Dave Smith, baseball player, 1980-1992

Dave Smith

Born: 1/21/1955 in Richmond, CA, USA

Died: 12/17/2008 in San Diego, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1980-04-11 | Final Game: 1992-06-08

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

Full name: David Stanley Smith

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Biography

Dave Smith, born in 1955, was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1980 to 1992. Known for his effective pitching style and ability to close games, Smith finished his career with a record of 53-53 and a notable earned run average (ERA) of 2.67. His strikeout total of 548 and impressive 216 saves underscored his role as a reliable arm in the bullpen, making him a valuable asset to his teams. Smith was selected as an All-Star twice during his career, highlighting his recognition among peers and fans alike. He played during a transformative era in baseball, where the emphasis on relief pitching began to grow, and his contributions helped set a standard for future closers. His ability to perform under pressure and maintain a low ERA made him a respected figure in the game, and his legacy continues to influence aspiring pitchers today.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
53 53 609 1 0 0 216 809.3 700 240 34 283 548 2.67 0

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
1980 HOU NL 7 5 57 0 0 0 10 102.7 90 22 32 85 1.93 4106.2
1981 HOU NL 5 3 42 0 0 0 8 75.0 54 23 23 52 2.76 1948.2
1982 HOU NL 5 4 49 1 0 0 11 63.3 69 27 31 28 3.84 -415.3
1983 HOU NL 3 1 42 0 0 0 6 72.7 72 25 36 41 3.10 740.7
1984 HOU NL 5 4 53 0 0 0 5 77.3 60 19 20 45 2.21 1083.0
1985 HOU NL 9 5 64 0 0 0 27 79.3 69 20 17 40 2.27 2107.0
1986 HOU NL 4 7 54 0 0 0 33 56.0 39 17 22 46 2.73 639.4
1987 HOU NL 2 3 50 0 0 0 24 60.0 39 11 21 73 1.65 4184.8
1988 HOU NL 4 5 51 0 0 0 27 57.3 60 17 19 38 2.67 1474.9
1989 HOU NL 3 4 52 0 0 0 25 58.0 49 17 19 31 2.64 1112.0
1990 HOU NL 6 6 49 0 0 0 23 60.3 45 16 20 50 2.39 1304.2
1991 CHC NL 0 6 35 0 0 0 17 33.0 39 22 19 16 6.00 -
1992 CHC NL 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 14.3 15 4 4 3 2.51 -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
609 44 2 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 21 0.068 0.146 0.068 0.214 0.0

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG PIV
1980 HOU NL 57 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.000 0.0
1981 HOU NL 42 8 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0.250 0.0
1982 HOU NL 49 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.0
1983 HOU NL 42 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000 0.0
1984 HOU NL 53 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0.000 0.0
1985 HOU NL 64 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0.000 0.0
1986 HOU NL 54 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.0
1987 HOU NL 50 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.500 0.0
1988 HOU NL 51 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 0.0
1989 HOU NL 52 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 0.0
1990 HOU NL 49 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0.000 0.0
1991 CHC NL 35 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.0
1992 CHC NL 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
7 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
1986 NLCS HOU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1981 NWDIV HOU 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1980 NLCS HOU 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 1 7 0 0 6.7 8 4 5 10 5.40

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1986 NLCS HOU 0 1 2 0 0 2.0 2 2 3 2 9.00
1981 NWDIV HOU 0 0 2 0 0 2.3 2 1 0 4 3.86
1980 NLCS HOU 1 0 3 0 0 2.3 4 1 2 4 3.86

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 609 1 42 87 11 6

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1980 HOU P 57 0 3 11 1 0
1981 HOU P 42 0 3 11 1 0
1982 HOU P 49 1 3 7 2 2
1983 HOU P 42 0 3 4 2 0
1984 HOU P 53 0 5 9 1 1
1985 HOU P 64 0 4 7 3 1
1986 HOU P 54 0 7 6 0 0
1987 HOU P 50 0 4 4 0 0
1988 HOU P 51 0 3 8 0 0
1989 HOU P 52 0 6 10 0 1
1990 HOU P 49 0 1 3 1 1
1991 CHN P 35 0 0 5 0 0
1992 CHN P 11 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 609

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1993 CHN NL $250,000
1992 CHN NL $2,500,000
1991 CHN NL $1,900,000
1990 HOU NL $1,100,000
1989 HOU NL $1,100,000
1988 HOU NL $1,100,000
1987 HOU NL $700,000
1986 HOU NL $650,000
1985 HOU NL $500,000
Total Career Earnings $9,800,000

College History

School Name City State Years Attended
San Diego State University San Diego CA 1974, 1975, 1976

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1986 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 5.0 336 0
1980 Rookie of the Year NL 5th 13.0 120 2