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Ozzie Smith is arguably the greatest defensive shortstop in MLB history. He was a 15-time All-Star and won 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards. He’s famous for acrobatic plays at shortstop and thrilling the fans with backflips.
Humble Beginnings
Smith was born on December 26, 1954, in Mobile, Alabama, the second of the six children of Marvella and Clovi Smith. When Ozzie was 6 years old, the family moved to the Watts section of Los Angeles.
When he was young, Ozzie developed his quick reflexes by bouncing a rubber ball off concrete steps and seeing how quickly he could catch it. He played basketball and baseball at Locke High School but did not gain the attention of any college recruiters, let alone MLB scouts. However, that didn’t deter the athletic shortstop. He continued to work hard at his craft, determined to play at the next level.
From College Walk-On to Starting MLB Shortstop
In 1974, Smith enrolled in California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo on a partial academic scholarship. He tried out for the baseball team and made it as a walk-on. The team’s starting shortstop broke his leg, and Smith took over the position and never looked back. After graduating from college, he was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fourth round of the 1977 draft.
In 1978, Smith attended the Padres’ spring-training camp as a non-roster invitee. His impressive defensive skills earned him a roster spot, and the 23-year-old shortstop made his major-league debut on April 7, 1978. Then, in the second game of the season, Ozzie got his first major-league hit, a single off of Jim Barr of the San Francisco Giants. The young shortstop wasn’t much at the plate, but his acrobatic plays at shortstop were spectacular. Furthermore, his defense is, without a doubt, what kept him in the line-up.
Impressive Rookie Season and the First Backflip of Many
In the Padres’ last home game of the 1978 season, Smith performed his first backflip for the fans, which became his trademark. Ozzie finished his rookie year with a slash line of .258/.311/.312 with one homerun and 46 RBI’s. It’s not an impressive line at all, but as previously mentioned, he wasn’t in there for his bat. The acrobatic shortstop was the runner-up to Atlanta’s Bob Horner in the vote for National League Rookie of the Year. Undoubtedly, it was because of his stellar defense. When Smith was asked about his fielding, he had this to say. “What I did, I did every day. Anyone can make a great play every now and then on any given day. But what I did, I did every day. I may not drive in 100 runs each year, but I can prevent 100 runs from scoring against us.”
In the 1979 season, Smith had a rough sophomore season at the plate, not cracking .200 until the beginning of August. He ended the season with a meager .211 batting average, no home runs, and only 27 RBIs. Once again, his fielding kept him in the lineup. Smith led the National League in assists, the first of eight times he led the in that category. Ozzie continued improving at the plate and making jaw-dropping plays in the field. The Wizard won his first Gold Glove award at shortstop in the 1980 season. Undoubtedly, his play caught the eye of executives across the league, including Whitey Herzog. This would lead to a blockbuster trade to St. Louis.
Ozzie Almost Stayed in San Diego
On December 10, 1981, Ozzie Smith was part of a six-player trade with the Padres. The trade had pitchers Steve Mura and Al Olmsted and Smith going to the Cardinals for the controversial shortstop Garry Templeton, who almost came to blows with Herzog after flipping off Cardinal fans. Also included were outfielder Sixto Lezcano and relief pitcher Luis DeLeon. However, the deal took two months to actually be completed due to Smith’s no trade clause in his contract. The shortstop had no intention of approving the deal. When speaking to reporters in January of 1982, Smith said “I’m still here in San Diego, and I have no intention of leaving. “This is my home. I love it here.”
Eventually, the shortstop agreed to accept the transaction. He gave credit to Cardinals’ manager Herzog for his change of heart. “I’ve always admired Whitey Herzog as a manager,” he said. “When he sat down and talked baseball, he was totally different. He was so sincere it was so unreal the way he talked. It took me two weeks to find out that I wanted to play for him. He’s a great baseball man.” No one could have foreseen the impact Ozzie would have in St. Louis.
At the time, many believed that San Diego got the better of the deal. Smith hit a measly .222 the previous season, compared with Templeton’s .288. Additionally, Templeton had a lifetime average of .305 compared to Ozzie’s .231. Obviously, it was Smith’s defense that set him apart. St. Louis fans would soon learn to love the slick fielding shortstop as his impact was felt immediately in the 1982 season.
World Series Title in First Season with Cardinals
In his first year in St. Louis, Smith helped the Cardinals win the National League pennant and a World Series title. During the NLCS against the Atlanta Braves, his bat came alive. In 13 plate appearances, he drew three walks and had five hits for a batting average of .556, a .615 on-base percentage, a .556 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.171. Additionally, he drove in three runs and had one stolen base as St. Louis swept the series in three games. In the World Series victory against the Milwaukee Brewers, Smith hit only .208, but his presence on defense was always there. After that season’s performance, he would always have a special place in the hearts of Cardinal fans. However, he wasn’t done yet. It was just the beginning of a legendary career as a Cardinal.
“Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!”
Once again, in 1985, the Cardinals found themselves in the NLCS hunting for another World Series title. Ozzie starred in the NLCS once again and hit one of the most memorable and unlikely homeruns in postseason history. In six games against the Dodgers, Smith had an impressive slash line of .435/.500/.696 with an OPS of 1.196. He hit the only postseason homerun of his career and his first homer from the left side of the plate in game five. It was a walk-off solo shot that firmly cemented his place in Cardinals’ history. The legendary Cardinals’ announcer Jack Buck made an unforgettable call on the St. Louis airwaves for Cardinal fans yelling “Go Crazy Folks, Go Crazy!” while Ozzie circled the bases. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they eventually lost to the Kansas City Royals in the World Series.
Ozzie’s Hard Work and Determination Pays Off With Hall of Fame Induction
Early in his career, Ozzie was the prototypical glove first shortstop. Furthermore, it took seven seasons for him to improve on his rookie year batting average of .258. However, in 1987, Smith’s hard work paid off. The Wizard finished second to Chicago Cubs’ outfielder Andre Dawson for the NL MVP award when he hit for a .303 average. Additionally, he kept working on his hitting and averaged a respectable .277 over his last 10 years. The shortstop never quit trying to improve, and it showed.
The acrobatic shortstop is widely regarded as the best defensive player in MLB history. Smith was a first ballot Hall of Famer, and rightfully so. His career offensive numbers were better than some may realize, especially his 2,460 hits. Additionally, he had 2,573 games played, 1,257 runs scored, 28 home runs, 793 RBI’s, 580 stolen bases, and a .262/.337/.328 slash line with a .666 OPS. However, it wasn’t the offensive numbers that got him in.
Ozzie’s defense was special, and that can not be denied. Smith led the league in putouts twice and in range factor seven times. His 8,375 career assists are the most ever made by any major-league player at any position. Smith won the first of 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards in 1980. The next season, he was named to the All-Star Game for the first of 15 times. His defensive ability was almost magical, hence the “Wizard of Oz” nickname. Players of his magnitude don’t come around often, and anyone that got to see him him play should consider themselves very lucky to have been able to witness a once in a lifetime talent like Ozzie.
