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Ozzie Smith

June 29, 2023

Osborne Earl Smith (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional baseball player. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Oz", Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball, winning the National League Gold Glove Award for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. A 15-time All-Star, Smith accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career, and won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2002. He was also elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014.

Ozzie Smith
Smith in 1983
Shortstop
Born: (1954-12-26) December 26, 1954 (age 68)
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.
Batted: Switch
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1978, for the San Diego Padres
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 1996, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average.262
Hits2,460
Home runs28
Runs batted in793
Stolen bases580
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2002
Vote91.7% (first ballot)

Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama; his family moved to Watts, Los Angeles, when he was six years old. While participating in childhood athletic activities, Smith developed quick reflexes; he went on to play baseball at Locke High School in Los Angeles, then at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Drafted as an amateur player by the Padres, Smith made his major league debut in 1978. He quickly established himself as an outstanding fielder, and later became known for performing backflips on special occasions while taking his position at the beginning of a game. Smith won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and made his first All-Star Game appearance in 1981.

When conflict with Padres' ownership developed for Smith, he was pursued by the Cardinals' manager, Whitey Herzog, who flew to San Diego to convince Smith he'd be an appreciated, valuable, and core component of the Cardinals and to waive the "no-trade" clause of his contract so that he could be traded and join the Cardinals. Herzog's overture to Smith worked. Smith waived the "no trade" clause and was subsequently traded to the Cardinals for shortstop Garry Templeton in 1982.

Upon joining the Cardinals, Smith helped the team win the 1982 World Series. Three years later, his game-winning home run during Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series prompted broadcaster Jack Buck's "Go crazy, folks!" play-by-play call. Despite a rotator cuff injury during the 1985 season, Smith posted career highs in multiple offensive categories in 1987. Smith continued to earn Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances annually until 1993. During the 1995 season, Smith had shoulder surgery and was out nearly three months. After tension with his new manager Tony La Russa developed in 1996, Smith retired at season's end, and his uniform number (No. 1) was subsequently retired by the Cardinals. Smith served as host of the television show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1998.

Early life

Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama, the second of Clovi and Marvella Smith's six children (five boys and one girl).[1] His father worked as a sandblaster at Brookley Air Force Base.[2] When Smith was six, his family moved to the Watts section of Los Angeles.[2] His father became a delivery truck driver for Safeway stores, while his mother became an aide at a nursing home.[3] His mother was an influential part of his life who stressed the importance of education and encouraged him to pursue his dreams.[4][5]

Smith played a variety of sports in his youth, though considered baseball to be his favorite.[6] He developed quick reflexes through various athletic and leisure activities, such as bouncing a ball off the concrete steps in front of his house, moving in closer to reduce reaction time with each throw.[7] When not at the local YMCA or playing sports, Smith sometimes went with friends to the neighborhood lumberyard, springboarding off inner tubes and doing flips into sawdust piles (a precursor to his famous backflips).[8] In 1965, at age 10, he endured the Watts Riots with his family, recalling, "We had to sleep on the floor because of all the sniping and looting going on."[9]

While Smith was attending junior high school, his parents divorced.[3] Continuing to pursue his interest in baseball, he would ride the bus for nearly an hour to reach Dodger Stadium, cheering for the Los Angeles Dodgers at about 25 games a year.[3] Upon becoming a student at Locke High School, Smith played on the basketball and baseball teams.[3] Smith was a teammate of future National Basketball Association player Marques Johnson on the basketball team, and a teammate of future fellow Hall-of-Fame player Eddie Murray on the baseball side.[10] After high school, Smith attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1974 on a partial academic scholarship, and managed to walk on to the baseball team.[11] He learned to switch-hit from Cal Poly coach Berdy Harr.[12] When Cal Poly's starting shortstop broke his leg midway through the 1974 season, Smith took over the starting role.[5] He was named an All-American athlete and established school records in career at-bats (754) and stolen bases (110) before graduating in 1977.[11][13]

Professional baseball career

San Diego Padres

Smith was playing semi-professional baseball in Clarinda, Iowa, when in June 1976 he was selected in the seventh round of the amateur entry draft by the Detroit Tigers.[14][15] The parties could not agree on a contract; Smith wanted a $10,000 ($51,427 today) signing bonus, while the Tigers offered $8,500 ($43,713 today).[16] Smith returned to Cal Poly for his senior year, then in the 1977 draft was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres, ultimately agreeing to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus ($24,146 today).[16] Smith spent his first year of professional baseball during 1977 with the Class A Walla Walla Padres of the Northwest League.[17]

"As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."

—Ozzie Smith describes a fielding play he made in 1978[18]

Smith began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San Diego Padres' spring training camp in Yuma, Arizona. Smith credited Padres manager Alvin Dark for giving him confidence by telling reporters the shortstop job was Smith's until he proved he can't handle it.[19] Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp, Smith made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on April 7, 1978.[20][21]

It did not take long for Smith to earn recognition in the major leagues, making what some consider his greatest fielding play only 10 games into his rookie season.[5][22] The Padres played host to the Atlanta Braves on April 20, 1978, and with two out in the top of the fourth inning, Atlanta's Jeff Burroughs hit a ground ball up the middle.[23] Smith described the play by saying, "He hit a ball back up the middle that everybody thought was going into center field. I instinctively broke to my left and dove behind second. As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."[18]

 
Smith in 1978

During a roadtrip to Houston, later in the season, Smith met a part-time usherette at the Astrodome named Denise while making his way to the team bus outside the stadium.[24] The couple developed a relationship that was sometimes long-distance in nature, and eventually decided to marry.[24][25] It was also during the 1978 season where Smith introduced a signature move. Padres promotion director Andy Strasberg knew Smith could perform backflips, though only did them during practice before fans entered the stadium.[22] Strasberg asked Smith to do a backflip for fans during Fan Appreciation Day on October 1, the Padres' last home game of the season.[22][26] After conferring with veteran teammate Gene Tenace, Smith went ahead with the backflip, and it proved to be wildly popular.[22] Smith finished the 1978 season with a .258 batting average and .970 fielding percentage, placing him second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to Bob Horner.[27][28]

After working with a hitting instructor during the offseason, Smith failed to record a base hit in his first 32 at-bats of the 1979 season.[29] Among players with enough at-bats to qualify for the 1979 National League Triple Crown, Smith finished the season last in batting average (.211), home runs (0), and RBI (27).[30] Off the field, conflict developed between Padres' ownership and the combination of Smith and his agent, Ed Gottlieb. The parties entered into a contract dispute before the 1980 season, and when negotiations lasted into spring training, the Padres renewed Smith's contract at his 1979 salary of $72,500[31] Smith's agent told the Padres the shortstop would forgo the season to race in the Tour de France, despite the fact Smith admitted to The Break Room on 96.5 WCMF in Rochester, New York, he had never heard of the Tour. Angered by the Padres' attitude during those contract talks, Gottlieb took out a help-wanted ad in the San Diego Union, part of which read, "Padre baseball player wants part-time employment to supplement income."[32] When Joan Kroc, wife of Padres owner Ray Kroc, publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant gardener on her estate, Smith and Gottlieb's relationship with the organization deteriorated further.[33]

Meanwhile, Smith was winning recognition for his accomplishments on the field. In 1980, he set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop (621), and began his string of 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards.[34] Smith's fielding play prompted the Yuma Daily Sun to use the nickname "the Wizard of Oz" in a March 1981 feature article about Smith.[35] While "the Wizard of Oz" nickname was an allusion to the 1939 motion picture of the same name, Smith also came to be known as simply "the Wizard" during his playing career, as Smith's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque would later attest.[36][37] In 1981, Smith made his first All-Star Game appearance as a reserve player.[38]

Trade

While Smith was having problems with the Padres' owners, the St. Louis Cardinals also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop, Garry Templeton. Templeton's relationship with Cardinal Nation had become increasingly strained and finally came to a head during a game at Busch Stadium on August 26, 1981, when (after being heckled for not running out a ground ball) he made obscene gestures at fans, and had to be physically pulled off the field by manager Whitey Herzog.[39][40]

Given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner Gussie Busch (and specifically to unload Templeton), Herzog was looking to trade Templeton when he was approached by Padres General Manager Jack McKeon at the 1981 baseball winter meetings.[41] While McKeon had previously told Herzog that Smith was untouchable in any trade, the Padres were now so angry at Smith's agent Gottlieb that McKeon was willing to deal.[42] McKeon and Herzog agreed in principle to a six-player trade, with Templeton for Smith as the centerpiece.[42] It was then that Padres manager Dick Williams informed Herzog a no-trade clause had been included in Smith's 1981 contract.[43] Upon learning of the trade, Smith's initial reaction was to invoke the clause and stay in San Diego, but he was still interested to hear what the Cardinals had to say.[44] While the deal for the players beside Templeton and Smith went through, Herzog flew to San Diego to meet with Smith and Gottlieb over the Christmas holiday.[45] Smith later recalled that, "Whitey told me that with me playing shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, we could win the pennant. He made me feel wanted, which was a feeling I was quickly losing from the Padres. The mere fact that Whitey would come all the way out there to talk to us was more than enough to convince me that St. Louis was the place I wanted to be."[46]

St. Louis Cardinals

1982–1984

On December 10, 1981, the Padres traded Smith, Steve Mura, and a player to be named later to the Cardinals for Templeton, Sixto Lezcano and a player to be named later. The teams completed the trade on February 19, 1982, with the Padres sending Al Olmsted to the Cardinals, and St. Louis sending Luis DeLeon to the Padres.[47][48] Herzog believed Smith could improve his offensive production by hitting more ground balls, and subsequently created a motivational tool designed to help Smith concentrate on that task.[49] Approaching Smith one day during spring training, Herzog said, "Every time you hit a fly ball, you owe me a buck. Every time you hit a ground ball, I owe you a buck. We'll keep that going all year."[50] Smith agreed to the wager, and by the end of the season had won close to $300 from Herzog.[50] As the 1982 season got underway, Herzog's newly assembled team won 12 games in a row during the month of April, and finished the season atop the National League East division.[51][52] Herzog would later say of Smith's contributions: "If he saved two runs a game on defense, which he did many a night, it seemed to me that was just as valuable to the team as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense."[53]

Smith became a father during the 1982 season with the birth of his son O.J., today known as Nikko, on April 28.[54] Smith also developed a lasting friendship with teammate Willie McGee during the season, and Smith said he likes to think he "helped Willie get over some of the rough spots of adjusting to the major leagues".[55] Smith later participated in the postseason for the first time when the Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the best-of-five 1982 National League Championship Series (NLCS). In Game 1, Smith drove in the series' first run by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored McGee, ultimately going five for nine in St. Louis' three-game series sweep.[56]

Just as Herzog had predicted in December, Smith found himself as the team's starting shortstop in the best-of-seven 1982 World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. During the series, Smith scored three runs, had five hits, and did not commit an error in the field.[57] When St. Louis was trailing 3–1 with one out in the sixth inning of Game 7, Smith started a rally with a base hit to left field, eventually scoring the first of the team's three runs that inning.[58] The Cardinals scored two more runs in the 8th inning for a 6–3 win and the championship.

In January 1983, Smith and the Cardinals agreed on a new contract that paid Smith $1 million per year.[59]

During the 1983 season, Smith was voted the National League's starting shortstop in the All-Star Game for the first time in 1983, and at season's end won a fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.[60]

In July 1984, Smith's wrist was broken by a pitch as he batted against the Padres.[61][62] He returned from the disabled list after a month, but his return to the lineup was not enough to propel the Cardinals to a postseason berth.[61]

1985–1986

"Smith corks one into right, down the line! It may go ... Go crazy, folks, go crazy! It's a home run, and the Cardinals have won the game, by the score of 3 to 2, on a home run by the Wizard! Go crazy!"

—Jack Buck[63]

"And that's driven to deep right field, back goes Marshall ... gone!

—NBC's Vin Scully[63]

In 1985, Smith amassed a .276 batting average, 31 stolen bases, and 591 assists in the field.[15] The Cardinals as a team won 101 games during the season and earned another postseason berth.[64] Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the now best-of-seven NLCS, a split of the first four games set the stage for Game 5 at Busch Stadium. With the score tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda called upon closer Tom Niedenfuer to pitch. Smith batted left-handed against Niedenfuer with one out. Smith, who had never hit a home run in his previous 2,967 left-handed major league at-bats,[65] pulled an inside fastball down the right-field line for a walk-off home run, ending Game 5 in a 3–2 Cardinals victory.[66] Smith said, "I was trying to get an extra-base hit and get into scoring position. Fortunately, I was able to get the ball up."[17] The home run not only prompted broadcaster Jack Buck's "Go crazy folks" play-by-play call, but was also later voted the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history by Cardinals fans.[67][68]

After Smith's teammate Jack Clark hit a late-inning home run of his own in Game 6 to defeat the Dodgers, the Cardinals moved on to face the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series. Once again sportswriters were quick to draw attention to Smith's outstanding defensive play instead of his 2 for 23 effort at the plate.[69][70] After the Cardinals took a three-games-to-two advantage, a controversial Game 6 call by umpire Don Denkinger overshadowed the remainder of the Series (which the Royals won in seven games).[71]

What was not publicly known during the regular season and playoffs was that Smith had torn his rotator cuff after suffering an impingement in his right shoulder during the July 11–14 homestand against the Padres.[72][73] After suffering the impingement diving back into first base on a pickoff throw, Smith altered his throwing motion to such a degree that the rotator cuff tear subsequently developed.[72] The 5'10" (1.78 m), 180-pound (82 kg) Smith opted to forgo surgery and instead built up his arm strength via weightlifting, playing through whatever pain he encountered.[65] Said Smith, "I didn't tell anybody about the injury, because I wanted to keep playing and didn't want anybody thinking they could run on me or take advantage of the injury. I tried to do almost everything, except throw a baseball, left-handed: opening a door, turning on the radio—everything. It didn't get any better, but it was good enough that I didn't have to have surgery."[74]

Because of his injury, Smith let his then four-year-old son Nikko perform his traditional Opening Day backflip before the Cardinals' first home game of the 1986 season.[75] Smith made an "eye-popping" play later that season on August 4, during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium.[65] In the top of the ninth inning, Phillies pinch-hitter Von Hayes hit a short fly ball to left field, which was pursued by both Smith and left fielder Curt Ford.[76] Running with his back to home plate, Smith dove forward, simultaneously catching the ball while parallel to the ground and flying over the diving Ford, avoiding a collision by inches.[4][65]

1987–1990

"The thing about Ozzie is, if he misses a ball, you assume it's uncatchable. If any other shortstop misses a ball, your first thought is, 'Would Ozzie have had it?'"

 —Former New York Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson in 1987[5]

After hitting in either the second or eighth spot in the batting order for most of his time in St. Louis, Herzog made Smith the number-two hitter full-time during the 1987 season.[77] Over the course of the year, Smith accrued a .303 batting average, 43 stolen bases, 75 RBIs, 104 runs scored, and 40 doubles, good enough to earn him the Silver Slugger Award at shortstop.[27] In addition to winning the Gold Glove Award at shortstop for the eighth consecutive time, Smith posted a career-high on-base percentage of .392. Smith was also the leading vote-getter in the 1987 All-Star Game.[78] The Cardinals earned a postseason berth with 95 wins, and subsequently faced the San Francisco Giants in the 1987 National League Championship Series.[79] Smith contributed a triple during the series, and the Cardinals won the contest in seven games.[80]

The 1987 World Series matched the Cardinals against the American League champion Minnesota Twins. The home team won every game of the contest, as Minnesota won the series.[81] In 28 at-bats during the Series, Smith scored three runs and had two RBIs.[70] Smith finished second in MVP balloting to Andre Dawson, who had played on the last-place Chicago Cubs, largely because Smith and teammate Jack Clark split the first-place vote.[82] Following the 1987 season, Smith was awarded the largest contract in the National League at $2.34 million.[83]

While the team did not see the postseason for the remainder of the decade, Smith continued to rack up All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves. Combined with the attention he received from his contract, Smith continued to be a national figure. Known as a savvy dresser, he made the April 1988 cover of GQ magazine.[84] Smith was witness to change within the Cardinal organization when owner Gussie Busch died in 1989 and Herzog quit as manager during the 1990 season.[85][86]

1990–1995

"No one paid attention to my offense. So having 2,000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment."

—Ozzie Smith, from the 1993 St. Louis Cardinals Yearbook[12]

Joe Torre became Smith's new manager in 1990, but the team did not reach the postseason during Torre's nearly five-year tenure.[87] While the Cardinals celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1992, Smith marked milestones of his own, stealing his 500th career base on April 26, then notching a triple on May 26 in front of the home crowd for his 2,000th hit.[88] St. Louis had a one-game lead in the National League East division on June 1, 1992, but injuries took their toll on the team, including Smith's two-week illness in late July after contracting chicken pox for the first time.[89] As a testament to his national visibility during this time, Smith appeared in a 1992 episode of The Simpsons titled "Homer at the Bat".[90] Smith became a free agent for the first time in his career on November 2, 1992, only to re-sign with the Cardinals on December 6.[15]

Smith won his final Gold Glove in 1992, and his 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at shortstop in the National League has yet to be matched.[91] The 1993 season marked the only time between 1981 and 1996 where Smith failed to make the All-Star team, and Smith finished the 1993 season with a .288 batting average and .974 fielding percentage.[27] He appeared in 98 games during the strike-shortened 1994 season, and later missed nearly three months of the 1995 season after shoulder surgery on May 31.[92][93] Smith was recognized for his community service efforts with the 1994 Branch Rickey Award and the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award. In February 1994, Smith took on the role of honorary chairman and official spokesman for the Missouri Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health.[94]

1996

As Smith entered the 1996 season, he finalized a divorce from his wife Denise during the first half of the year.[25][95] Meanwhile, manager Tony La Russa began his first season with the Cardinals in tandem with a new ownership group. After General Manager Walt Jocketty acquired shortstop Royce Clayton during the offseason, La Russa emphasized an open competition for the spot that would give the Cardinals the best chance to win.[96] When spring training concluded, Smith had amassed a .288 batting average and zero errors in the field, and Clayton batted .190 with eight errors.[25] Smith believed he had earned the position with his spring training performance, but La Russa disagreed, and awarded Clayton the majority of playing time in the platoon situation that developed, where Smith typically saw action every third game.[25][97] La Russa said,

I think it's fair to say he misunderstood how he compared to Royce in spring training ... When I and the coaches evaluated the play in spring training—the whole game—Royce started very slowly offensively and you could see him start to get better. By what he was able to do defensively and on the bases, Royce deserved to play the majority of the games.[98]

Smith missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury, and continued to harbor ill feelings toward La Russa that had developed after spring training ended.[25][99] In a closed-door meeting in mid-May, La Russa asked Smith if he would like to be traded.[25] Instead, Smith and his agent negotiated a compromise with Cardinals management, agreeing to a buyout of special provisions in his contract in conjunction with Smith announcing his retirement.[25] The agreement prompted a press conference at Busch Stadium on June 19, 1996, during which Smith announced he would retire from baseball at season's end.[100]

 
Ozzie Smith's number 1 was retired by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1996.

As Smith made his final tour of the National League, he was honored by many teams, and received a standing ovation at the 1996 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.[25] Between June 19 and September 1, Smith's batting average increased from .239 to .286.[101] On September 2 Smith tied a career high by scoring four runs, one of which was a home run, and another on a close play at home plate in the bottom of the 10th inning against division leader Houston.[102] The victory moved the Cardinals to within a half game of Houston in the National League Central Division, and the Cardinals went on to win the division by six games.[102][103] The Cardinals held a special ceremony at Busch Stadium on September 28, 1996, before a game against the Cincinnati Reds, honoring Smith by retiring his uniform number. Noted for his ritual backflip before Opening Days, All-Star Games, and postseason games, Smith chose this occasion to perform it for one of the last times.[22]

In the postseason, the Cardinals first faced the San Diego Padres in the 1996 National League Division Series. After sitting out Game 1, Smith got the start in Game 2 at Busch Stadium, helping his team go up two games in the series by notching a run, a hit and two walks at the plate, along with an assist and a putout in the field.[104] The Cardinals then swept the series by winning Game 3 in San Diego.[105]

The Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Championship Series. Smith started Game 1 and subsequently registered three putouts and one assist in the field, but went hitless in four at-bats in the Cardinals' 4–2 loss.[106] The Cardinals then won Games 2, 3, and 4, contests in which Smith did not appear.[107][108][109] Upon receiving the start in Game 5, Smith nearly duplicated his Game 1 performance with four putouts, one assist, and no hits in four at-bats as part of another Cardinals defeat.[110] The Cardinals also failed to win Game 6 or Game 7 in Atlanta, ending their season.[111] When the Cardinals were trailing by 10 runs during Game 7 on October 17, Smith flied out to right field while pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, marking the end of his playing career.[112]

Smith finished his career with distinctions ranging from the accumulation of more than 27.5 million votes in All-Star balloting, to holding the record for the most MLB at-bats without hitting a grand slam.[4][113]

Post-playing career

Upon retirement, Smith took over from Mel Allen as the host of the television series This Week in Baseball (TWIB) in 1997.[114] Smith also became color commentator for the local broadcast of Cardinals games on KPLR-TV from 1997 to 1999.[115] When his stint on This Week in Baseball concluded, Smith then moved on to do work for CNN-SI beginning in 1999.[116] After La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals in 2011, Smith became active in the organization again, starting with his stint as a special instructor for the team's 2012 spring training camp.[117]

 
Smith fields a ground ball at Doubleday Field in 2002.

On January 8, 2002 Smith learned via a phone call he had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot by receiving 91.7% of the votes cast.[118][119] As it happened, the Olympic torch was passing through St. Louis on its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics, and Smith served as a torchbearer in a ceremony with St. Louis Rams' quarterback Kurt Warner that evening.[120] Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies on July 28, 2002. During his speech, he compared his baseball experiences with the characters from the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, after which his son Dustin presented his Hall of Fame plaque.[121] Days later on August 11, Smith was back at Busch Memorial Stadium for the unveiling of a statue in his likeness made by sculptor Harry Weber.[122] Weber chose to emphasize Smith's defensive skills by showing Smith stretched horizontal to the ground while fielding a baseball.[122] At the ceremony Weber told Smith, "You spent half of your career up in the air. That makes it difficult for a sculptor to do something with it."[122]

Smith has also been an entrepreneur in a variety of business ventures. Smith opened "Ozzie's" restaurant and sports bar in 1988, started a youth sports academy in 1990, became an investor in a grocery store chain in 1999, and partnered with David Slay to open a restaurant in the early 2000s.[123][124][125][126] Of those businesses the youth academy remains in operation, with the restaurant having closed in 2010 after changing ownership and locations once.[127][128] Aside from appearing in numerous radio and television commercials in the St. Louis area since retiring from baseball, Smith authored a children's book in 2006 and launched his own brand of salad dressing in 2008.[129]

Besides the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Smith has also been inducted or honored in other halls of fame and recognitions. In 1999, he ranked number 87 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,[130] and finished third in voting at shortstop for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.[131][132] He was honored with induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame, and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Cal Poly.[133][134][135] In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Smith among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014.[136]

In March 2023, Smith returned to his alma mater, as his statue in Baggett Stadium was rededicated as part of Ozzie Smith Plaza at the facility's entrance.[137]

Career MLB statistics

Hitting

Category G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SB SO AVG OBP SLG
Statistic[27] 2,573 9,396 1,257 2,460 402 69 28 793 1,072 580 589 .262 .337 .328

Fielding

Category G PO A E CH DP FP RF/9 Innings
Statistic[27] 2,511 4,249 8,375 281 12,624 1,590 .978 5.22 21,785.67

Personal life

Smith is the father to three children from his marriage to former wife Denise: sons Nikko and Dustin, and daughter Taryn.[75][122] Nikko cracked the top ten finalists of the 2005 edition of American Idol.[138][139] In 2012, Smith made news headlines again, when he sold all of his Gold Gloves at auction together for more than $500,000.[140]

Smith still lives in and remains a visible figure around St. Louis, making varied appearances like playing the role of the Wizard in the St. Louis Municipal Opera's summer 2001 production of The Wizard of Oz.[141][142] He is the host of Cardinals Insider, a weekly news magazine television show about the club.[143] Since 2016, he has opened five regenerative medicine clinics around Missouri.[144]

See also

References

  1. ^ "'Wizard of Oz' on deck for enshrinement". Sports Illustrated.com. Associated Press. July 28, 2002. from the original on July 30, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2008.
  2. ^ a b Smith and Rains 1988: 6
  3. ^ a b c d Smith and Rains 1988: 9
  4. ^ a b c Eisenbath 1999: 284–285
  5. ^ a b c d Fimrite, Ron (September 28, 1987). . Sports Illustrated.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  6. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 8
  7. ^ Smith and Rains 2002: 24
  8. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 7
  9. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 4
  10. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 9–10
  11. ^ a b "Ozzie Smith". Cal Poly Land. from the original on September 13, 2006. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  12. ^ a b Lang, Dave. "There is Only 1 Ozzie Smith." St. Louis Cardinals Official 1993 Yearbook. 1993. 17
  13. ^ . California Polytechnic State University. Archived from the original on September 29, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
  14. ^ Faber, Charles F. "Ozzie Smith". Society for American Baseball Research. from the original on April 30, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Ozzie Smith". Retrosheet.org. from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2008.
  16. ^ a b Beck, Jason (May 29, 2018). "Ozzie Smith to Detroit? It almost happened". MLB.com. from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Hummel 2007: 57–61
  18. ^ a b Smith and Rains 1988: 21
  19. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 17
  20. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 18
  21. ^ "San Diego Padres 3, San Francisco Giants 2". Retrosheet.org. from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2007.
  22. ^ a b c d e Colston, Chris (July 24, 2002). "Go Crazy for the Wizard". USA Today Baseball Weekly. from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
  23. ^ "San Diego Padres 2, Atlanta Braves 0". Retrosheet.org. from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
  24. ^ a b Smith and Rains 1988: 24–25
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h Geffner, Michael (July 22, 1996). . The Sporting News. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
  26. ^ "San Diego Padres 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3". Retrosheet.org. from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
  27. ^ a b c d e "Ozzie Smith Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. from the original on December 17, 2007. Retrieved December 17, 2007.
  28. ^ "Baseball Awards Voting for 1978". Baseball-Reference.com. from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
  29. ^ Smith and Rains 1988: 28–31
  30. ^ Spatz 2007: 141
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Further reading

  • Eisenbath, Mike (1999). The Cardinals Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-56639-703-0. OCLC 40193767.
  • Garner, Joe (2000). And The Fans Roared. Naperville: Sourcebooks. ISBN 1-57071-582-3. OCLC 44509368.
  • Herzog, Whitey; Kevin Horrigan (1987). White Rat — A Life in Baseball. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-080910-8. OCLC 14132084.
  • Herzog, Whitey; Jonathan Pitts (1999). You're Missin' a Great Game. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-85314-0. OCLC 40550886.
  • Hummel, Rick (2007). Commish & the Cardinals. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Books. ISBN 978-0-9661397-9-2.
  • Leach, Matthew (2008). Game of my Life — St. Louis Cardinals. Champaign: Sports Publishing L.L.C. ISBN 978-1-59670-273-8.
  • Nemec, David; Saul Wisnia (2002). 100 Years of Baseball. Publications International, Ltd. ISBN 0-7853-7567-8. OCLC 51621011.
  • O'Neill, Dan; Joe Buck; Robert W. Duffy; Bernie Miklasz (2005). Mike Smith (ed.). Busch Stadium Moments. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ISBN 978-0-9661397-3-0. OCLC 62385897.
  • Rains, Rob; Alvin Reid (2002). Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship. Chicago: Triumph. ISBN 1-57243-485-6. OCLC 49942657.
  • Rains, Rob (2003). Cardinal Nation (2nd ed.). St. Louis: The Sporting News. ISBN 0-89204-727-5. OCLC 52577755.
  • Rains, Rob (2009). Tony La Russa — Man on a Mission. Chicago: Triumph. ISBN 978-1-60078-169-8. OCLC 244420814.
  • Schoor, Gene (1990). The History of the World Series. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-07995-4. OCLC 21303516.
  • Smith, Ron (1998). The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players. St. Louis: The Sporting News. ISBN 978-0-89204-608-9. OCLC 40392319.
  • Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (1988). Wizard. Chicago: Contemporary Books. ISBN 0-8092-4594-9. OCLC 17649043.
  • Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (2002). Ozzie Smith — The Road to Cooperstown. Sports Publishing L.L.C. ISBN 1-58261-576-4. OCLC 50326570.
  • Smith, Ozzie (2006). Hello, Fredbird!. Mascot Books. ISBN 1-932888-83-7.
  • Spatz, Lyle, ed. (2007). The SABR Baseball List and Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics. Society for American Baseball Research. ISBN 978-1-4165-3245-3. OCLC 86072285.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ozzie Smith.

June 29, 2023
ozzie, smith, osborne, earl, smith, born, december, 1954, american, former, professional, baseball, player, nicknamed, wizard, smith, played, shortstop, diego, padres, louis, cardinals, major, league, baseball, winning, national, league, gold, glove, award, de. Osborne Earl Smith born December 26 1954 is an American former professional baseball player Nicknamed the Wizard of Oz Smith played shortstop for the San Diego Padres and St Louis Cardinals in Major League Baseball winning the National League Gold Glove Award for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons A 15 time All Star Smith accumulated 2 460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career and won the National League Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987 He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2002 He was also elected to the St Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014 Ozzie SmithSmith in 1983ShortstopBorn 1954 12 26 December 26 1954 age 68 Mobile Alabama U S Batted SwitchThrew RightMLB debutApril 7 1978 for the San Diego PadresLast MLB appearanceSeptember 29 1996 for the St Louis CardinalsMLB statisticsBatting average 262Hits2 460Home runs28Runs batted in793Stolen bases580TeamsSan Diego Padres 1978 1981 St Louis Cardinals 1982 1996 Career highlights and awards15 All Star 1981 1992 1994 1996 World Series champion 1982 NLCS MVP 1985 13 Gold Glove Award 1980 1992 Silver Slugger Award 1987 Roberto Clemente Award 1995 St Louis Cardinals No 1 retired St Louis Cardinals Hall of FameMember of the NationalBaseball Hall of FameInduction2002Vote91 7 first ballot Smith was born in Mobile Alabama his family moved to Watts Los Angeles when he was six years old While participating in childhood athletic activities Smith developed quick reflexes he went on to play baseball at Locke High School in Los Angeles then at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo Drafted as an amateur player by the Padres Smith made his major league debut in 1978 He quickly established himself as an outstanding fielder and later became known for performing backflips on special occasions while taking his position at the beginning of a game Smith won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and made his first All Star Game appearance in 1981 When conflict with Padres ownership developed for Smith he was pursued by the Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog who flew to San Diego to convince Smith he d be an appreciated valuable and core component of the Cardinals and to waive the no trade clause of his contract so that he could be traded and join the Cardinals Herzog s overture to Smith worked Smith waived the no trade clause and was subsequently traded to the Cardinals for shortstop Garry Templeton in 1982 Upon joining the Cardinals Smith helped the team win the 1982 World Series Three years later his game winning home run during Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series prompted broadcaster Jack Buck s Go crazy folks play by play call Despite a rotator cuff injury during the 1985 season Smith posted career highs in multiple offensive categories in 1987 Smith continued to earn Gold Gloves and All Star appearances annually until 1993 During the 1995 season Smith had shoulder surgery and was out nearly three months After tension with his new manager Tony La Russa developed in 1996 Smith retired at season s end and his uniform number No 1 was subsequently retired by the Cardinals Smith served as host of the television show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1998 Contents 1 Early life 2 Professional baseball career 2 1 San Diego Padres 2 1 1 Trade 2 2 St Louis Cardinals 2 2 1 1982 1984 2 2 2 1985 1986 2 2 3 1987 1990 2 2 4 1990 1995 2 2 5 1996 3 Post playing career 4 Career MLB statistics 4 1 Hitting 4 2 Fielding 5 Personal life 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksEarly life EditSmith was born in Mobile Alabama the second of Clovi and Marvella Smith s six children five boys and one girl 1 His father worked as a sandblaster at Brookley Air Force Base 2 When Smith was six his family moved to the Watts section of Los Angeles 2 His father became a delivery truck driver for Safeway stores while his mother became an aide at a nursing home 3 His mother was an influential part of his life who stressed the importance of education and encouraged him to pursue his dreams 4 5 Smith played a variety of sports in his youth though considered baseball to be his favorite 6 He developed quick reflexes through various athletic and leisure activities such as bouncing a ball off the concrete steps in front of his house moving in closer to reduce reaction time with each throw 7 When not at the local YMCA or playing sports Smith sometimes went with friends to the neighborhood lumberyard springboarding off inner tubes and doing flips into sawdust piles a precursor to his famous backflips 8 In 1965 at age 10 he endured the Watts Riots with his family recalling We had to sleep on the floor because of all the sniping and looting going on 9 While Smith was attending junior high school his parents divorced 3 Continuing to pursue his interest in baseball he would ride the bus for nearly an hour to reach Dodger Stadium cheering for the Los Angeles Dodgers at about 25 games a year 3 Upon becoming a student at Locke High School Smith played on the basketball and baseball teams 3 Smith was a teammate of future National Basketball Association player Marques Johnson on the basketball team and a teammate of future fellow Hall of Fame player Eddie Murray on the baseball side 10 After high school Smith attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1974 on a partial academic scholarship and managed to walk on to the baseball team 11 He learned to switch hit from Cal Poly coach Berdy Harr 12 When Cal Poly s starting shortstop broke his leg midway through the 1974 season Smith took over the starting role 5 He was named an All American athlete and established school records in career at bats 754 and stolen bases 110 before graduating in 1977 11 13 Professional baseball career EditSan Diego Padres Edit Smith was playing semi professional baseball in Clarinda Iowa when in June 1976 he was selected in the seventh round of the amateur entry draft by the Detroit Tigers 14 15 The parties could not agree on a contract Smith wanted a 10 000 51 427 today signing bonus while the Tigers offered 8 500 43 713 today 16 Smith returned to Cal Poly for his senior year then in the 1977 draft was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres ultimately agreeing to a contract that included a 5 000 signing bonus 24 146 today 16 Smith spent his first year of professional baseball during 1977 with the Class A Walla Walla Padres of the Northwest League 17 As I was in the air the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me but I was able to catch it with my bare hand I hit the ground bounced back up and threw Burroughs out at first Ozzie Smith describes a fielding play he made in 1978 18 Smith began 1978 as a non roster invitee to the San Diego Padres spring training camp in Yuma Arizona Smith credited Padres manager Alvin Dark for giving him confidence by telling reporters the shortstop job was Smith s until he proved he can t handle it 19 Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp Smith made his Major League Baseball MLB debut on April 7 1978 20 21 It did not take long for Smith to earn recognition in the major leagues making what some consider his greatest fielding play only 10 games into his rookie season 5 22 The Padres played host to the Atlanta Braves on April 20 1978 and with two out in the top of the fourth inning Atlanta s Jeff Burroughs hit a ground ball up the middle 23 Smith described the play by saying He hit a ball back up the middle that everybody thought was going into center field I instinctively broke to my left and dove behind second As I was in the air the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me but I was able to catch it with my bare hand I hit the ground bounced back up and threw Burroughs out at first 18 Smith in 1978 During a roadtrip to Houston later in the season Smith met a part time usherette at the Astrodome named Denise while making his way to the team bus outside the stadium 24 The couple developed a relationship that was sometimes long distance in nature and eventually decided to marry 24 25 It was also during the 1978 season where Smith introduced a signature move Padres promotion director Andy Strasberg knew Smith could perform backflips though only did them during practice before fans entered the stadium 22 Strasberg asked Smith to do a backflip for fans during Fan Appreciation Day on October 1 the Padres last home game of the season 22 26 After conferring with veteran teammate Gene Tenace Smith went ahead with the backflip and it proved to be wildly popular 22 Smith finished the 1978 season with a 258 batting average and 970 fielding percentage placing him second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting to Bob Horner 27 28 After working with a hitting instructor during the offseason Smith failed to record a base hit in his first 32 at bats of the 1979 season 29 Among players with enough at bats to qualify for the 1979 National League Triple Crown Smith finished the season last in batting average 211 home runs 0 and RBI 27 30 Off the field conflict developed between Padres ownership and the combination of Smith and his agent Ed Gottlieb The parties entered into a contract dispute before the 1980 season and when negotiations lasted into spring training the Padres renewed Smith s contract at his 1979 salary of 72 500 31 Smith s agent told the Padres the shortstop would forgo the season to race in the Tour de France despite the fact Smith admitted to The Break Room on 96 5 WCMF in Rochester New York he had never heard of the Tour Angered by the Padres attitude during those contract talks Gottlieb took out a help wanted ad in the San Diego Union part of which read Padre baseball player wants part time employment to supplement income 32 When Joan Kroc wife of Padres owner Ray Kroc publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant gardener on her estate Smith and Gottlieb s relationship with the organization deteriorated further 33 Meanwhile Smith was winning recognition for his accomplishments on the field In 1980 he set the single season record for most assists by a shortstop 621 and began his string of 13 consecutive Gold Glove awards 34 Smith s fielding play prompted the Yuma Daily Sun to use the nickname the Wizard of Oz in a March 1981 feature article about Smith 35 While the Wizard of Oz nickname was an allusion to the 1939 motion picture of the same name Smith also came to be known as simply the Wizard during his playing career as Smith s Baseball Hall of Fame plaque would later attest 36 37 In 1981 Smith made his first All Star Game appearance as a reserve player 38 Trade Edit While Smith was having problems with the Padres owners the St Louis Cardinals also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop Garry Templeton Templeton s relationship with Cardinal Nation had become increasingly strained and finally came to a head during a game at Busch Stadium on August 26 1981 when after being heckled for not running out a ground ball he made obscene gestures at fans and had to be physically pulled off the field by manager Whitey Herzog 39 40 Given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner Gussie Busch and specifically to unload Templeton Herzog was looking to trade Templeton when he was approached by Padres General Manager Jack McKeon at the 1981 baseball winter meetings 41 While McKeon had previously told Herzog that Smith was untouchable in any trade the Padres were now so angry at Smith s agent Gottlieb that McKeon was willing to deal 42 McKeon and Herzog agreed in principle to a six player trade with Templeton for Smith as the centerpiece 42 It was then that Padres manager Dick Williams informed Herzog a no trade clause had been included in Smith s 1981 contract 43 Upon learning of the trade Smith s initial reaction was to invoke the clause and stay in San Diego but he was still interested to hear what the Cardinals had to say 44 While the deal for the players beside Templeton and Smith went through Herzog flew to San Diego to meet with Smith and Gottlieb over the Christmas holiday 45 Smith later recalled that Whitey told me that with me playing shortstop for the St Louis Cardinals we could win the pennant He made me feel wanted which was a feeling I was quickly losing from the Padres The mere fact that Whitey would come all the way out there to talk to us was more than enough to convince me that St Louis was the place I wanted to be 46 St Louis Cardinals Edit 1982 1984 Edit On December 10 1981 the Padres traded Smith Steve Mura and a player to be named later to the Cardinals for Templeton Sixto Lezcano and a player to be named later The teams completed the trade on February 19 1982 with the Padres sending Al Olmsted to the Cardinals and St Louis sending Luis DeLeon to the Padres 47 48 Herzog believed Smith could improve his offensive production by hitting more ground balls and subsequently created a motivational tool designed to help Smith concentrate on that task 49 Approaching Smith one day during spring training Herzog said Every time you hit a fly ball you owe me a buck Every time you hit a ground ball I owe you a buck We ll keep that going all year 50 Smith agreed to the wager and by the end of the season had won close to 300 from Herzog 50 As the 1982 season got underway Herzog s newly assembled team won 12 games in a row during the month of April and finished the season atop the National League East division 51 52 Herzog would later say of Smith s contributions If he saved two runs a game on defense which he did many a night it seemed to me that was just as valuable to the team as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense 53 Smith became a father during the 1982 season with the birth of his son O J today known as Nikko on April 28 54 Smith also developed a lasting friendship with teammate Willie McGee during the season and Smith said he likes to think he helped Willie get over some of the rough spots of adjusting to the major leagues 55 Smith later participated in the postseason for the first time when the Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the best of five 1982 National League Championship Series NLCS In Game 1 Smith drove in the series first run by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored McGee ultimately going five for nine in St Louis three game series sweep 56 Just as Herzog had predicted in December Smith found himself as the team s starting shortstop in the best of seven 1982 World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers During the series Smith scored three runs had five hits and did not commit an error in the field 57 When St Louis was trailing 3 1 with one out in the sixth inning of Game 7 Smith started a rally with a base hit to left field eventually scoring the first of the team s three runs that inning 58 The Cardinals scored two more runs in the 8th inning for a 6 3 win and the championship In January 1983 Smith and the Cardinals agreed on a new contract that paid Smith 1 million per year 59 During the 1983 season Smith was voted the National League s starting shortstop in the All Star Game for the first time in 1983 and at season s end won a fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award 60 In July 1984 Smith s wrist was broken by a pitch as he batted against the Padres 61 62 He returned from the disabled list after a month but his return to the lineup was not enough to propel the Cardinals to a postseason berth 61 1985 1986 Edit Smith corks one into right down the line It may go Go crazy folks go crazy It s a home run and the Cardinals have won the game by the score of 3 to 2 on a home run by the Wizard Go crazy Jack Buck 63 And that s driven to deep right field back goes Marshall gone NBC s Vin Scully 63 In 1985 Smith amassed a 276 batting average 31 stolen bases and 591 assists in the field 15 The Cardinals as a team won 101 games during the season and earned another postseason berth 64 Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the now best of seven NLCS a split of the first four games set the stage for Game 5 at Busch Stadium With the score tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda called upon closer Tom Niedenfuer to pitch Smith batted left handed against Niedenfuer with one out Smith who had never hit a home run in his previous 2 967 left handed major league at bats 65 pulled an inside fastball down the right field line for a walk off home run ending Game 5 in a 3 2 Cardinals victory 66 Smith said I was trying to get an extra base hit and get into scoring position Fortunately I was able to get the ball up 17 The home run not only prompted broadcaster Jack Buck s Go crazy folks play by play call but was also later voted the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history by Cardinals fans 67 68 After Smith s teammate Jack Clark hit a late inning home run of his own in Game 6 to defeat the Dodgers the Cardinals moved on to face the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 World Series Once again sportswriters were quick to draw attention to Smith s outstanding defensive play instead of his 2 for 23 effort at the plate 69 70 After the Cardinals took a three games to two advantage a controversial Game 6 call by umpire Don Denkinger overshadowed the remainder of the Series which the Royals won in seven games 71 What was not publicly known during the regular season and playoffs was that Smith had torn his rotator cuff after suffering an impingement in his right shoulder during the July 11 14 homestand against the Padres 72 73 After suffering the impingement diving back into first base on a pickoff throw Smith altered his throwing motion to such a degree that the rotator cuff tear subsequently developed 72 The 5 10 1 78 m 180 pound 82 kg Smith opted to forgo surgery and instead built up his arm strength via weightlifting playing through whatever pain he encountered 65 Said Smith I didn t tell anybody about the injury because I wanted to keep playing and didn t want anybody thinking they could run on me or take advantage of the injury I tried to do almost everything except throw a baseball left handed opening a door turning on the radio everything It didn t get any better but it was good enough that I didn t have to have surgery 74 Because of his injury Smith let his then four year old son Nikko perform his traditional Opening Day backflip before the Cardinals first home game of the 1986 season 75 Smith made an eye popping play later that season on August 4 during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium 65 In the top of the ninth inning Phillies pinch hitter Von Hayes hit a short fly ball to left field which was pursued by both Smith and left fielder Curt Ford 76 Running with his back to home plate Smith dove forward simultaneously catching the ball while parallel to the ground and flying over the diving Ford avoiding a collision by inches 4 65 1987 1990 Edit The thing about Ozzie is if he misses a ball you assume it s uncatchable If any other shortstop misses a ball your first thought is Would Ozzie have had it Former New York Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson in 1987 5 After hitting in either the second or eighth spot in the batting order for most of his time in St Louis Herzog made Smith the number two hitter full time during the 1987 season 77 Over the course of the year Smith accrued a 303 batting average 43 stolen bases 75 RBIs 104 runs scored and 40 doubles good enough to earn him the Silver Slugger Award at shortstop 27 In addition to winning the Gold Glove Award at shortstop for the eighth consecutive time Smith posted a career high on base percentage of 392 Smith was also the leading vote getter in the 1987 All Star Game 78 The Cardinals earned a postseason berth with 95 wins and subsequently faced the San Francisco Giants in the 1987 National League Championship Series 79 Smith contributed a triple during the series and the Cardinals won the contest in seven games 80 The 1987 World Series matched the Cardinals against the American League champion Minnesota Twins The home team won every game of the contest as Minnesota won the series 81 In 28 at bats during the Series Smith scored three runs and had two RBIs 70 Smith finished second in MVP balloting to Andre Dawson who had played on the last place Chicago Cubs largely because Smith and teammate Jack Clark split the first place vote 82 Following the 1987 season Smith was awarded the largest contract in the National League at 2 34 million 83 While the team did not see the postseason for the remainder of the decade Smith continued to rack up All Star appearances and Gold Gloves Combined with the attention he received from his contract Smith continued to be a national figure Known as a savvy dresser he made the April 1988 cover of GQ magazine 84 Smith was witness to change within the Cardinal organization when owner Gussie Busch died in 1989 and Herzog quit as manager during the 1990 season 85 86 1990 1995 Edit No one paid attention to my offense So having 2 000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment Ozzie Smith from the 1993 St Louis Cardinals Yearbook 12 Joe Torre became Smith s new manager in 1990 but the team did not reach the postseason during Torre s nearly five year tenure 87 While the Cardinals celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1992 Smith marked milestones of his own stealing his 500th career base on April 26 then notching a triple on May 26 in front of the home crowd for his 2 000th hit 88 St Louis had a one game lead in the National League East division on June 1 1992 but injuries took their toll on the team including Smith s two week illness in late July after contracting chicken pox for the first time 89 As a testament to his national visibility during this time Smith appeared in a 1992 episode of The Simpsons titled Homer at the Bat 90 Smith became a free agent for the first time in his career on November 2 1992 only to re sign with the Cardinals on December 6 15 Smith won his final Gold Glove in 1992 and his 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at shortstop in the National League has yet to be matched 91 The 1993 season marked the only time between 1981 and 1996 where Smith failed to make the All Star team and Smith finished the 1993 season with a 288 batting average and 974 fielding percentage 27 He appeared in 98 games during the strike shortened 1994 season and later missed nearly three months of the 1995 season after shoulder surgery on May 31 92 93 Smith was recognized for his community service efforts with the 1994 Branch Rickey Award and the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award In February 1994 Smith took on the role of honorary chairman and official spokesman for the Missouri Governor s Council on Physical Fitness and Health 94 1996 EditAs Smith entered the 1996 season he finalized a divorce from his wife Denise during the first half of the year 25 95 Meanwhile manager Tony La Russa began his first season with the Cardinals in tandem with a new ownership group After General Manager Walt Jocketty acquired shortstop Royce Clayton during the offseason La Russa emphasized an open competition for the spot that would give the Cardinals the best chance to win 96 When spring training concluded Smith had amassed a 288 batting average and zero errors in the field and Clayton batted 190 with eight errors 25 Smith believed he had earned the position with his spring training performance but La Russa disagreed and awarded Clayton the majority of playing time in the platoon situation that developed where Smith typically saw action every third game 25 97 La Russa said I think it s fair to say he misunderstood how he compared to Royce in spring training When I and the coaches evaluated the play in spring training the whole game Royce started very slowly offensively and you could see him start to get better By what he was able to do defensively and on the bases Royce deserved to play the majority of the games 98 Smith missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury and continued to harbor ill feelings toward La Russa that had developed after spring training ended 25 99 In a closed door meeting in mid May La Russa asked Smith if he would like to be traded 25 Instead Smith and his agent negotiated a compromise with Cardinals management agreeing to a buyout of special provisions in his contract in conjunction with Smith announcing his retirement 25 The agreement prompted a press conference at Busch Stadium on June 19 1996 during which Smith announced he would retire from baseball at season s end 100 Ozzie Smith s number 1 was retired by the St Louis Cardinals in 1996 As Smith made his final tour of the National League he was honored by many teams and received a standing ovation at the 1996 All Star Game in Philadelphia 25 Between June 19 and September 1 Smith s batting average increased from 239 to 286 101 On September 2 Smith tied a career high by scoring four runs one of which was a home run and another on a close play at home plate in the bottom of the 10th inning against division leader Houston 102 The victory moved the Cardinals to within a half game of Houston in the National League Central Division and the Cardinals went on to win the division by six games 102 103 The Cardinals held a special ceremony at Busch Stadium on September 28 1996 before a game against the Cincinnati Reds honoring Smith by retiring his uniform number Noted for his ritual backflip before Opening Days All Star Games and postseason games Smith chose this occasion to perform it for one of the last times 22 In the postseason the Cardinals first faced the San Diego Padres in the 1996 National League Division Series After sitting out Game 1 Smith got the start in Game 2 at Busch Stadium helping his team go up two games in the series by notching a run a hit and two walks at the plate along with an assist and a putout in the field 104 The Cardinals then swept the series by winning Game 3 in San Diego 105 The Cardinals faced the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 National League Championship Series Smith started Game 1 and subsequently registered three putouts and one assist in the field but went hitless in four at bats in the Cardinals 4 2 loss 106 The Cardinals then won Games 2 3 and 4 contests in which Smith did not appear 107 108 109 Upon receiving the start in Game 5 Smith nearly duplicated his Game 1 performance with four putouts one assist and no hits in four at bats as part of another Cardinals defeat 110 The Cardinals also failed to win Game 6 or Game 7 in Atlanta ending their season 111 When the Cardinals were trailing by 10 runs during Game 7 on October 17 Smith flied out to right field while pinch hitting in the sixth inning marking the end of his playing career 112 Smith finished his career with distinctions ranging from the accumulation of more than 27 5 million votes in All Star balloting to holding the record for the most MLB at bats without hitting a grand slam 4 113 Post playing career EditUpon retirement Smith took over from Mel Allen as the host of the television series This Week in Baseball TWIB in 1997 114 Smith also became color commentator for the local broadcast of Cardinals games on KPLR TV from 1997 to 1999 115 When his stint on This Week in Baseball concluded Smith then moved on to do work for CNN SI beginning in 1999 116 After La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals in 2011 Smith became active in the organization again starting with his stint as a special instructor for the team s 2012 spring training camp 117 Smith fields a ground ball at Doubleday Field in 2002 On January 8 2002 Smith learned via a phone call he had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot by receiving 91 7 of the votes cast 118 119 As it happened the Olympic torch was passing through St Louis on its way to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympics and Smith served as a torchbearer in a ceremony with St Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner that evening 120 Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies on July 28 2002 During his speech he compared his baseball experiences with the characters from the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz after which his son Dustin presented his Hall of Fame plaque 121 Days later on August 11 Smith was back at Busch Memorial Stadium for the unveiling of a statue in his likeness made by sculptor Harry Weber 122 Weber chose to emphasize Smith s defensive skills by showing Smith stretched horizontal to the ground while fielding a baseball 122 At the ceremony Weber told Smith You spent half of your career up in the air That makes it difficult for a sculptor to do something with it 122 Smith has also been an entrepreneur in a variety of business ventures Smith opened Ozzie s restaurant and sports bar in 1988 started a youth sports academy in 1990 became an investor in a grocery store chain in 1999 and partnered with David Slay to open a restaurant in the early 2000s 123 124 125 126 Of those businesses the youth academy remains in operation with the restaurant having closed in 2010 after changing ownership and locations once 127 128 Aside from appearing in numerous radio and television commercials in the St Louis area since retiring from baseball Smith authored a children s book in 2006 and launched his own brand of salad dressing in 2008 129 Besides the National Baseball Hall of Fame Smith has also been inducted or honored in other halls of fame and recognitions In 1999 he ranked number 87 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players 130 and finished third in voting at shortstop for the Major League Baseball All Century Team 131 132 He was honored with induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the St Louis Walk of Fame and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Cal Poly 133 134 135 In January 2014 the Cardinals announced Smith among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the St Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum for the inaugural class of 2014 136 In March 2023 Smith returned to his alma mater as his statue in Baggett Stadium was rededicated as part of Ozzie Smith Plaza at the facility s entrance 137 Career MLB statistics EditHitting Edit Category G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SB SO AVG OBP SLGStatistic 27 2 573 9 396 1 257 2 460 402 69 28 793 1 072 580 589 262 337 328Fielding Edit Category G PO A E CH DP FP RF 9 InningsStatistic 27 2 511 4 249 8 375 281 12 624 1 590 978 5 22 21 785 67Personal life EditSmith is the father to three children from his marriage to former wife Denise sons Nikko and Dustin and daughter Taryn 75 122 Nikko cracked the top ten finalists of the 2005 edition of American Idol 138 139 In 2012 Smith made news headlines again when he sold all of his Gold Gloves at auction together for more than 500 000 140 Smith still lives in and remains a visible figure around St Louis making varied appearances like playing the role of the Wizard in the St Louis Municipal Opera s summer 2001 production of The Wizard of Oz 141 142 He is the host of Cardinals Insider a weekly news magazine television show about the club 143 Since 2016 he has opened five regenerative medicine clinics around Missouri 144 See also Edit Baseball portalList of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders List of St Louis Cardinals team recordsReferences Edit Wizard of Oz on deck for enshrinement Sports Illustrated com Associated Press July 28 2002 Archived from the original on July 30 2010 Retrieved March 19 2008 a b Smith and Rains 1988 6 a b c d Smith and Rains 1988 9 a b c Eisenbath 1999 284 285 a b c d Fimrite Ron September 28 1987 No 1 In His Field Sports Illustrated com Archived from the original on August 1 2009 Retrieved January 3 2009 Smith and Rains 1988 8 Smith and Rains 2002 24 Smith and Rains 1988 7 Smith and Rains 1988 4 Smith and Rains 1988 9 10 a b Ozzie Smith Cal Poly Land Archived from the original on September 13 2006 Retrieved April 26 2008 a b Lang Dave There is Only 1 Ozzie Smith St Louis Cardinals Official 1993 Yearbook 1993 17 Ozzie Smith California Polytechnic State University Archived from the original on September 29 2010 Retrieved January 4 2009 Faber Charles F Ozzie Smith Society for American Baseball Research Archived from the original on April 30 2019 Retrieved July 21 2019 a b c Ozzie Smith Retrosheet org Archived from the original on February 13 2021 Retrieved July 27 2008 a b Beck Jason May 29 2018 Ozzie Smith to Detroit It almost happened MLB com Archived from the original on July 21 2019 Retrieved July 21 2019 a b Hummel 2007 57 61 a b Smith and Rains 1988 21 Smith and Rains 1988 17 Smith and Rains 1988 18 San Diego Padres 3 San Francisco Giants 2 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on January 28 2016 Retrieved September 27 2007 a b c d e Colston Chris July 24 2002 Go Crazy for the Wizard USA Today Baseball Weekly Archived from the original on June 29 2011 Retrieved May 4 2008 San Diego Padres 2 Atlanta Braves 0 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved October 10 2007 a b Smith and Rains 1988 24 25 a b c d e f g h Geffner Michael July 22 1996 Cardinal singe shortstop Ozzie Smith The Sporting News Archived from the original on July 2 2015 Retrieved July 2 2015 via HighBeam Research San Diego Padres 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 3 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on March 9 2021 Retrieved June 30 2008 a b c d e Ozzie Smith Statistics Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on December 17 2007 Retrieved December 17 2007 Baseball Awards Voting for 1978 Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on February 28 2009 Retrieved November 12 2007 Smith and Rains 1988 28 31 Spatz 2007 141 Smith and Rains 1988 34 Smith and Rains 1988 35 Smith and Rains 1988 35 36 Smith and Rains 1988 37 Smith and Rains 2002 22 Smith and Rains 2002 25 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Hall of Famer detail National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Inc Archived from the original on June 25 2008 Retrieved November 21 2008 National League 5 American League 4 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on March 8 2021 Retrieved November 21 2008 O Neill 2005 108 Herzog and Horrigan 1987 135 136 Herzog and Horrigan 1987 119 120 137 a b Herzog and Horrigan 1987 137 Herzog and Pitts 1999 92 93 Smith and Rains 1988 51 Herzog and Horrigan 1987 138 Smith and Rains 1988 52 Ozzie Smith Stats Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on November 1 2011 Retrieved December 14 2017 Smith and Rains 1988 57 Smith and Rains 2002 28 29 a b Smith and Rains 1988 61 The 1982 St Louis Cardinals Regular Season Game Log Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved July 18 2008 Leach 2008 37 Smith and Rains 2002 6 Smith and Rains 1988 65 Smith and Rains 1988 66 St Louis Cardinals 7 Atlanta Braves 0 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on January 13 2013 Retrieved October 15 2007 Rains 2003 105 St Louis Cardinals 6 Milwaukee Brewers 2 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 11 2012 Retrieved October 28 2007 Smith and Rains 1988 81 Smith and Rains 1988 87 a b Smith and Rains 1988 95 St Louis Cardinals 7 San Diego Padres 4 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved October 30 2008 a b Garner 2000 98 The 1985 St Louis Cardinals Retrosheet org Archived from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved November 8 2008 a b c d St Louis Cardinals 2005 Media Guide Hadler Printing 2005 C 26 Smith and Rains 1988 130 Leach Matthew September 30 2005 Ozzie s homer tops in Busch history MLB com Archived from the original on April 23 2008 Retrieved January 2 2008 Hoffman Jared June 19 2002 Legendary voice passes away MLB com Archived from the original on April 23 2008 Retrieved August 17 2008 Schoor 1990 362 a b Schoor 1990 418 Nemec and Wisnia 2002 433 a b Smith and Rains 1988 121 The 1985 St Louis Cardinals Regular Season Game Log Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved November 8 2008 Smith and Rains 2002 43 a b Rains and Reid 2002 111 Hummel 2007 85 87 Herzog and Pitts 1999 95 Smith and Rains 1988 160 The 1987 St Louis Cardinals Retrosheet org Archived from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved November 12 2008 Nemec and Wisnia 2002 441 Schoor 1990 370 371 Baseball Award Voting for 1987 Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on January 4 2010 Retrieved December 4 2007 1988 National League Leader Boards Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on November 4 2007 Retrieved October 25 2007 Boswell Thomas The Wizardry of Ozzie Smith GQ April 1988 Thomas Robert Jr September 30 1989 August A Busch Jr Dies at 90 Built Largest Brewing Company The New York Times Archived from the original on August 27 2017 Retrieved March 21 2008 Hummel 2007 121 123 Rains 2003 251 252 Rains 2003 251 History Cardinals Timeline St Louis Cardinals March 22 2005 Archived from the original on June 12 2012 Retrieved November 21 2007 A Salute to Homer at the Bat at Hall of Fame Classic Weekend National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum February 20 2017 Retrieved May 14 2023 National League Gold Glove Award Winners Baseball Reference Archived from the original on November 27 2020 Retrieved July 10 2008 Smith Has Shoulder Surgery The New York Times June 1 1995 Archived from the original on March 6 2016 Retrieved November 15 2007 The 1995 STL N Regular Season Batting Log for Ozzie Smith Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved February 5 2009 History Governor s Council on Physical Fitness and Health Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Archived from the original on July 6 2008 Retrieved March 4 2008 Rains and Reid 2002 110 Rains 2009 183 184 Rains 2009 187 Rains 2009 185 186 Rains 2009 186 187 Rains 2003 252 The 1996 STL N Regular Season Batting Log for Ozzie Smith Retrosheet org Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved March 15 2008 a b Hummel 2007 129 135 The 1996 Season Retrosheet org Archived from the original on July 7 2017 Retrieved March 15 2008 St Louis Cardinals 5 San Diego Padres 4 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved October 26 2007 1996 NL Division Series St Louis Cardinals over San Diego Padres 3 0 Baseball Reference com Archived from the original on April 17 2021 Retrieved March 27 2021 Atlanta Braves 4 St Louis Cardinals 2 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 2 2008 St Louis Cardinals 8 Atlanta Braves 3 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 2 2008 St Louis Cardinals 3 Atlanta Braves 2 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 2 2008 St Louis Cardinals 4 Atlanta Braves 3 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 2 2008 Atlanta Braves 14 St Louis Cardinals 0 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved November 2 2008 Willis George October 18 1996 Not Even Close Braves Bronx Bound After Routing Cards The New York Times Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved April 30 2008 Atlanta Braves 15 St Louis Cardinals 0 Retrosheet org Archived from the original on September 24 2015 Retrieved September 25 2007 Kurkjian Tim August 17 2006 The grand slam unusual yet fun ESPN com Archived from the original on June 29 2015 Retrieved November 25 2007 Ozzie Smith Gets Job in Television The New York Times January 15 1997 Archived from the original on November 20 2010 Retrieved March 19 2008 Robinson Tom Ozzie Puts Down Glove Picks Up Mike The Virginian Pilot May 22 1997 C1 Retrieved on December 28 2007 Rains and Reid 2002 109 Goold Derrick February 25 2012 Ozzie in Cards camp It s like coming home STLtoday com Archived from the original on February 29 2012 Retrieved February 25 2012 Rains and Reid 2002 107 Bodley Hal January 9 2002 Ozzie Smith voted into Hall of Fame USA Today Archived from the original on December 12 2008 Retrieved March 19 2008 Smith and Rains 2002 18 19 Leach Matthew July 28 2002 A Day of Celebration MLB com Archived from the original on December 17 2007 Retrieved October 23 2007 a b c d Cardinals Unveil Ozzie Smith Statue Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Associated Press August 11 2002 Ozzie s at Westport closing on Friday St Louis Post Dispatch October 12 2009 Archived from the original on October 19 2021 Retrieved November 7 2009 Rains and Reid 2002 113 Ozzie Smith to invest in grocery chain St Louis Business Journal July 14 1999 Archived from the original on September 21 2003 Retrieved October 25 2008 Chesterfield Baseball Custom Technical Training Ozzie Smith s Sports Academy Archived from the original on February 15 2009 Retrieved February 1 2009 Ozzie Smith s Sports Academy Archived from the original on February 6 2009 Retrieved February 1 2009 Brown Lisa R December 25 2009 Gallardo building Ozzie s Sports Bar downtown St Louis Business Journal Archived from the original on December 28 2009 Retrieved January 6 2010 Smith Ozzie July 2006 Hello Fredbird ISBN 1932888837 100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac www baseball almanac com Archived from the original on August 29 2019 Retrieved October 19 2021 Smith 1998 189 All Century Team final voting ESPN com Associated Press October 23 1999 Archived from the original on September 18 2018 Retrieved January 1 2008 Ozzie The Wizard of Oz Smith Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Archived from the original on July 17 2011 Retrieved January 9 2009 Ozzie Smith St Louis Walk of Fame Archived from the original on October 22 2007 Retrieved December 19 2007 Baseball Great Ozzie Smith To Be Cal Poly s Honored Commencement Speaker CSU Newsline May 9 2003 Archived from the original on July 23 2008 Retrieved December 28 2007 Cardinals Press Release January 18 2014 Cardinals establish Hall of Fame amp detail induction process stlouis cardinals mlb com Archived from the original on January 26 2014 Retrieved January 29 2014 Foreman Dylan March 25 2023 Cal Poly alum and MLB Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith rededicated outside Baggett Stadium KSBY TV Retrieved March 27 2023 Stambaugh Phil September 12 2006 Say What with Ozzie Smith PGATOUR com Archived from the original on May 26 2011 Retrieved June 5 2008 Wald Jaina When it s Idol time at Ozzie s folks go crazy for Nikko St Louis Post Dispatch April 6 2005 E3 Retrieved on March 19 2008 Ozzie Smith Auctions 13 Gold Gloves ESPN com Associated Press December 2 2012 Archived from the original on June 17 2015 Retrieved December 23 2012 Rains and Reid 2002 114 STL Celebrity FAQ Ozzie Smith Explore St Louis Archived from the original on July 28 2021 Retrieved July 28 2021 Cardinals Insider Editorial Staff MLB com Archived from the original on July 28 2021 Retrieved July 28 2021 Ozzie Smith teams with IMAC Regeneration Center in St Louis imacregeneration com Archived from the original on July 28 2021 Retrieved July 28 2021 Further reading EditEisenbath Mike 1999 The Cardinals Encyclopedia Temple University Press ISBN 1 56639 703 0 OCLC 40193767 Garner Joe 2000 And The Fans Roared Naperville Sourcebooks ISBN 1 57071 582 3 OCLC 44509368 Herzog Whitey Kevin Horrigan 1987 White Rat A Life in Baseball New York Harper amp Row ISBN 0 06 080910 8 OCLC 14132084 Herzog Whitey Jonathan Pitts 1999 You re Missin a Great Game New York Simon amp Schuster ISBN 0 684 85314 0 OCLC 40550886 Hummel Rick 2007 Commish amp the Cardinals St Louis Post Dispatch Books ISBN 978 0 9661397 9 2 Leach Matthew 2008 Game of my Life St Louis Cardinals Champaign Sports Publishing L L C ISBN 978 1 59670 273 8 Nemec David Saul Wisnia 2002 100 Years of Baseball Publications International Ltd ISBN 0 7853 7567 8 OCLC 51621011 O Neill Dan Joe Buck Robert W Duffy Bernie Miklasz 2005 Mike Smith ed Busch Stadium Moments St Louis Post Dispatch ISBN 978 0 9661397 3 0 OCLC 62385897 Rains Rob Alvin Reid 2002 Whitey s Boys A Celebration of the 82 Cards World Championship Chicago Triumph ISBN 1 57243 485 6 OCLC 49942657 Rains Rob 2003 Cardinal Nation 2nd ed St Louis The Sporting News ISBN 0 89204 727 5 OCLC 52577755 Rains Rob 2009 Tony La Russa Man on a Mission Chicago Triumph ISBN 978 1 60078 169 8 OCLC 244420814 Schoor Gene 1990 The History of the World Series New York William Morrow and Company ISBN 0 688 07995 4 OCLC 21303516 Smith Ron 1998 The Sporting News Selects Baseball s 100 Greatest Players St Louis The Sporting News ISBN 978 0 89204 608 9 OCLC 40392319 Smith Ozzie Rob Rains 1988 Wizard Chicago Contemporary Books ISBN 0 8092 4594 9 OCLC 17649043 Smith Ozzie Rob Rains 2002 Ozzie Smith The Road to Cooperstown Sports Publishing L L C ISBN 1 58261 576 4 OCLC 50326570 Smith Ozzie 2006 Hello Fredbird Mascot Books ISBN 1 932888 83 7 Spatz Lyle ed 2007 The SABR Baseball List and Record Book Baseball s Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics Society for American Baseball Research ISBN 978 1 4165 3245 3 OCLC 86072285 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ozzie Smith Ozzie Smith at the Baseball Hall of Fame Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference or Fangraphs or Baseball Reference Minors or Retrosheet Ozzie Smith at SABR Baseball BioProject Ozzie Smith at St Louis Walk of Fame Interview with Ozzie Smith on KUT s In Black America radio series September 8 1988 at the American Archive of Public Broadcasting Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ozzie Smith amp oldid 1159266071, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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