Tommy Smith (baseball)

Tommy Smith
Outfielder
Born: (1948-08-01)August 1, 1948
Albemarle, North Carolina, U.S.
Died: November 1, 2024(2024-11-01) (aged 76)
Wake Forest, North Carolina, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Right
MLB debut
September 6, 1973, for the Cleveland Indians
Last MLB appearance
September 10, 1977, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average.232
Home runs4
Runs batted in21
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams

Tommy Alexander Smith (August 1, 1948 – November 1, 2024) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played five seasons in the majors, four for the Cleveland Indians and one for the Seattle Mariners.

Playing career

Smith attended Albemarle High School in Albemarle, North Carolina, then North Carolina State University, where he played college baseball for the Wolfpack.[1] He was the starting pitcher in a 1968 College World Series game, losing to the USC Trojans.[2] In 1969, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Bourne Canalmen of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star.[3][4]

Cleveland selected Smith in the third round of the 1970 MLB draft. He spent the next several seasons in their farm system, seeing only brief stints with the major league club in each season from 1973 until 1975.[5] He hit an inside-the-park home run for his first MLB home run on September 11, 1973.[6] The following January, he broke an arm while playing basketball.[7] In 1976, Smith got his first real shot at big league playing time, playing 55 games and batting .256.[8][5]

Prior to the 1977 season, Smith was selected with the 58th pick of the 1976 MLB expansion draft by the Mariners. However, with the expansion team, Smith saw little time in the majors, playing in just 21 games, going 7-for-27 in his final major league season.[5]

Personal life and death

Following his playing career, Smith opened a youth baseball training facility. He also worked as a salesman.[9][2]

Smith was married. He died on November 1, 2024 at the age of 76.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "North Carolina State University Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on November 23, 2005. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Peeler, Tim (November 11, 2024). "Tommy Smith fulfilled dreams with NC State baseball". The Wolfpacker. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Major League Baseball Players From the Cape Cod League" (PDF). capecodbaseball.org. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Cape League All-Stars". Cape Cod Standard-Times. Hyannis, MA. July 19, 1969. p. 5.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tommy Smith Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Tommy Smith Career Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Cleveland's Smith suffers broken arm". Schenectady Gazette. Associated Press. January 22, 1974. p. 23.
  8. ↑ "Tommy Smith has home with Tribe". The Daily Sentinel. UPI. August 12, 1976. p. 3.
  9. 1 2 "Tommy Alexander Smith Obituary". Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home and Cremation Service. Wake Forest, NC. November 1, 2024. Archived from the original on January 23, 2025.
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