Reggie Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Reggie Smith |
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Smith with the Boston Red Sox in 1969
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 2, 1945 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 18, 1966, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 3, 1982, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .287 | ||
| Hits | 2,020 | ||
| Home runs | 314 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,092 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Carl Reginald Smith, born on April 2, 1945, is a former professional baseball player from America. He played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). After his playing days, he became a coach and worked in team management. He also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in Japan for two seasons.
Reggie Smith's MLB career lasted 17 years, from 1966 to 1982. He played in almost 2,000 games. During his career, he hit 314 home runs and had 1,092 RBIs. His batting average was .287. Smith was a switch-hitter, meaning he could bat from both sides of the plate. He threw the ball with his right hand. In his best years, he was known for having one of the strongest throwing arms among outfielders in MLB. His teams had a winning record in every one of the 13 seasons where he played at least 70 games.
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Playing Career Highlights
Reggie Smith grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to Centennial High School in Compton, California. In 1966, he won the batting title in the International League with a .320 average. He was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time.
Major League Teams
Smith joined MLB later in 1966. He played for several famous teams:
- Boston Red Sox (1966–1973)
- St. Louis Cardinals (1974–1976)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (1976–1981)
- San Francisco Giants (1982)
He played in four World Series during his career. His first World Series was in 1967 with the Red Sox, during his rookie year. He played in three more World Series with the Dodgers in 1977, 1978, and 1981. In the 1977 World Series, he hit three home runs.
On October 26, 1973, Smith was traded from the Red Sox to the St. Louis Cardinals. Later, on June 15, 1976, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Playing in Japan
After playing one season with the San Francisco Giants, Smith moved to Japan. He joined the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He was paid a very good salary there. Smith was a strong hitter for the Yomiuri Giants for two seasons.
Career Statistics Overview
In his 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, Reggie Smith played in 1,987 games. He had 2,020 hits and scored 1,123 runs. He also hit 363 doubles and 57 triples. Smith hit 314 home runs and had 1,092 RBIs. He stole 137 stolen bases. His on-base percentage was .366, and his slugging percentage was .489. He was a good fielder too, with a career fielding percentage of .978.
In 32 playoff games, including four World Series, he hit .234. He scored 17 runs, hit 6 home runs, and had 17 RBIs in those important games.
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Reggie Smith returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He worked as a coach under manager Tommy Lasorda. He also taught players in the minor leagues and helped with player development.
Smith also worked with USA Baseball starting in 1999. He was the hitting coach for the US team at the Pan American Games in 1999, where they won a silver medal. He was also the hitting coach for the US team that won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He continued to coach for Team USA in other international events, including the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where the team won a bronze medal.
Today, Smith runs a baseball academy in Encino, California. He trains young players there, helping them improve their skills.
Personal Life
Reggie Smith has a pilot's license. This means he can fly airplanes! He is also very musical and can play seven different musical instruments.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders
