Pete Smith (baseball, born 1966) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pete Smith |
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Smith with the Greenville Braves c. 1987
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: February 27, 1966 Abington, Massachusetts, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 8, 1987, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 24, 1998, for the Baltimore Orioles | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 47–71 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.55 | ||
| Strikeouts | 640 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Peter John Smith (born February 27, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was born in Abington, Massachusetts. The Philadelphia Phillies picked him in the first round of the 1984 Major League Baseball draft. This meant he was one of the first players chosen that year. Smith signed with the Phillies on June 14, 1984. He batted and threw with his right hand during his baseball career.
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Pete Smith's Early Life
Smith went to Burlington High School. He graduated from there in 1984. During his senior year, he pitched two no-hitters. A no-hitter is when a pitcher plays a whole game without letting the other team get any hits.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Starting with the Atlanta Braves
The Philadelphia Phillies traded Smith to the Atlanta Braves. This trade also included Ozzie Virgil, Jr. The Phillies received Steve Bedrosian and Milt Thompson in return. Smith made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 8, 1987. He was 21 years old and played for the Atlanta Braves.
In 1988, the year after his first season, Smith pitched three shutouts. A shutout is when a pitcher plays a whole game without letting the other team score any runs. The Braves hoped Smith would become a top pitcher. At that time, other great pitchers like John Smoltz and Tom Glavine were also becoming stars for the team.
However, in 1989, Smith's ERA (Earned Run Average) went up to 4.75. This was higher than his 3.69 ERA in 1988. Some people thought this might have been because Smith was hiding injuries from his team.
Moving to Other Teams
Smith played for the Atlanta Braves from 1987 through 1993. After that, he was traded to the New York Mets for Dave Gallagher. Smith played only the 1994 season with the New York Mets. He then became a free agent on October 25, 1994. This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.
On December 1, 1994, Smith signed with the Cincinnati Reds. He played with the Reds for about half of the 1995 season. He was released on June 27, 1995. Soon after, on July 1, he signed with the Florida Marlins. He spent the rest of 1995 playing in the minor leagues. After that, Smith became a free agent again. He signed with the San Diego Padres on December 23.
Smith played the 1996 season with the Padres' minor league team, the Las Vegas Stars. But he returned to the Major Leagues in 1997. He played for the Padres for the next season and a half. On May 31, 1997, Smith earned his only Major League Baseball save. This happened during a Padres' 12-5 win against the Astros. A save is when a pitcher finishes a close game and helps his team win.
On June 9, 1998, Smith was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. He played his final game in Major League Baseball on September 24, 1998. Throughout his career, he had an ERA of 4.55. He also struck out 640 batters. Smith pitched a total of four shutouts during his time in the Major Leagues.
