American professional baseball player, shortstop (born 1954)
Baseball player
Ozzie Smith
Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983
Shortstop
Born: (1954-12-26) December 26, 1954 (age 69) Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Switch
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1978, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB 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
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction
2002
Vote
91.7% (first ballot)
Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National League Gold Glove Award for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. A 15-time All-Star, Smith accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career, and won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2002. He was also elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014.
Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama; his family moved to Watts, Los Angeles, when he was six years old. While participating in childhood athletic activities, Smith developed quick reflexes; he went on to play baseball at Locke High School in Los Angeles, then at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Drafted as an amateur player by the Padres, Smith made his major league debut in 1978. He quickly established himself as an outstanding fielder, and later became known for performing backflips on special occasions while taking his position at the beginning of a game. Smith won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and made his first All-Star Game appearance in 1981.
When Smith clashed with the Padres' owners, Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog flew to San Diego to persuade the shortstop that he would be an appreciated and core component of the St. Louis team. Herzog's overture worked; Smith waived his contract's "no trade" clause and was traded to the Cardinals for shortstop Garry Templeton in 1982.
Upon joining the Cardinals, Smith helped the team win the 1982 World Series. Three years later, his game-winning home run during Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series prompted broadcaster Jack Buck's "Go crazy, folks!" play-by-play call. Despite a rotator cuff injury during the 1985 season, Smith posted career highs in multiple offensive categories in 1987. Smith continued to earn Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances annually until 1993. During the 1995 season, Smith had shoulder surgery and was out nearly three months. After tension with his new manager Tony La Russa developed in 1996, Smith retired at season's end, and his uniform number (No. 1) was subsequently retired by the Cardinals. Smith served as host of the television show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1998.
back up, and threw Burroughs out at first." —OzzieSmith describes a fielding play he made in 1978 Smith began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San...
Reese (1984) Cal Ripken Jr. (2007) Phil Rizzuto (1994) Joe Sewell (1977) OzzieSmith (2002) Joe Tinker (1946) Alan Trammell (2018) Arky Vaughan (1985) Honus...
Gold Gloves as a catcher, with 13 career awards in the American League. OzzieSmith has 13 wins at shortstop; he and Rodríguez are tied for the fourth-highest...
Ozzie or Ozzy is a masculine given name, sometimes a short form (hypocorism) of Oswald, Oscar, Osborne, Osman and Ozymandias and other names, surname...
were given for the National and American Leagues beginning in 1958. OzzieSmith, known as "the Wizard of Oz", has won the most Gold Glove Awards at shortstop;...
and pitching. The Cardinals made additional trades for Willie McGee, OzzieSmith, George Hendrick, Joaquín Andújar, and Sutter, all designed to craft...
over for the remainder of the season. In 1997, the recently retired OzzieSmith became the new permanent host with Fusselle serving as the show's announcer...
1982, as OzzieSmith's agent demanded a huge raise in order for his client to waive his no-trade clause and leave southern California, where Ozzie had grown...
Jim Reardon. Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Sax, OzzieSmith, Jose Canseco, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, and Mike Scioscia all...
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life...
of Baseball Hall of Famer OzzieSmith, is currently working on an album entitled The Revolution. On October 26, 2006, Smith performed "The Star-Spangled...
and Amos Otis, and Cardinals Clark, Keith Hernandez, José Oquendo, and OzzieSmith, as well as Darrell Porter, who played for Herzog in both Kansas City...
Bunning, Rod Carew, Pat Gillick, Ferguson Jenkins, Al Kaline, Joe Morgan, OzzieSmith, Don Sutton Executives: Jim Frey, David Glass, Roland Hemond, Bob Watson...
Roger Clemens, Cortez Kennedy, Larry King, Jon Miller, Frank Robinson, OzzieSmith 19 8 "Visionary for a New Millennium" Ellen S. Pressman Joan Ackermann...
in 1986 when he and Lou Albano managed The British Bulldogs (Davey Boy Smith and The Dynamite Kid) in their WWF Tag Team Championship win over The Dream...
Osborne Earl Smith may refer to: OzzieSmith (Osborne Earl Smith; born 1954), American baseball player Nikko Smith (Osborne Earl Smith Jr.; born 1982)...
Ozzie Newsome Jr. (born March 16, 1956) is an American professional football executive and former player who is the executive vice president of player...
Major League Baseball. August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 14, 2016. "OzzieSmith". statistical listing. Major League Baseball. October 11, 2010. Retrieved...
a 17-year-old boy and he swore at her after the match. Hull married OzzieSmith, a mixed martial arts fighter, in her hometown on the 21 September 2019...
Walter Payton, O.J. Anderson, William (the Fridge) Perry (football), OzzieSmith, Vince Coleman and Ron Darling (baseball), Kenyan, Irish and Welsh track...
the careers of older shortstops such as Cal Ripken Jr., Barry Larkin, OzzieSmith, and Alan Trammell were concluding. Rodriguez, the first overall selection...
a certain aspect of baseball. Episodes have included infielding with OzzieSmith, catching with Joe Girardi, outfielding with Torii Hunter, pitching with...
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