Phenomenal Smith
Born: 12/12/1864 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
Died: 4/3/1952 in Manchester, NH, USA
MLB Debut: 1884-08-14 | Final Game: 1891-06-15
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'6" | Weight: 161 lbs
Full name: John Francis Smith
Biography
Phenomenal Smith, born in 1864, was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1884 until his retirement in 1891. During his career, he became known for his competitive spirit and skill on the mound, finishing with a record of 54 wins and 74 losses. Smith posted a career Earned Run Average (ERA) of 3.89, a respectable figure for a pitcher during the late 19th century, a period marked by the transition from the deadball era towards a more offense-oriented game.
Over his career, Smith recorded 519 strikeouts, showcasing his ability to overpower hitters and contribute significantly to his team's defensive efforts. Despite his struggles in the win-loss column, he remained a reliable presence on the pitching staff, earning a reputation for his durability in an era when pitchers were often expected to complete games. While he did not secure any saves, his contributions on the mound solidified his place in the history of baseball as a noteworthy pitcher of his time.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 74 | 140 | 129 | 123 | 2 | 0 | 1169.3 | 1177 | 506 | 20 | 479 | 519 | 3.89 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4.00 | 0.0 |
| 1884 | PT1 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
| 1885 | BR3 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.0 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 12.38 | 0.0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9.00 | 0.0 |
| 1886 | DTN | NL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25.0 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 2.16 | 319.9 |
| 1887 | BL2 | AA | 25 | 30 | 58 | 55 | 54 | 1 | 0 | 491.3 | 526 | 207 | 176 | 206 | 3.79 | 5336.0 |
| 1888 | BL2 | AA | 14 | 19 | 35 | 32 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 292.0 | 249 | 117 | 137 | 152 | 3.61 | -3697.7 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22.0 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 2.86 | 401.2 |
| 1889 | PH4 | AA | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 43.0 | 53 | 21 | 25 | 12 | 4.40 | -1165.3 |
| 1890 | PHI | NL | 8 | 12 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 204.0 | 209 | 97 | 89 | 81 | 4.28 | 87.3 |
| 1890 | PIT | NL | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 44.0 | 39 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 3.07 | 772.0 |
| 1891 | PHI | NL | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.0 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 4.26 | -303.8 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 148 | 472 | 80 | 118 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 47 | 17 | 54 | 32 | 0.250 | 0.332 | 0.339 | 0.671 | 67.6 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PH4 | AA | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.250 | 0.0 |
| 1884 | PT1 | AA | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1885 | BR3 | AA | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.333 | 0.0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | AA | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
| 1886 | DTN | NL | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.111 | 0.0 |
| 1887 | BL2 | AA | 64 | 205 | 37 | 48 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 26 | 11 | 0.234 | -188.5 |
| 1888 | BL2 | AA | 35 | 109 | 16 | 27 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 7 | 0.248 | 232.3 |
| 1888 | PH4 | AA | 3 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.333 | 232.3 |
| 1889 | PH4 | AA | 5 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.188 | 0.0 |
| 1890 | PHI | NL | 26 | 86 | 19 | 24 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 0.279 | 23.8 |
| 1890 | PIT | NL | 5 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.412 | 23.8 |
| 1891 | PHI | NL | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.375 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| P | 140 | 0 | 32 | 199 | 44 | 8 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1884 | PH4 | P | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1884 | PT1 | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1885 | BR3 | P | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1885 | PH4 | P | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1886 | DTN | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1887 | BL2 | P | 58 | 0 | 9 | 99 | 20 | 1 |
| 1887 | BL2 | OF | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 1888 | BL2 | P | 35 | 0 | 8 | 50 | 17 | 1 |
| 1888 | BL2 | OF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1888 | PH4 | P | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1889 | PH4 | P | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1890 | PHI | P | 24 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 1 | 5 |
| 1890 | PHI | OF | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1890 | PIT | P | 5 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1891 | PHI | P | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 140 |
| Left Field | 11 |