Willie Smith
Born: 2/11/1939 in Anniston, AL, USA
Died: 1/16/2006 in Anniston, AL, USA
MLB Debut: 1963-06-18 | Final Game: 1971-09-30
Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 182 lbs
Biography
Willie Smith was a professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1963 to 1971. Born in 1939, Smith made his mark during a competitive era that featured both the rise of power hitting and the evolution of pitching strategies. Over the course of his career, he compiled a record of 2-4 with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.1. Known for his ability to control the game, he struck out 39 batters and earned 2 saves during his time on the mound.
Smith's playing style reflected the transitional phase of baseball during the 1960s, as pitchers began to adapt to the increasing offensive prowess of hitters. Though he may not have achieved the accolades of some of his contemporaries, his contributions to his teams were significant, and he was respected for his competitive spirit and dedication to the craft. His career spanned a pivotal time in baseball history, and he remains a noteworthy figure for those who appreciate the nuances of the game during that era.
Negro Leagues Career Statistics
Batting
| PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21.0 | 19.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.105 | 0.150 | 0.211 | 0.361 |
Pitching
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27.0 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 75.0 | 48.0 | 17.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 2.07 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.300 | 0.600 |
| 1946 | 11.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.222 | 0.300 | 0.444 | 0.744 |
| 1948 | 10.0 | 10.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 1958 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 0.500 | 1.000 |
| 1959 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching
| Season | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.00 |
| 1946 | 8.0 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 35.0 | 22.0 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1948 | 19.0 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 26.0 | 17.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 4.13 |
| 1958 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1959 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 61.0 | 60 | 21 | 7 | 24 | 39 | 3.10 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | AL | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21.7 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 4.57 | -295.5 |
| 1964 | LAA | AL | 1 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31.7 | 34 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 2.84 | -682.1 |
| 1968 | CHC | NL | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 | - |
| 1968 | CLE | AL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.0 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 691 | 1654 | 171 | 410 | 63 | 21 | 46 | 211 | 20 | 107 | 284 | 0.248 | 0.295 | 0.395 | 0.689 | 329.4 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | AL | 17 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.125 | 0.0 |
| 1964 | LAA | AL | 118 | 359 | 46 | 108 | 14 | 6 | 11 | 51 | 7 | 8 | 39 | 0.301 | 700.4 |
| 1965 | LAA | AL | 136 | 459 | 52 | 120 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 57 | 9 | 32 | 60 | 0.261 | 440.3 |
| 1966 | LAA | AL | 90 | 195 | 18 | 36 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 12 | 37 | 0.185 | -1072.4 |
| 1967 | CLE | AL | 21 | 32 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0.219 | 0.0 |
| 1968 | CHC | NL | 55 | 142 | 13 | 39 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 0 | 12 | 33 | 0.275 | 518.6 |
| 1968 | CLE | AL | 33 | 42 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0.143 | 518.6 |
| 1969 | CHC | NL | 103 | 195 | 21 | 48 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 25 | 49 | 0.246 | 409.8 |
| 1970 | CHC | NL | 87 | 167 | 15 | 36 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 24 | 2 | 11 | 32 | 0.216 | -373.2 |
| 1971 | CIN | NL | 31 | 55 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.164 | -294.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 93 | 64 | 641 | 34 | 4 | 62 |
| OF | 339 | 298 | 459 | 17 | 12 | 2 |
| P | 29 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | DET | P | 11 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1964 | LAA | P | 15 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 1964 | LAA | OF | 87 | 80 | 128 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 1965 | CAL | 1B | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 1965 | CAL | OF | 123 | 108 | 187 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 1966 | CAL | OF | 52 | 40 | 71 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1967 | CLE | 1B | 3 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | CLE | OF | 4 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1968 | CHN | P | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | CHN | 1B | 4 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | CHN | OF | 38 | 36 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1968 | CLE | P | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 | CLE | 1B | 7 | 4 | 51 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 1968 | CLE | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1969 | CHN | 1B | 24 | 16 | 159 | 9 | 1 | 14 |
| 1969 | CHN | OF | 33 | 30 | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1970 | CHN | 1B | 43 | 32 | 318 | 11 | 2 | 32 |
| 1970 | CHN | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | CIN | 1B | 10 | 9 | 80 | 9 | 0 | 10 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 29 |
| First Base | 93 |
| Left Field | 287 |
| Center Field | 3 |
| Right Field | 55 |