Books and articles about Reggie Smith

An ambidextrous, all-state high school football and baseball player from California, Smith had a tryout with Houston at Dodger Stadium his senior year, but signed with Minnesota as a shortstop in 1963. Left unprotected by the Twins after his first pro season, the strong-armed switch-hitter was drafted by the Red(`-h)h)h)Sox, who made him an outfielder. As a rookie, he helped Boston to the 1967 pennant and homered twice in the World Series. A fixture from 1967 through 1973 in potent Fenway outfields, first in center, later in right, he batted .300 three times and won a Gold Glove in 1968 when he led AL outfielders in putouts. In 1968 and 1971, he topped the league in doubles.

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Traded to St. Louis with Ken Tatum for Rick Wise and Bernie Carbo in October 1973, Smith had two All-Star seasons for the Cardinals in 1974 and 1975. He hit three HR in a May 22, 1976 game before moving on to the Dodgers in June. On the way to the 1977 NL pennant, Smith, Steve Garvey, Dusty Baker, and Ron Cey became the first four teammates in baseball history to each hit 30 or more HR; Smith hit a career-high 32. He was a major factor in the Dodgers' 1978 league title, hitting a club-high 29 HR, and adding three HR in the WS loss to New York.

Shoulder, neck, knee, and ankle injuries plagued Smith in his final four ML seasons. He batted .284 as a Giants first baseman in 1982 before signing to play in Japan. He retired second to Mickey Mantle in HR by a switch-hitter; as the only switch-hitter with 100 HR in each the AL and NL; and as the only player to homer from both sides of the plate in a game twice in each league. Only Smith and Frank Robinson appeared in WS and All-Star Games for both leagues. (EW)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 14, 1967: At Yankee Stadium, Red Sox rookie Bill Rohr debuts and startles everyone by taking a no-hitter into the 9th inning. But Elston Howard lines a 3-2 pitch for a single to right-center with two outs. Carl Yastrzemski had kept the no-hitter alive with a spectacular grab of a Tom Tresh drive to deep LF to open the 9th. The Red Sox win 3–0, beating Whitey Ford, who allows a lead off homer to Reggie Smith and a two-run homer to Joe Foy. » August 20, 1967: At Fenway, Red Sox Reggie Smith joins the ranks of Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, and others by hitting home runs left- and righthanded in a game with California. Yaz adds two three-run homers, one in each game of the doubleheader. The Sox win the nitecap, 9–8 after trailing 8–0. » October 11, 1967: A World Series record three home runs in one inning -- consecutively, by Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Smith, and Rico Petrocelli -- power Boston to an 8–4 win that evens the Series at three each. » July 11, 1969: The Red Sox swat the Orioles twice, winning 7–4 and 123. Reggie Smith is 7-for-9 and stretches his hit streak to 19 games. Carl Yastrzemski has a homer in each game as the Red Sox total 22 hits in the nitecap, including five by Mike Andrews. » July 13, 1969: Undefeated O's ace Dave McNally wins his 13th but needs relief help in subduing the Red Sox, 6–3. Jim Lonborg, making his first start since breaking his toe June 21, takes to loss. Tony Conigliaro has a pair of homers and Reggie Smith stretches his hit streak to 20 games. » July 15, 1969: Reggie Smith collects five straight hits in the opener, stretching his hit streak to 21, and leading the Red Sox to 7–6 win over New York. He'll gets another hit in the nitecap, a 41 win by New York's Stan Bahnsen (5–10), but his hit streak will stop tomorrow. » July 18, 1970: Milwaukee's Ted Kubiak has seven RBIs—on a single, double and grand slam—to lead the Brewers to a 10–5 win over the Red Sox at Fenway. The Red Sox blow a 5–1 lead, reached when Yaz hits a 3-run homer and Reggie Smith solos. Sparky Lyle (0-4) is the loser allowing one run. » April 6, 1971: At Fenway Park, the Red Sox take their second straight Opener against the Yankees, winning 3–1. Boston's Ray Culp allows five hits in nine innings in winning over Stan Bahnsen, who gives up two runs in seven innings. Reggie Smith has three hits and his throw to the plate in the 8th gets the last out. » May 1, 1971: Against the Red Sox, starter Minnesota Jim Perry serves up home run balls to the first two batters, Luis Aparicio and Reggie Smith. This hasn't happened in the AL since 1962, when Perry was on the mound for Cleveland against the Twins. Perry shakes off his start to win, 7–3, collecting three hits and scoring three runs himself. » July 2, 1972: Reggie Smith homers from both sides of the plate as Boston beats Milwaukee 15–4. » August 29, 1972: At Fenway, Luis Tiant pitches his 3rd straight shutout, beat the White Sox, 3–0. Reggie Smith hits two run scoring doubles off starter Tom Bradley for Boston. » April 16, 1973: At Fenway, Boston's Reggie Smith homers from both sides of the plate during a 9–7 loss to Detroit. » June 20, 1973: Red Sox lead off batters Rick Miller and Reggie Smith belt homers off Milwaukee's Bill Parsons. In 1971, Smith also followed a leadoff homer with one of his own. Bill Lee makes the lead stand up in beating the Brewers' Bill Parsons, 3–2. » October 26, 1973: The Red Sox trade P Ken Tatum and OF Reggie Smith to the Cardinals for P Rick Wise and OF Bernie Carbo. » May 22, 1976: Reggie Smith slams three homers and drives in five runs to give the Cardinals a 7–6 win over the Phillies. Smith's 3rd round tripper is a solo shot with two out in the 9th inning off Tug McGraw to give Al Hrabosky the win. » June 15, 1976: The Cardinals send veteran Reggie Smith, an All-Star the past two seasons, to the Dodgers in exchange for C/outfielder Joe Ferguson, and two minor leaguers. Smith, a native Californian, will continue his fine play for the Dodgers, while Ferguson, who spent the 2nd half of 1975 on the DL, will be dealt to Houston at the end of the year. Whether or not it's because they got the short end of the deal, the Cards will not make another trade with the Dodgers for more than a decade. » October 2, 1977: Dusty Baker homers in his final AB of the season during a 6–3 loss to the Astros. It is Baker's 30th home run of the year, enabling him to join teammates Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32), and Ron Cey (30) in making the Dodgers the first team ever to boast four 30-HR hitters in one season. When he crosses the plate he is greeted by on-deck batter Glenn Burke, who raises his hands and Baker matches him, allegedly the first high five in history. » October 12, 1977: home runs by Ron Cey, Steve Yeager, Reggie Smith, and Steve Garvey lead the Dodgers to a 6–1 win in game two of the World Series. Burt Hooton goes the distance, allowing just five hits. » October 16, 1977: LA stays alive with a 10–4 victory in game 5. Steve Yeager and Reggie Smith homer as Don Sutton pitches a complete game. » August 15, 1978: The Phils drop their 4th in a row, losing to the Dodgers, 5–2. The loss cuts the Phils' lead to two games as the Cubs beat the Reds and Tom Seaver in an afternoon contest. After Reggie Smith had driven in the game-winner the previous two nights, it is Steve Garvey's turn. His triple in the 8th off Tug McGraw, with the bases loaded breaks a 2–2 tie. » April 19, 1980: Houston's J.R. Richard fires a one-hitter against the Dodgers, striking out 12 in a 2–0 victory. Reggie Smith's infield roller in the 4th inning is LA's lone hit. » August 6, 1982: Jack Clark and Reggie Smith hit back-to-back home runs twice in San Francisco's 7–6 win over Houston. The Giants trail 6–4 in the 9th inning before Clark and Smith homer to send the game into extra innings.