a .307 batting average and a .381 on-base percentage. He also led the National League by scoring 120 runs. This was his only season scoring over 100 runs.
In 1982, Smith also set personal bests for at-bats, hits, and doubles. He ranked second in the National League with 68 stolen bases. The Cardinals' manager, Whitey Herzog, encouraged his fast players to steal bases often. Smith's amazing season led him to finish second in the voting for the National League Most Valuable Player award.
Smith helped the Cardinals win the 1982 World Series. He batted .321 as the Cardinals beat the Milwaukee Brewers.
During his first season with the Cardinals, Smith had a funny moment with the Phillie Phanatic. The Phanatic, a mascot, was mimicking Smith before a game. Smith, known for sometimes tripping, playfully tackled the mascot.
Smith continued to play well in 1983. He batted .321, which was the second-best in the National League. He stayed with the Cardinals through the 1984 season.
Joining the Kansas City Royals
On May 17, 1985, Smith was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He helped the Royals fill their left field position. After the regular season, Smith faced his old team, the Cardinals, in the 1985 World Series. He hit .333 in the series. He helped the Royals win the championship in seven games. Lonnie Smith made history in Game 1 of the 1985 World Series. He became the first player to play in the World Series against a team that had traded him away in the same season.
Smith had a strong season in 1986. However, his playing time was reduced in 1987.
Time with the Atlanta Braves
In March 1988, the Atlanta Braves offered Smith a contract. He made the team's main roster. In 1989, he became a regular player in the Braves' outfield. This was one of his best seasons ever. He had a .315 batting average and hit a career-high 21 home runs. Smith also led the National League with a .415 on-base percentage. He finished 11th in the voting for the Major League Baseball MVP Award. He also won the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Smith continued to be a regular player for the Braves in 1990 and 1991. His play in 1991 helped the Braves improve greatly. They went from last place in 1990 to winning the National League pennant in 1991. This led to their first World Series appearance since 1958.
1991 World Series Moment
In Game 7 of the 1991 World Series against the Minnesota Twins, Smith had a memorable moment. He was on first base with no outs in the eighth inning. The game was tied 0–0. The next batter, Terry Pendleton, hit a hard double to left field. It looked like Smith would score easily. However, as he ran around second base, he paused. He then had to stop at third base.
Smith later said he lost sight of the ball against the ceiling of the Metrodome. Some replays showed that the Twins' second baseman Chuck Knoblauch and shortstop Greg Gagne might have tricked him. Knoblauch pretended to throw the ball for a force out, but he didn't actually have it.
Because of this, Smith only reached third base. The Braves did not score in that inning. The Twins went on to win the game 1–0 in the tenth inning. They won the World Series. Smith hit three home runs in the Series.
Later Career and Retirement
Smith stayed with the Braves through the 1992 season. He helped them win the National League pennant again. However, they lost the World Series to the Toronto Blue Jays. Smith hit a grand slam in Game 5 of that series.
After leaving the Braves, Smith signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1993. He played one season there. He was then traded to the Baltimore Orioles in September 1993. Smith mostly played as a pinch-hitter for the Orioles. He played his final major league game on August 10, 1994. This was the Orioles' last game before a major baseball strike that year.
Career Highlights
In his 17 seasons, Lonnie Smith played in 1613 games. He had a .288 batting average. He scored 909 runs and hit 98 home runs. He also had 533 RBI and stole 370 stolen bases. In five World Series and six playoff series, Smith hit .278. He scored 28 runs, hit 4 home runs, and had 17 RBI.
Life After Baseball
After retiring from professional baseball, Lonnie Smith got married again. He and his wife moved back to Atlanta. They have three children.
In 2015, a video documentary about Lonnie Smith's baseball career was released by sportswriter Jon Bois.
Records and Achievements
- Lonnie Smith was the first player to be on three different World Series winning teams within a six-year period. He won with the Phillies, Cardinals, and Royals.
- On September 4, 1982, Smith set a team record for the St. Louis Cardinals. He stole five bases in a single game.
- In 1982, Smith led the National League in runs scored with 120 runs. That season, he helped the Cardinals win the National League pennant and the World Series. This was also the only season he was chosen for the National League All-Star Team.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences
- Major League Baseball Scandals
