Jimmy Smith
Shortstop · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1914-1922)
Jimmy Smith was a shortstop who played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1922 for 7 teams, including the Chicago Whales, a span of 9 seasons. In 370 career games, he hit .219 with 247 hits, 12 home runs, and 108 RBI.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Shortstop
- Bats / Throws
- B / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'9" / 152 lb
- Died
- 1/1/1974 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1914-09-26
- Last Game
- 1922-09-03
Full name: James Lawrence Smith
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 370 | 1,127 | 119 | 247 | 32 | 15 | 12 | 108 | 18 | 63 | 186 | .219 | .265 | .306 | .571 | -3,085 |
Career AVG .219 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 16.3% below league average.
Career OBP .265 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — 18.6% below league average.
Career SLG .306 vs. league average .350 across their career seasons — 12.5% below league average.
Career OPS .571 vs. league average .675 across their career seasons — 15.5% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | CHF | FL | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1915 | CHF | FL | 95 | 318 | 32 | 69 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 4 | 14 | 65 | .217 | .250 (-13%) | .318 (-22%) | .332 (-5%) | .651 (-13%) | -724.5 |
| 1915 | BLF | FL | 33 | 108 | 9 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 23 | .176 | .250 (-30%) | .318 (-19%) | .332 (-30%) | .651 (-25%) | -724.5 |
| 1916 | PIT | NL | 36 | 96 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 22 | .188 | .248 (-25%) | .314 (-18%) | .326 (-33%) | .640 (-26%) | -340.9 |
| 1917 | NY1 | NL | 36 | 96 | 12 | 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 18 | .229 | .248 (-8%) | .312 (-6%) | .323 (-7%) | .635 (-6%) | -86.2 |
| 1918 | BSN | NL | 34 | 102 | 8 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 13 | .225 | .255 (-12%) | .318 (-20%) | .326 (+11%) | .645 (-4%) | -124.3 |
| 1919 | CIN | NL | 28 | 40 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 8 | .275 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1921 | PHI | NL | 67 | 247 | 31 | 57 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 11 | 28 | .231 | .286 (-19%) | .344 (-23%) | .395 (-19%) | .739 (-21%) | -860.1 |
| 1922 | PHI | NL | 38 | 114 | 13 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 9 | .219 | .285 (-23%) | .345 (-25%) | .397 (-36%) | .743 (-31%) | -570.9 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 370 | 1,127 | 119 | 247 | 32 | 15 | 12 | 108 | 18 | 63 | 186 | .219 | — | — | — | — | -3,431 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (372 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 171 | 508 | 51 | 112 | 6 | 55 | .220 |
| Away | 201 | 615 | 67 | 135 | 6 | 53 | .220 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922-09-03 | PHI | NY1 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922-09-02 | PHI | BSN | W | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922-09-02 | PHI | BSN | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1922-09-01 | PHI | BSN | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922-09-01 | PHI | BSN | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1922-08-27 | PHI | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922-08-25 | PHI | CHC | L | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922-08-24 | PHI | PIT | L | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1922-08-23 | PHI | PIT | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1922-08-17 | PHI | CIN | W | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2B | 123 | 0 | 210 | 357 | 19 | 30 |
| 3B | 18 | 0 | 15 | 26 | 4 | 1 |
| OF | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| SS | 199 | 0 | 422 | 526 | 94 | 66 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1914 | CHF | SS | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1915 | CHF | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1915 | CHF | SS | 92 | 0 | 187 | 246 | 46 | 28 |
| 1915 | BLF | SS | 33 | 0 | 86 | 87 | 23 | 9 |
| 1916 | PIT | 3B | 6 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| 1916 | PIT | SS | 27 | 0 | 51 | 66 | 9 | 6 |
| 1917 | NY1 | 2B | 29 | 0 | 38 | 64 | 3 | 5 |
| 1917 | NY1 | SS | 7 | 0 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 1918 | BSN | 2B | 10 | 0 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| 1918 | BSN | 3B | 5 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 |
| 1918 | BSN | OF | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1918 | BSN | SS | 9 | 0 | 28 | 31 | 9 | 5 |
| 1919 | CIN | 2B | 4 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 1919 | CIN | 3B | 6 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | CIN | OF | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1919 | CIN | SS | 5 | 0 | 9 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| 1921 | PHI | 2B | 66 | 0 | 125 | 239 | 11 | 19 |
| 1922 | PHI | 2B | 13 | 0 | 24 | 38 | 3 | 3 |
| 1922 | PHI | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922 | PHI | SS | 23 | 0 | 43 | 56 | 5 | 13 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Second Base | 120 |
| Third Base | 18 |
| Shortstop | 199 |
| Left Field | 5 |
| Right Field | 8 |
College History
| School Name | City | State | Years Attended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | PA | 1913, 1914 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jimmy Smith (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Jimmy Smith: the record in brief
Jimmy Smith played a first major league game on September 26, 1914 and a last one on September 3, 1922. The season rows list, in order, the Chicago Chi-Feds (1914), the Chicago Whales (1915), the Baltimore Terrapins (1915), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1916), the New York Giants (1917), the Boston Braves (1918), the Cincinnati Reds (1919), and the Philadelphia Phillies (1921 to 1922). At 5-foot-9 and 152 pounds, Smith is listed as a shortstop. The bio says Smith switch-hit and threw right-handed. Smith was born on May 15, 1895, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Smith's death is recorded on January 1, 1974, in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Jimmy Smith was the playing name; the full given name is James Lawrence.
Smith collected 247 hits in 1,127 at bats across 370 games, good for a .219 batting average; the totals also include 12 home runs and 108 RBI. Reaching base at a .265 clip and slugging .306, Smith finished with a .571 OPS. The league as a whole hit .262 across Smith's seasons, which puts the .219 career mark 16.3% below average. The OPS comparison is .571 to a league .675, 15.5% below average.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jimmy Smith
- What years did Jimmy Smith play?
- Jimmy Smith played in Major League Baseball from 1914 to 1922.
- Was Jimmy Smith a pitcher?
- No. Jimmy Smith was a position player (Shortstop).
- How many home runs did Jimmy Smith hit?
- Jimmy Smith hit 12 career home runs with 247 hits.
- What was Jimmy Smith's career batting average?
- Jimmy Smith batted .219 over his career, with 247 hits in 1,127 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jimmy Smith have?
- Jimmy Smith drove in 108 runs in his career.
- Is Jimmy Smith in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Jimmy Smith has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.