Wizardry: Ozzie Smith’s top 10 career moments
When Ozzie Smith carried out backflips whereas heading to his place earlier than the beginning of Cardinals house openers, postseason contests and All-Star Games, it was as if he have been saying, “Let the fun begin.”
Watching Smith maintain defensive wizardry at shortstop was certainly enjoyable for his multitude of aficionados, whom he handled to 13 consecutive National League Gold Glove Award-winning seasons and 15 All-Star choices in a 19-year large league profession spent principally with St Louis. Oh, and he may swing a bat, too. The 2,460 lifetime hits he amassed required ample talent.
Here’s a group of 10 high moments and occasions from Smith’s profession, on the event of his 68th birthday:
1. Go Midwest, younger man
Dec. 10, 1981
Embroiled in a contract dispute with Padres administration, the 27-year-old Smith underwent a change of surroundings when the Cardinals acquired him in a six-player commerce. Smith’s San Diego contract included a no-trade clause, however Cards supervisor Whitey Herzog assured him that St. Louis would grow to be considered one of baseball’s elite groups with him within the lineup. Smith waived the clause a few months later, grew to become a Cardinal and went on to greatness.
2. Sudden slugger
Oct. 14, 1985
The rating was tied, 2-2, within the ninth inning of Game 5 of the NL Championship Series. The sequence between the Cardinals and Dodgers was additionally even at two video games apiece. Then the light-hitting Smith, a switch-hitter who had not homered in his earlier 3,009 left-handed at-bats, got here to the plate with one out in opposition to Los Angeles right-hander Tom Niedenfuer and yanked a fastball over the right-field barrier to win it for St. Louis, which went on to seize the NLCS in Game 6. Cards broadcaster Jack Buck implored after Smith went deep, “Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!” Smith completed that sequence with a .435 batting common and gained the NLCS Most Valuable Player Award.
Smith gained his first NL Gold Glove Award as he accrued a report 621 assists by a shortstop. Smith already had begun constructing his fame as “The Wizard” by making performs such because the one he recorded in opposition to Atlanta on April 20, 1978, when he dove to his left for a Jeff Burroughs smash, caught the ball barehanded after it caromed unexpectedly off a rock, and threw to first base for the out within the fourth inning. The Padres went on to win, 2-0.
4. Numbers don’t lie
1980-89
Smith completed among the many league’s Top 10 in defensive bWAR 14 instances throughout his profession and led the NL in that class six instances throughout the Eighties. Of course, Smith sparkled in compilations of typical statistics, main Senior Circuit shortstops eight instances in fielding proportion in his profession.
5. One powerful Wizard
July 1985
Smith performed the second half of the season with an impingement in his proper (throwing) shoulder. That pressured him to change his throwing movement which, in flip, led to a rotator-cuff tear.
6. First-rate at second spot
1987
Herzog elevated Smith to second within the batting order for this season. Smith responded admirably to the elevated duty by batting .303 with a .392 slugging proportion, 75 RBIs, 104 runs and 40 doubles. It was simply Smith’s most interesting yr offensively.
7. Tough name for MVP
1987
Due to his all-around excellence, Smith obtained loads of assist in NL MVP Award balloting. But voters favored Cubs outfielder Andre Dawson, who amassed 49 homers and 137 RBIs. Smith, who had zero homers, compiled a 6.4 bWAR, in contrast with Dawson’s 4.0. But WAR had not but entered baseball’s statistical lexicon. Moreover, Jack Clark, Smith’s St. Louis teammate, completed third within the voting and will have inadvertently robbed Smith of some assist.
8. No-doubter for Cooperstown
2002
A primary-ballot choice for the Hall of Fame, Smith obtained 91.7 % of the vote — 16.7 % greater than the minimal mandatory. He wanted 354 votes and picked up 433. He was the lone participant elected on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America poll that yr.
9. Ozzie Smith, shortstop
1978-96
Almost inevitably, even one of the best performers play an alternate place at some juncture throughout their careers. Not Smith, who manned shortstop and solely shortstop in every of his 2,511 regular-season appearances.
“He leaves a legacy of the proper technique to play shortstop,” mentioned Tony Gwynn, San Diego’s hitter par excellence.
10. Now, about that backflip …
1978-96
Shortly after Smith reached the Major Leagues with the Padres, the group’s promotions director, Andy Strasberg, seen the rookie doing backflips throughout early pregame exercises earlier than followers entered the ballpark. Strasberg requested Smith to shock San Diego rooters with a backflip on Fan Appreciation Day, the Friars’ final house sport of the season. Smith’s gymnastics prompted an enthusiastic ovation.
