RELATED LINKS » 1959: Team Scores 11 Runs in One Inning on One Hit Submissions » Trade a Player a Year Too Early, Not a Year Too Late by Harvey Frommer

An excellent defensive catcher, Smith played in a career-high 135 games as a Baltimore rookie in 1955, and in 1957 batted .303 as Kansas City's first-string receiver. Originally Yankee property, he returned to haunt New York in the final game of the 1960 World Series when he delivered an eighth-inning, three-run, pinch-hit homer to give Pittsburgh a 9-7 lead in the game they ultimately won on Bill Mazeroski's ninth-inning HR. (RTM)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » November 18, 1954: In an enormous two-part trade begun on November 14, the Yankees and Orioles exchange 17 players. Included are 1B Dick Kryhoski, pitchers Bob Turley and Don Larsen, and SS Billy Hunter from Baltimore. To the Orioles go OF Gene Woodling, SS Willie Miranda, pitchers Harry Byrd and Jim McDonald, and catchers Gus Triandos and Hal Smith. The trade will help both teams. » April 17, 1960: Pittsburgh's Joe Gibbon makes his ML debut in the 2nd game of a twinbill with the Reds. With the Pirates down 5–0 in the 8th, the rookie comes in to mop up. Gibbon throws two scoreless innings and the Bucs score six in the 9th for a 6–5 win. Hal Smith's 3-run pinch homer and Bob Skinner's 2-out, two-run homer off reliever Ted Wieand makes Gibbon the winner. The Bucs win the opener, 5–0, behind Bob Friend's 4-hitter. » May 28, 1960: At Forbes Field in the 8th inning, Roberto Clemente is on 3B and Hal Smith on 1B with two outs, when Bill Mazeroski fans on a ball that hits in the front of the plate. The ball then hits umpire Al Barlick on the right knee and bounces back toward Phillies pitcher, Jim Owens. Maz doesn't move as Smith jogs to 2B. Clemente races in from 3B then stops. Owens fields the ball and goes after Clemente ignoring pleas from the Phils' bench to simply throw to 1B. In the run-down, Clemente knocks the ball out of Jim Coker's glove and scores the tying run on the catcher's error (the photo has been widely published). The Pirates win, 4–2 in the 13th on Don Hoak's 2-run home run. » May 3, 1964: Trailing the Mets 5–1 in the 7th at Crosley Field, pinch hitter Marty Keough belts a 3-run homer and Hal Smith adds a 2-run pinch single in the 8th for a 6–5 Reds win.