Al Smith
Born: 10/12/1907 in Belleville, IL, USA
Died: 4/28/1977 in Brownsville, TX, USA
MLB Debut: 1934-05-05 | Final Game: 1945-09-15
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 180 lbs
Full name: Alfred John Smith
Biography
Al Smith was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1934 to 1945. Born in 1907, Smith established himself as a reliable presence on the mound during a time when the game was transitioning from the deadball era to a more offensive-minded approach. Over his career, he compiled a record of 99 wins and 101 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.72, reflecting his ability to manage pitchers' duels and navigate through challenging lineups of the era.
Smith's career featured 587 strikeouts and 17 saves, showcasing his versatility and skill as both a starter and a reliever. He was selected as an All-Star once during his time in the league, marking a peak in a competitive career. His contributions to the game were notable during a period that saw significant changes in baseball, including the integration of players and the evolution of pitching strategies. Smith's legacy is remembered as one of consistency and resilience, as he competed in an era marked by both challenges and advancements in the sport.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99 | 101 | 356 | 202 | 75 | 16 | 17 | 1662.3 | 1707 | 688 | 94 | 587 | 587 | 3.72 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | NY1 | NL | 3 | 5 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 66.7 | 70 | 32 | 21 | 27 | 4.32 | 1073.8 |
| 1935 | NY1 | NL | 10 | 8 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 124.0 | 125 | 47 | 32 | 44 | 3.41 | 1010.0 |
| 1936 | NY1 | NL | 14 | 13 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 209.3 | 217 | 88 | 69 | 89 | 3.78 | 376.5 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 5 | 4 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 85.7 | 91 | 40 | 30 | 41 | 4.20 | -331.6 |
| 1938 | PHI | NL | 1 | 4 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 86.0 | 115 | 60 | 40 | 46 | 6.28 | -55.3 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4.00 | 0.0 |
| 1940 | CLE | AL | 15 | 7 | 31 | 24 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 183.0 | 187 | 70 | 55 | 46 | 3.44 | -345.5 |
| 1941 | CLE | AL | 12 | 13 | 29 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 206.7 | 204 | 88 | 75 | 76 | 3.83 | 562.5 |
| 1942 | CLE | AL | 10 | 15 | 30 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 168.3 | 163 | 74 | 71 | 66 | 3.96 | -865.5 |
| 1943 | CLE | AL | 17 | 7 | 29 | 27 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 208.3 | 186 | 59 | 72 | 72 | 2.55 | 765.4 |
| 1944 | CLE | AL | 7 | 13 | 28 | 26 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 181.7 | 197 | 69 | 69 | 44 | 3.42 | -721.2 |
| 1945 | CLE | AL | 5 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 133.7 | 141 | 57 | 48 | 34 | 3.84 | -1196.5 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 359 | 535 | 48 | 102 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 51 | 106 | 0.191 | 0.266 | 0.228 | 0.494 | -1748.8 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | NY1 | NL | 30 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.286 | 0.0 |
| 1935 | NY1 | NL | 40 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.118 | 0.0 |
| 1936 | NY1 | NL | 43 | 73 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 18 | 0.137 | -633.1 |
| 1937 | NY1 | NL | 33 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.120 | 0.0 |
| 1938 | PHI | NL | 37 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PHI | NL | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1940 | CLE | AL | 31 | 62 | 12 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 0.306 | 72.7 |
| 1941 | CLE | AL | 30 | 71 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 20 | 0.155 | -363.8 |
| 1942 | CLE | AL | 30 | 60 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0.250 | -171.6 |
| 1943 | CLE | AL | 30 | 68 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 0.206 | -174.9 |
| 1944 | CLE | AL | 28 | 64 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0.156 | -478.0 |
| 1945 | CLE | AL | 22 | 41 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0.293 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | WS | NY1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
| 1936 | WS | NY1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 10.80 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.00 |
| 1936 | WS | NY1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 81.00 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 356 | 0 | 55 | 367 | 17 | 26 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1934 | NY1 | P | 30 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 2 |
| 1935 | NY1 | P | 40 | 0 | 5 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| 1936 | NY1 | P | 43 | 0 | 4 | 44 | 5 | 4 |
| 1937 | NY1 | P | 33 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 1938 | PHI | P | 37 | 0 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 1939 | PHI | P | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | CLE | P | 31 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 0 | 5 |
| 1941 | CLE | P | 29 | 0 | 9 | 46 | 3 | 5 |
| 1942 | CLE | P | 30 | 0 | 5 | 34 | 1 | 0 |
| 1943 | CLE | P | 29 | 0 | 6 | 45 | 2 | 1 |
| 1944 | CLE | P | 28 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 1 | 2 |
| 1945 | CLE | P | 21 | 0 | 6 | 37 | 1 | 3 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 356 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 15th | 19.0 | 336 | 0 |