Clay Smith
Born: 9/11/1914 in Cambridge, KS, USA
Died: 3/5/2002 in Winfield, KS, USA
MLB Debut: 1938-09-13 | Final Game: 1940-09-22
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 190 lbs
Full name: Clay Jamieson Smith
Biography
Clay Smith was a professional baseball pitcher born in 1914, who played in Major League Baseball for a brief period from 1938 to 1940. Over the course of his career, Smith demonstrated his abilities on the mound, finishing with a win-loss record of 1-1 and an earned run average (ERA) of 5.49. Despite the challenges of pitching in the pre-World War II era, he managed to record a total of 17 strikeouts, showcasing his potential as a strikeout artist, although he did not register any saves during his time in the league.
Smith's playing career unfolded during a time when the game was evolving, with many teams beginning to experiment with different pitching styles and strategies. While his career numbers may not reflect the dominance seen in some of his contemporaries, Smith's contributions to the teams he played for during those pivotal years are a testament to his dedication to the sport. His journey through the challenges of the late 1930s and early 1940s highlights the resilience and determination of players during an era filled with both opportunity and adversity in baseball history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.3 | 50 | 24 | 4 | 15 | 17 | 5.49 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 6.55 | 48.7 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 1 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28.3 | 32 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 5.08 | -423.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0.000 | 0.083 | 0.000 | 0.083 | 0.0 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CLE | AL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1940 | DET | AL | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | WS | DET | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.000 |
Playoff Career Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2.25 |
Playoff Pitching by Year
| Year | Round | Team | W | L | G | GS | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | WS | DET | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2.25 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | 18 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | CLE | P | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1940 | DET | P | 14 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 18 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern College | Winfield | KS | 1932, 1933, 1934 |