Ozzie Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ozzie Smith
Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983
Shortstop
Born: (1954-12-26) December 26, 1954 (age 70) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
debut
April 7, 1978, for the San Diego Padres
Last appearance
September 29, 1996, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average	.262
Hits	2,460
Home runs	28
Runs batted in	793
Stolen bases	580
Teams
San Diego Padres (1978–1981) St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1996)
Career highlights and awards
15× All-Star (1981–1992, 1994–1996) World Series champion (1982) NLCS MVP (1985) 13× Gold Glove Award (1980–1992) Silver Slugger Award (1987) Roberto Clemente Award (1995) St. Louis Cardinals No. 1 retired St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	2002
Vote	91.7% (first ballot)

Ozzie Smith (born December 26, 1954) is a famous American baseball player who used to play professionally. He was nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz" because of his amazing plays. Ozzie played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball (MLB). He won the National League Gold Glove Award for being the best defensive shortstop for 13 years in a row!

Ozzie was chosen for the All-Star team 15 times. During his career, he got 2,460 hits and stole 580 stolen bases. In 1987, he even won the Silver Slugger Award for being the best hitter at his position. Ozzie was so good that he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, the very first year he was eligible. He also joined the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.

Ozzie was born in Mobile, Alabama. When he was six, his family moved to Watts, Los Angeles. He was always quick and athletic as a kid. He played baseball in high school and then in college. The Padres chose him in the draft, and he started playing in the major leagues in 1978. He quickly became known as an amazing fielder. He even started doing backflips on special occasions before games! Ozzie won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and played in his first All-Star Game in 1981.

Ozzie had some disagreements with the Padres' owners. So, the Cardinals' manager, Whitey Herzog, flew to San Diego to talk to him. Herzog convinced Ozzie that he would be a very important player for the St. Louis team. Ozzie agreed to be traded to the Cardinals in 1982 for another shortstop named Garry Templeton.

When Ozzie joined the Cardinals, he helped the team win the 1982 World Series that same year. Three years later, he hit a game-winning home run in a big playoff game. This made the announcer, Jack Buck, famously shout, "Go crazy, folks!" Even with a shoulder injury in 1985, Ozzie had some of his best hitting stats in 1987. He kept winning Gold Gloves and being picked for the All-Star team until 1993. In 1995, he had shoulder surgery and missed almost three months. Ozzie retired at the end of the 1996 season after some disagreements with his new manager, Tony La Russa. The Cardinals then retired his uniform number (No. 1) to honor him.

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Ozzie Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama, on December 26, 1954. He was one of six children. His family moved to Watts, Los Angeles when he was six years old. His mom was a big influence on him. She taught him how important education was and encouraged him to follow his dreams.

Ozzie played many sports when he was young, but baseball was his favorite. He became very quick and had fast reflexes. He would bounce a ball off the steps of his house, moving closer each time to get faster. Sometimes, he and his friends would go to a lumberyard. They would jump off inner tubes and do flips into sawdust piles. This was like a practice for his famous backflips!

When Ozzie was in middle school, his parents divorced. He loved baseball so much that he would ride the bus for almost an hour to get to Dodger Stadium. He went to about 25 games a year to cheer for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In high school, Ozzie played on both the basketball and baseball teams. He played with future NBA player Marques Johnson and future Hall of Famer Eddie Murray.

After high school, Ozzie went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1974. He got a scholarship and was able to join the baseball team. His coach taught him how to switch-hit, meaning he could hit from both sides of the plate. When the team's starting shortstop got hurt, Ozzie took over the position. He became an All-American athlete and set school records for most times at bat (754) and most stolen bases (110) before he graduated in 1977.

Professional Baseball Career

Joining the San Diego Padres

In June 1976, the Detroit Tigers picked Ozzie in the baseball draft. But they couldn't agree on a contract. Ozzie wanted a $10,000 signing bonus, but the Tigers offered $8,500. So, Ozzie went back to Cal Poly for his last year. In the 1977 draft, the San Diego Padres picked him. This time, he agreed to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus. Ozzie played his first year of professional baseball with the Class A Walla Walla Padres in 1977.

Ozzie started 1978 at the San Diego Padres' spring training camp. The Padres' manager, Alvin Dark, gave him a lot of confidence. He told reporters that the shortstop job was Ozzie's to lose. Even though Dark was fired during training, Ozzie made his MLB debut on April 7, 1978.

Ozzie quickly became known for his amazing fielding. Just 10 games into his first season, he made a play that many people still call his greatest. On April 20, 1978, against the Atlanta Braves, a batter hit a ground ball up the middle. Ozzie dove to his left and caught the ball with his bare hand while in the air! He quickly got up and threw the runner out at first base.

Ozzie Smith in 1978, his rookie year with the Padres.

During the 1978 season, Ozzie started his famous backflip tradition. The Padres' promotion director knew Ozzie could do backflips. He asked Ozzie to do one for the fans on Fan Appreciation Day, the last home game of the season. Ozzie did it, and the fans loved it! Ozzie finished his first season with a .258 batting average and great fielding. He came in second for the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award.

After working on his hitting, Ozzie struggled at the start of the 1979 season. He didn't get a hit in his first 32 tries. He finished the season with a .211 batting average, no home runs, and 27 RBIs. Off the field, Ozzie and his agent had problems with the Padres' owners. They had a contract dispute before the 1980 season. Ozzie's agent even put out a "help-wanted" ad in the newspaper, saying Ozzie needed a part-time job to make more money.

Despite these issues, Ozzie was getting recognized for his defense. In 1980, he set a record for most assists by a shortstop in a single season (621). He also started his streak of 13 Gold Glove awards. Because of his amazing fielding, people started calling him "the Wizard of Oz." In 1981, Ozzie made his first All-Star Game appearance as a reserve player.

The Big Trade

While Ozzie was having problems with the Padres, the St. Louis Cardinals were also unhappy with their shortstop, Garry Templeton. Templeton had upset Cardinals fans. The Cardinals' manager, Whitey Herzog, wanted to trade Templeton. The Padres' General Manager, Jack McKeon, approached Herzog. Even though McKeon had said Ozzie was not available for trade before, he was now willing to trade him because of the problems with Ozzie's agent.

McKeon and Herzog agreed to a trade involving six players, with Ozzie and Templeton as the main players. Ozzie had a "no-trade clause" in his contract, meaning he could refuse the trade. At first, he wanted to stay in San Diego. But he was curious to hear what the Cardinals had to say. Herzog flew to San Diego to meet with Ozzie and his agent. Ozzie later said, "Whitey told me that with me playing shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, we could win the pennant. He made me feel wanted." This convinced Ozzie that St. Louis was where he wanted to be.

St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1996)

Early Success and a World Series Title

On December 10, 1981, the Padres traded Ozzie Smith to the Cardinals. Herzog believed Ozzie could improve his hitting by hitting more ground balls. He even made a fun bet with Ozzie: "Every time you hit a fly ball, you owe me a buck. Every time you hit a ground ball, I owe you a buck." By the end of the season, Ozzie had won almost $300 from Herzog!

The 1982 season started well. Herzog's new team won 12 games in a row in April. They finished the season at the top of their division. Herzog later said that Ozzie saving two runs a game on defense was just as valuable as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense.

Ozzie became a father in 1982 when his son, Nikko, was born. He also became good friends with his teammate Willie McGee. Ozzie played in the postseason for the first time in 1982. The Cardinals swept the Atlanta Braves in the playoffs. Then, they faced the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series. Ozzie scored three runs, had five hits, and didn't make any errors. In Game 7, Ozzie started a rally with a base hit. The Cardinals won the game 6–3 and became champions!

In January 1983, Ozzie signed a new contract with the Cardinals for $1 million per year. During the 1983 season, fans voted Ozzie as the starting shortstop for the All-Star Game for the first time. He also won his fourth straight Gold Glove Award. In July 1984, Ozzie broke his wrist when he was hit by a pitch. He came back after a month, but the Cardinals didn't make the playoffs that year.

The "Go Crazy, Folks!" Home Run

In 1985, Ozzie had a .276 batting average and stole 31 bases. The Cardinals won 101 games and made the playoffs again. They faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS. In Game 5, the score was tied in the bottom of the ninth inning. Ozzie, who had never hit a home run batting left-handed in his entire career, hit a walk-off home run! This won the game for the Cardinals 3–2.

Ozzie said he was just trying to get an extra-base hit. This home run led to announcer Jack Buck's famous "Go crazy, folks!" call. Cardinals fans later voted it the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history. The Cardinals went on to win the series and faced the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Sportswriters focused on Ozzie's amazing defense, even though his hitting wasn't great in the series. The Royals ended up winning the World Series in seven games.

What many people didn't know was that Ozzie had torn his rotator cuff (a shoulder injury) in July 1985. He decided not to have surgery. Instead, he built up his arm strength with weights and played through the pain. He didn't tell anyone about the injury because he wanted to keep playing.

In 1986, Ozzie's four-year-old son, Nikko, performed his dad's traditional Opening Day backflip because Ozzie was injured. Later that season, Ozzie made another incredible defensive play. He dove forward, catching a fly ball while parallel to the ground, avoiding a collision with another player by inches!

Hitting Success and More Awards

In 1987, Ozzie started hitting second in the batting order full-time. He had a great year, with a .303 batting average, 43 stolen bases, 75 RBIs, and 104 runs scored. He won the Silver Slugger Award for being the best-hitting shortstop. He also won his eighth straight Gold Glove Award. Ozzie got the most votes for the 1987 All-Star Game. The Cardinals won 95 games and made the playoffs again. They beat the San Francisco Giants in seven games.

The 1987 World Series was against the Minnesota Twins. The home team won every game, and the Twins won the series. Ozzie finished second in the voting for the MVP award that year. After the 1987 season, Ozzie signed the largest contract in the National League at $2.34 million.

The Cardinals didn't make the playoffs for the rest of the 1980s, but Ozzie kept making All-Star teams and winning Gold Gloves. He was a national star and even appeared on the cover of GQ magazine in 1988.

Later Career and Retirement

Joe Torre became Ozzie's new manager in 1990. The team didn't reach the playoffs during Torre's time. In 1992, Ozzie reached some big milestones. He stole his 500th career base on April 26. Then, on May 26, he got his 2,000th hit in front of his home crowd. Ozzie missed two weeks in July 1992 after getting chicken pox for the first time. He even appeared in an episode of The Simpsons called "Homer at the Bat" in 1992. Ozzie became a free agent for the first time in November 1992 but re-signed with the Cardinals in December.

Ozzie won his last Gold Glove in 1992. His 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at shortstop in the National League is still a record! The only time Ozzie didn't make the All-Star team between 1981 and 1996 was in 1993. He played in 98 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season. In 1995, he missed almost three months after shoulder surgery. Ozzie was also recognized for his community work, winning the 1994 Branch Rickey Award and the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award.

As Ozzie entered the 1996 season, he was going through a divorce. Also, Tony La Russa became the new manager for the Cardinals. La Russa wanted an open competition for the shortstop position. Ozzie had a great spring training, but La Russa gave most of the playing time to another shortstop, Royce Clayton. Ozzie was not happy about this.

Ozzie missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury. He still felt upset with La Russa. In May, La Russa asked Ozzie if he wanted to be traded. Instead, Ozzie and his agent worked out a deal with the Cardinals. On June 19, 1996, Ozzie announced he would retire from baseball at the end of the season.

Ozzie Smith's number 1 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996.

As Ozzie played his final games around the National League, many teams honored him. He received a standing ovation at the 1996 All-Star Game. On September 28, 1996, the Cardinals held a special ceremony at Busch Stadium. They retired his uniform number (No. 1). Ozzie, known for his backflips before big games, performed one for one of the last times that day.

In the playoffs, the Cardinals first played the San Diego Padres. Ozzie started Game 2 and helped his team win. The Cardinals swept the series. Then, they faced the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Championship Series. Ozzie started Game 1, but the Cardinals lost. He didn't play in Games 2, 3, or 4, which the Cardinals won. He started Game 5, but the Cardinals lost again. The Cardinals didn't win Game 6 or 7, ending their season. Ozzie's last time playing was on October 17, when he pinch-hit in Game 7. He flew out to right field, marking the end of his amazing playing career.

Ozzie finished his career with many achievements. He received over 27.5 million votes in All-Star balloting. He also holds the record for the most MLB at-bats without hitting a grand slam.

After Baseball

After retiring, Ozzie became the host of the TV show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1998. He also worked as a color commentator for Cardinals games on TV from 1997 to 1999. Later, he worked for CNN-SI. When Tony La Russa retired as Cardinals manager in 2011, Ozzie became active with the team again. He worked as a special instructor for their spring training camp in 2012.

Ozzie Smith fielding a ground ball at Doubleday Field in 2002.

On January 8, 2002, Ozzie learned he had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first try. He received 91.7% of the votes! The Olympic torch was passing through St. Louis that day, and Ozzie was a torchbearer. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 28, 2002. In his speech, he compared his baseball journey to the characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A few days later, a statue of Ozzie was unveiled at Busch Stadium. The sculptor, Harry Weber, showed Ozzie stretched out horizontally, catching a baseball.

Ozzie has also been involved in many businesses. He opened "Ozzie's" restaurant and sports bar in 1988 and started a youth sports academy in 1990. He also invested in a grocery store chain. His youth academy is still open today. Ozzie has appeared in many commercials and wrote a children's book in 2006. He even launched his own brand of salad dressing in 2008.

Besides the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Ozzie has received many other honors. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 87 on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was also honored with induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, and the St. Louis Walk of Fame. In 2014, the Cardinals announced Ozzie would be in the first group of players inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum.

In March 2023, Ozzie returned to his college, Cal Poly. A statue of him at Baggett Stadium was rededicated as part of "Ozzie Smith Plaza."

Ozzie Smith's MLB Career Stats

Hitting Stats

Fielding Stats

Personal Life

Ozzie Smith has three children from his former marriage: sons Nikko and Dustin, and daughter Taryn. His son Nikko was one of the top ten finalists on American Idol in 2005. In 2012, Ozzie sold all of his Gold Glove awards at an auction for over $500,000.

Ozzie still lives in the St. Louis area and is often seen around town. He played the role of the Wizard in a summer production of The Wizard of Oz in 2001. He also hosts "Cardinals Insider," a weekly TV show about the baseball team. Since 2016, he has opened several health clinics in Missouri.

See also

In Spanish: Ozzie Smith para niños

• List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
• List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
• List of St. Louis Cardinals team records