Ozzie Smith
Shortstop
Born: December 26, 1954 (1954-12-26) (age 53) Mobile, Alabama
Batted: Switch	Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 7, 1978 for the San Diego Padres
Final game
October 17, 1996 for the St. Louis Cardinals
Career statistics
Batting average	. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Bucky Dent, MVP The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2 John Wetteland, MVP The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 262
Hits	2,460
Stolen bases	580
Teams
San Diego Padres (1978-1981) St. Louis Cardinals (1982-1996)
Career highlights and awards
15x All-Star selection (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996) 13x Gold Glove Award winner (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992) Silver Slugger Award winner (1987) World Series champion (1982) 1995 Roberto Clemente Award 1994 Branch Rickey Award 1989 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1985 NLCS MVP St. Louis Cardinals #1 retired
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected	2002
Vote	91. In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Bucky Dent, MVP Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-2 Ron Cey, Pedro Guerrero The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Champions Major League Baseball World Series Champion St Louis Cardinals World Series MVP Darrell Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2 John Wetteland, MVP The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to The For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The 1982 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning in seven games The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player selected for his character and charitable contributions to his community The Branch Rickey Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player in recognition of their exceptional community service The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity in honor of the former Major League Baseball player Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: 7% (first ballot)

Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith (born December 26, 1954) is a retired American professional baseball player who played shortstop in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals. Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Nicknamed "The Wizard of Oz", he is widely recognized as one of the greatest defensive players in baseball history, winning the Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to In addition to playing great defense, Smith accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases over the course of his 19-year career. In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate He was also a fifteen-time All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 1987 as the best hitting shortstop that year. All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and The Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over St Smith was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, his first year of eligibility. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series:

Smith played his first four seasons with the San Diego Padres where he established himself as an outstanding defensive player and was known for performing backflips while running out to his position on special occasions. The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 When turmoil with Padres' ownership developed, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The St Louis Cardinals 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St Smith was a major contributor to the Cardinals’ 1982 World Series championship and 1985 and 1987 National League championships. The 1982 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning in seven games Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Kansas City Royals over St Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over St He hit a dramatic game-winning home run during Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series and was named the 1985 NLCS MVP. The National League Championship Series was played between the St The National League Championship Series was played between the St

Smith retired after the 1996 season, and subsequently had his uniform number (#1) retired by the Cardinals. The St Louis Cardinals 1996 season was the team's 115th season in St Since retiring Smith has worked in various broadcast-related positions and was host of the TV show This Week in Baseball from 1997 to 1999. This Week in Baseball is a weekly Television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Padre years 2.2 Trade 2.3 Cardinal years 2.3.1 1982 season 2.3.2 Go crazy folks 2.3.3 Pinnacle: 1987 2.3.4 Torre era 2.3.5 1996 3 Retirement 3.1 Cooperstown and beyond 4 Career MLB statistics 4.1 Hitting 4.2 Fielding 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

Early life

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Smith was the second of six children (five boys and one girl) born to his parents Clovis and Marvella Smith. ^[1] While the family lived in Mobile, his father worked as a sandblaster at Brookley Air Force Base. The Brookley Complex, also known as the Mobile Downtown Airport According to the FAA 's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2007-2011 it is categorized ^[2] Future Major League Baseball player Amos Otis lived in Smith's neighborhood during this time period. Amos Joseph Otis (born April 26, 1947 in Mobile Alabama) is a former Center fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the ^[2]

When Smith was six, his family moved from Mobile to the Watts section of South Central Los Angeles. Watts is a residential district in southern Los Angeles California (more specifically part of South Los Angeles) South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South LA, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown His dad became a delivery truck driver for Safeway stores, while his mom became an aide at an Armenian nursing home. Safeway Inc ( a Fortune 500 company is North America's third largest Supermarket chain with as of December 29 2007 1743 stores located throughout the ^[3] Smith's mother was an especially influential part of his life who stressed the importance of education, and encouraged him to pursue his dreams. ^[4] 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. The Young Men's Christian Association (" YMCA " or " the Y " was founded on June 6, 1844 in London England by a young man ^[5] This turned out to be a precursor to his famous backflips during his playing days. Back flip is a generic term for a sequence of body movements in which a person leaps into the air performs one complete backwards revolution while still in the air and then lands on the ^[5] In addition, Smith developed his quick reflexes and defensive prowess in other ways, such as bouncing a ball off the concrete steps in front of his house, and throwing a ball over the roof, then running to the backyard to try and catch it before it landed. ^[6]

During the summer of 1965 the 10-year-old Smith and his family were virtually prisoners in their own home during the Watts Riots. The term Watts Riots refers to a large-scale Race riot which lasted six days in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles California, in August As a passage from Wizard describes,

We were right in the middle of the Watts riots. The National Guard set up its camp right across the street from our house. I don't know how many people have ever seen the National Guard break in somewhere, but they mean business. We had to sleep on the floor because of all the sniping and looting going on.

– Ozzie Smith, from Wizard (1988)^[7]

Despite some adverse surroundings, and the divorce of his parents when he was in junior high, Smith's passion for athletics continued to grow. ^[3] Living in L. A. , Smith was a LA Dodgers fan, and would ride the bus for nearly an hour to get to Dodger Stadium, attending about 25 games a year. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Dodger Stadium is a large outdoor ballpark in Los Angeles California at Chávez Ravine. ^[3] Keeping a steady interest in athletics, he went on to play baseball and basketball at Locke High School, where he counted Marques Johnson as a teammate on the basketball squad, and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray as a teammate on the baseball side. Alain Leroy Locke High School is a Title 1 Co-educational Public high school located in Los Angeles California, United States Marques Kevin Johnson (born February 8 1956) is a retired American professional Basketball player in the NBA, playing for the Milwaukee Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24 1956 in Los Angeles California) is a former Major League Baseball First baseman who was known as one of the most 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. California Polytechnic State University, also officially recognized as Cal Poly, is a nationally ranked Public university located in San Luis Obispo ^[8] In addition to his classroom education, Smith learned how to switch-hit from Cal-Poly coach Berdy Harr. In Baseball, a switch-hitter is a batter who is able to hit from both the right and left sides of the plate ^[9] Before graduating in 1977, Smith broke many school records during his four years as the school's starting shortstop, including career at-bats (754) and career stolen bases (110). ^[8]

Career

Padre years

Smith was playing semi-pro ball in Clarinda, Iowa when he was selected in the seventh round of the 1976 amateur entry draft by the Detroit Tigers. Clarinda is a city in and the County seat of Page County, Iowa, United States. The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball 's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players from high schools The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA ^[10] The parties could not agree on a contract; Smith wanted a US$10,000 signing bonus, while the Tigers offered only $8,500. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[10] Smith went back into the draft pool the following season, and this time was selected in the fourth round by the San Diego Padres, ultimately inking a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus. The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 ^[10] Smith subsequently spent his entire first year of professional baseball, 1977, with the now defunct Walla Walla Padres of the Northwest League. The Walla Walla Padres was a Class A baseball team in the Northwest League that played in the city of Walla Walla The Northwest League of Professional Baseball (or simply the Northwest League) is a Short-Season A classification minor league ^[11]

Smith started 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San Diego Padres' spring training camp in Yuma, Arizona. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Bucky Dent, MVP The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 Yuma is a city in and the County seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. Smith credits Padre manager Alvin Dark for instilling confidence in him, and Dark even told reporters the shortstop job was Smith's until he proved he could not handle it. Alvin Ralph Dark (born January 7 1922 in Comanche Oklahoma) nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox" is a former Shortstop and manager ^[12] Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp, Smith made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on April 7, 1978. Events 529 - First draft of Corpus Juris Civilis (a fundamental work in Jurisprudence) is issued by Eastern Roman Emperor Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-2 Bucky Dent, MVP ^[13][14]

It did not take long for Smith to make a name for himself in the big leagues, making what some consider his greatest defensive play only ten games into his rookie season. ^[15] 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 grounder up the middle. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during Jeffrey Alan (Jeff Burroughs (born March 7, 1951 in Long Beach California) is a former player in Major League Baseball. ^[16] As Smith describes the play in his own words:

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.

– Ozzie Smith, from Wizard (1988)^[17]

At the conclusion of the 1978 season, Smith finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting to Bob Horner. In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to one player from each league as voted upon by the Baseball Writers Association of America James Robert "Bob" Horner (born August 6, 1957) is a former Major League Baseball Third baseman / First baseman and right-handed ^[18] Despite his profound defensive abilities, Smith's hitting was still a work in progress, evidenced by an 0 for 32 start to the 1979 season. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles (4-3 Willie Stargell, ^[19] Adding to this was the friction that soon developed between Padre ownership and Smith and his agent at the time, Ed Gottlieb. The parties got into a contract dispute before the 1980 season, and when negotiations lasted into spring training, the Padres opted to renew Smith's contract at his 1979 salary of $72,500. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals (4-2 Mike Schmidt, MVP ^[20] 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. The San Diego Union-Tribune is a daily Newspaper published in San Diego California, by the Copley Press. "^[21] When the wife of the club's owner publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant to the gardener on her estate, Smith's relationship with the organization deteriorated further. ^[22]

Aside from the turmoil, Smith was increasingly recognized for his outstanding abilities 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. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to ^[23] The following year Smith found himself as a reserve in the 1981 All-Star Game. The 1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 52nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL and National League

Trade

While Smith was having problems with the Padre ownership, the St. Louis Cardinals also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St On "Ladies Day" at Busch Stadium in August 1981, Garry Templeton made obscene gestures at the home crowd before being pulled off the field by his manager, Whitey Herzog. Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St Garry Lewis Templeton (born March 24 1956 in Lockney Texas) is a former Shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog (born November 9 1931) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder, scout, ^[24] Herzog, given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner Gussie Busch, was looking to trade Templeton when he was approached by Padre General Manager Jack McKeon at the 1981 baseball winter meetings. This page is for 3rd generation brewing magnate August A "Gussie" Busch Jr John Aloysius McKeon (born November 23, 1930 in South Amboy New Jersey) nicknamed Trader Jack, is a former manager in In Major League Baseball, the Winter Meetings are an annual event held each December in which the general managers from each team meet for three and a half McKeon offered to trade Smith, and Herzog, surprised at the offer, reminded McKeon that Smith had previously been "untouchable". ^[25] With relations between Gottlieb and Padres ownership quickly deteriorating, McKeon was now eager to deal. ^[25]

McKeon and Herzog agreed in principle to a six-player trade, with Templeton for Smith as the centerpiece. ^[25] It was then that Padres manager Dick Williams informed Herzog that a no-trade clause that had been included in Smith's 1981 contract. Richard Hirschfeld Williams (born May 7 1929 in St Louis Missouri) is a former Left fielder, Third baseman, manager, coach and ^[26] Upon learning of the trade, Smith's initial reaction was to invoke the clause and stay in San Diego, but was still interested to hear what the Cardinals had to say. ^[27] While the deal for the other players beside Templeton and Smith went through, Herzog flew to San Diego to personally meet with Smith and Gottlieb over the Christmas holiday. ^[28] Smith describes how the meeting went:

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.

– Ozzie Smith, from Wizard (1988)^[29]

Cardinal years

1982 season

After more behind-the-scenes contract wrangling, Smith became a St. Louis Cardinal on February 11, 1982. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) ^[30] As the 1982 season got underway, it marked the dawn of a new era for both Smith and the Cardinals. The St Louis Cardinals 1982 season was the team's 101st season in St The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St Herzog's newly assembled team sprinted into first place with a 12-game win streak early in the season, and remained atop the National League East division the rest of the year. Dorrel Norman Elvert "Whitey" Herzog (born November 9 1931) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder, scout, ^[31] The style of baseball Herzog utilized (namely speed on the basepaths, hit-and-run plays, and sacrifice plays) was soon termed "Whiteyball". A hit and run is a play in Baseball in which the Baserunners are in motion before the ball is hit and the batter attempts to make contact with the Whiteyball is a style of playing Baseball that was developed by former Major League Baseball manager Whitey Herzog. With excellent speed on the basepaths, his Gold Glove worthy defense, and aptitude for hitting line drives and ground balls at the plate, Smith exhibited traits that coincided with the essence of Whiteyball. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to In fact, Herzog later claimed that at his peak Smith saved 75 runs per year with his glove. ^[32]

Not wanting to rest on his defensive laurels, Smith knew that to improve offensively, he would have to use his speed and hit the ball on the ground. Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as " New Busch Stadium " or " Busch Stadium III " is the home of the St 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. "^[33] The bet worked well, and Smith won close to $300 from Herzog during the season.

The 1982 season was also notable for Smith on a personal level. He became a father for the first time with the birth of his son O. J. , today known as Nikko, on April 28 in San Diego. Nikko Smith (born Osborne Earl Smith on April 28, 1982 in San Diego CA) is a singer/songwriter who was the ninth-place finalist of Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title When outfielder David Green tore a hamstring muscle less than a month later, the Cardinals brought up prospect Willie McGee from their Triple-A affiliate in Louisville. Willie Dean McGee (born November 2 1958 in San Francisco California) is a former center and Right fielder in Major League Baseball ^[34] Thrown together by their status as newcomers to the Cardinal organization during Spring Training 1982, Smith and McGee got to know each other fairly well. Once McGee joined the big league roster, the two developed an even closer rapport, and Smith likes to think he "helped Willie get over some of the rough spots of adjusting to the major leagues". ^[35]

Smith got his first taste of postseason action when the Cardinals took on the Atlanta Braves in the best of five 1982 National League Championship Series (NLCS). The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The National League Championship Series was played between the St Making the most of the opportunity, Smith drove in the series' first run by hitting a sacrifice fly that scored Willie McGee in Game 1, ultimately going five for nine over the course of St. In Baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly if the following four criteria are met There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit Louis' three-game series sweep. ^[36]

Just as Herzog had predicted when he told Smith the Cardinals would win the pennant with him on the team, Smith found himself as the team's starting shortstop in the 1982 World Series. The 1982 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning in seven games It was a matchup of completely opposite strategies; Herzog's Whiteyball pitted against the Milwaukee Brewers and their power-hitting lineup know as "Harvey's Wallbangers". The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which plays in the Central Division of the National League ^[37] From an individual standpoint, Smith scored three runs, had five hits, and did not commit an error in the field. ^[38] Additionally, when St. Louis was trailing three to one 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. The 1982 World Series matched the St Louis Cardinals against the Milwaukee Brewers, with the Cardinals winning in seven games ^[39] After Bruce Sutter struck out Gorman Thomas in the 9th, Smith celebrated a World Series championship with his teammates. Howard Bruce Sutter (ˈsuːtɚ born January 8 1953 in Lancaster Pennsylvania) is a former right-handed Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who was James Gorman Thomas III (born December 12, 1950 in Charleston South Carolina) is a former Major League Baseball Center fielder and

Go crazy folks

Fresh off the World Series championship, Smith and the Cardinals quickly agreed on a new contract in January 1983 that paid Smith one million dollars per year. The St Louis Cardinals 1983 season was the team's 102nd season in St ^[40] With high expectations to meet, the Cardinals were in first place on June 1, but were unable to finish the season in that position. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected On June 12, Lonnie Smith admitted himself into rehabilitation for drug addiction, and three days later the team received another shock when star Keith Hernandez was traded to the New York Mets. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Keith Hernandez (nicknamed "Mex" (born October 20, 1953, in San Francisco California) is a former Major League Baseball First "Mets" redirects here For the medical term see Metastasis. ^[41] Smith later referred to the trade as an event that "mentally drained" the team and contributed to sub-par play later in the season. ^[42] The most notable highlight for Smith in 1983 came when he was voted in as the National League's starting shortstop in the All-Star Game for the first time. The 1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 54th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL and National ^[42] During the 1984 season, Smith went on the disabled list on July 19 after suffering a broken wrist, a result of being hit by a pitch during a game against the Padres. The St Louis Cardinals 1984 season was the team's 103rd season in St In Major League Baseball, the disabled list (DL is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. ^[43] Smith's return to the lineup a month later was not enough to propel the Cardinals to a postseason berth. ^[43]

It was not until 1985 that the Cardinals returned to championship form and reached the postseason again. Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as " New Busch Stadium " or " Busch Stadium III " is the home of the St The St Louis Cardinals ' 1985 season was the team's 104th season in St Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, a split of the first four games set the stage for a pivotal Game 5 at Busch Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The National League Championship Series was played between the St The National League Championship Series was played between the St With the score tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning, Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda called upon closer Tom Niedenfuer to hold the Cardinals at bay and send the game to extra innings. Thomas Charles Lasorda (born September 22 1927 in Norristown, Pennsylvania) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and Tom Niedenfuer (born August 13, 1959 in St Louis Park Minnesota) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily For the baseball procedure see Extra innings. For the TV subscription package see MLB Extra Innings. After inducing Willie McGee to pop up to third, Smith came to bat against Niedenfuer. Never before in his previous 3,009 left-handed Major League at-bats had Smith homered from that side of the plate. ^[44] Smith then proceeded to hit a fastball down the right field line and over the fence for a home run, ending Game 5 in a 3–2 Cardinal victory. Commenting on his home run, 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. "^[11] Smith's feat was later voted the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history by Cardinal fans, and has been made even more famous for its radio call by broadcaster Jack Buck. Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St John Francis "Jack" Buck ( August 21, 1924 &ndash June 18, 2002) was an American Sportscaster, best known ^[45]

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 three to two, on a home run by the Wizard! Go crazy! Jack Buck[46]

Smith's dramatic feat against the Dodgers set the stage for the 1985 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. John Francis "Jack" Buck ( August 21, 1924 &ndash June 18, 2002) was an American Sportscaster, best known The 1985 World Series began on October 19 1985 and ended October 27. The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. Once again the story was not what Smith did at the plate (two for 23), but his outstanding defensive play that sportswriters were quick to draw attention to. ^[47][48] Despite an anemic . 185 batting average as a team, the Cardinals took a three games to two Series lead into Game 6. The 1985 World Series began on October 19 1985 and ended October 27. ^[49] However, a blown call by umpire Don Denkinger rendered Smith's defensive prowess moot, as the Royals took the Series in seven games. Donald Anton Denkinger (ˈdɛŋkɨnˌdʒɝ born August 28 1936 in Cedar Falls Iowa) is a former Major League Baseball umpire ^[50]

Smith's season and big hit in the NLCS are made all the more remarkable by a health issue that developed in 1985 and continued the rest of his career, that of a torn rotator cuff on his right shoulder. The rotator cuff (rotor cuff is an anatomical term given to the group of Muscles and their Tendons that act to stabilize the Shoulder. ^[51] After injuring his shoulder diving into first base, Smith then tried to compensate by changing the angle of his throws, leading to the rotator cuff tear. The 5'-10" (1. 52 m), 180-pound (82 kg) Smith rarely spoke of the injury during his career, opting to forgo surgery and instead build up the strength in his arm in the weight room, playing through whatever pain he encountered. ^[44] Says 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. "^[51]

In light of his injury, Smith was unable to perform his traditional Opening Day backflip for the start of the 1986 season. The St Louis Cardinals 1986 season was the team's 105th season in St Instead, Smith opted to let his now four-year-old son O.J. perform the backflip for him in front of the Busch Stadium crowd. Nikko Smith (born Osborne Earl Smith on April 28, 1982 in San Diego CA) is a singer/songwriter who was the ninth-place finalist of Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St ^[52] Smith's most "eye-popping" play in a Cardinal uniform came on August 5, 1986 during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Busch Stadium. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ^[44] In the top of the ninth inning Phillies first baseman Von Hayes hit a short fly ball to left field, which was pursued by both Smith and left fielder Curt Ford. Von Francis Hayes (born August 31, 1958 in Stockton California) was a Major League Baseball player from 1981 to 1992 for the Cleveland Curtis Glenn Ford (born October 11, 1960 in Jackson Mississippi) is a former Professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues from ^[53] Running with his back turned to home plate, Smith leaped forward, simultaneously catching the ball while parallel to the ground, and leaping over the diving Ford, avoiding a collision by inches. ^[44][4]

Pinnacle: 1987

A couple of the balls we hit in the Metrodome were hit solidly, but once they got to a certain point in the outfield, they seemed to stop. Yet some balls that the Twins hit, once they got to the same point, seemed to carry. I don't have any proof that it was the blowers, and it may or may not be true, but in the back of my mind I will always wonder whether that had something to do with why the Twins were such a different team at home and on the road. Ozzie Smith comments on the 1987 Minnesota Twins[54]

After hitting in either the second or eighth spot in the batting order for most of his time in St. The 1987 Minnesota Twins won the World Series for the first time since moving from Washington in 1961, marking the second time that Louis, Herzog made Smith the number-two hitter full time during the 1987 season. The St Louis Cardinals 1987 season was the team's 106th season in St ^[55] Over the course of the year Smith had his most productive season at the plate ever, accruing a . 303 batting average, 43 stolen bases, 75 RBI, 104 runs scored, and 40 doubles, good enough to earn him the Silver Slugger Award. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching The ^[56] In addition to his consistently Gold Glove worthy defense, Smith also posted a career high on-base percentage of . In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) 392. Baseball fans rewarded Smith for his exceptional play by making him the leading vote-getter in the 1987 All-Star Game. The 1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 58th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL and National League ^[57] Smith's performance during the season lifted the Cardinals into the playoffs, where they first faced the San Francisco Giants in the 1987 National League Championship Series. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The National League Championship Series took place between October 6 and October 14 at Busch Stadium (Games 1 2 6 and 7 and Candlestick Smith contributed a triple during the series, as the Cardinals won the contest in seven games. ^[58]

The 1987 World Series marked the team's third trip to baseball's biggest stage in six years, where they faced the American League champion Minnesota Twins. The 1987 World Series was played between the Minnesota Twins and the St The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After losing Game 1 and Game 2 in Minnesota, Smith and the Cardinals fought back by winning Games 3, 4, and 5 at Busch Memorial Stadium. The 1987 World Series was played between the Minnesota Twins and the St Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St ^[59] When the Series returned to Minnesota's Metrodome, the Cardinals failed to scrap together another victory, dropping the Series in seven games. The Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome, often simply called The Metrodome, is a domed sports Stadium in downtown Minneapolis Minnesota. In 28 at-bats during the Series, Smith scored three runs and had two RBIs. ^[48] After the Series had concluded, Smith was left wondering whether the Metrodome's use of air-conditioner blowers during play was the reason behind the Twins' dominance at their home park, a suspicion later shared by Major League managers Alan Trammell, Bobby Valentine, and Smith's own manager at the time, Whitey Herzog. Alan Stuart Trammell (born February 21, 1958 in Garden Grove California) is a retired American Baseball Shortstop of the Robert John Valentine (born May 13 1950 in Stamford, Connecticut) nicknamed Bobby V, is a former player and manager in ^[54][60] Smith finished second in MVP balloting to Andre Dawson, who had played on the last-place Chicago Cubs, largely because he and teammate Jack Clark split the first-place vote. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. Andre Nolan Dawson (born July 10, 1954, Miami Florida) is a former Major League Baseball Outfielder. The Chicago Cubs are a Professional Baseball franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. Jack Anthony Clark (born November 10, 1955 in New Brighton Pennsylvania) also known as “Jack the Ripper” is a former Major League Baseball ^[61] Following the 1987 season, Smith was awarded the largest contract in the National League at $2,340,000. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[62]

While the team did not see the postseason for the remainder of the decade, Smith continued racking up All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves. Combined with the attention he received from his contract, Smith continued to be a national figure. Always known to be a savvy dresser, he received recognition in that arena by making the April 1988 cover of GQ magazine. GQ (originally Gentlemen's Quarterly) is a monthly men's Magazine focusing upon Fashion, style and culture for men through articles ^[63] Smith was then witness to significant change within the Cardinal organization, as owner Gussie Busch passed away in 1989, followed by Herzog's decision to quit as manager during the 1990 season. This page is for 3rd generation brewing magnate August A "Gussie" Busch Jr The St Louis Cardinals 1989 season was the team's 108th season in St The St Louis Cardinals 1990 season was the team's 109th season in St ^[64][65]

Torre era

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[9]

While players such as Willie McGee and Vince Coleman left the Cardinals under the watch of Anheuser-Busch, Smith remained in St. Willie Dean McGee (born November 2 1958 in San Francisco California) is a former center and Right fielder in Major League Baseball This is for the baseball player For the heroic train dispatcher see Vince Coleman (train dispatcher. Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc ( (ˈænhаɪzər bʊʃ is the largest Brewing company in the United States with a 48 Louis. Joe Torre took his turn at the Cardinals' helm next, but the postseason remained elusive for the team during the first half of the 1990s. Joseph Paul Torre (ˈtɔɹi born July 18, 1940 in Brooklyn New York) is the current manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and a former Major While the Cardinals' celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1992, Smith marked milestones of his own, stealing his 500th career base on April 26, 1992, then notching a triple on May 26 in front of the home crowd for his 2,000 hit. The St Louis Cardinals 1992 season was the team's 111th season in St Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 451 - The Battle of Avarayr between Armenian rebels and the Sassanid Empire takes place ^[66] While St. Louis had a one game lead in the National League East division on June 1, injuries took their toll on the team, including Smith's two week illness in late July after contracting chicken pox for the first time. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by primary infection with Varicella zoster virus (VZV ^[67] As a testament to his national visibility during this time, Smith appeared in a 1992 episode of The Simpsons titled "Homer at the Bat". " Homer at the Bat " is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons ' third season, which originally aired February 20 1992 ^[68] When his contract expired at season's end, Smith became a free agent for the first and only time in his career. ^[69] After nearly a month, he resigned with the Cardinals on December 6, 1992. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) ^[69]

After winning a Gold Glove for the final time in 1992, injuries started to creep up on Smith. He appeared in 98 games during the strike shortened 1994 season, then sat out a large portion of 1995. The St Louis Cardinals 1994 season was the team's 113th season in St The St Louis Cardinals 1995 season was the team's 114th season in St After shoulder surgery on May 31, he ultimately appeared in only 44 games that season. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. ^[70][71] Even with injuries limiting his accomplishments on the field, Smith was recognized for his positive work off the field. For instance, his community service efforts were rewarded with the 1994 Branch Rickey Award and the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award. The Branch Rickey Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player in recognition of their exceptional community service The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player selected for his character and charitable contributions to his community 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. ^[72]

1996

As Smith entered the twilight of his career in 1996, he experienced a new round of change in his life both on and off the field. The St Louis Cardinals 1996 season was the team's 115th season in St Away from baseball, Smith finalized a painful divorce from his longtime wife Denise during the first half of the year. ^[73][74] Meanwhile, Smith once again witnessed a reboot of the Cardinal franchise, as new ownership gave the task of restoring the Cardinals' winning tradition to manager Tony La Russa. Anthony "Tony" La Russa Jr (ləˈɹuːsə born October 4 1944, in Tampa, Florida) is a manager in Major League After the team acquired shortstop Royce Clayton from the Giants in the offseason, Smith claimed La Russa had told him in January there would be an open competition between Smith and Clayton, with the starting job going to whoever had the best spring. Royce Spencer Clayton (born January 2, 1970 in Burbank California) is a former Major League Baseball Shortstop. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. ^[73][74] When spring training concluded, Smith had amassed a . 288 batting average and zero errors in the field, while Clayton batted . 190 with eight errors. ^[73] Smith believed he outplayed Clayton during the spring, but La Russa disagreed, as evidenced by awarding Clayton the majority of playing time in the platoon situation that developed, where Smith typically saw action every third game. Royce Spencer Clayton (born January 2, 1970 in Burbank California) is a former Major League Baseball Shortstop. ^[73] Commenting on Smith's perception of what La Russa said in January, La Russa himself said, "What I told him (Smith) was the guy who plays better will play the most, and Royce has been one of our two best players this year. I think it's fair to say Ozzie misunderstood how he compared to Royce in spring training. "^[73]

Smith missed the first month of the season with a hamstring injury as ill feelings continued to abound between Smith and his manager in the situation that developed. In Human anatomy, a hamstring refers to one of the Tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee ^[73] In a closed-door meeting in mid-May, La Russa asked Smith if he would like to be traded. ^[73] Instead, Smith and his agent Mark Goldberg met with Cardinals management to reach a compromise, agreeing to what effectively became a $2 million buyout of special provisions in his "lifetime" contract with the team. ^[73] The decision prompted an emotional press conference at Busch Stadium on June 19, 1996, where Smith announced his retirement from Major League Baseball, effective at season's end. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) ^[75]

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 lengthy standing ovation at the 1996 All-Star Game. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 67th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL and National ^[73] Smith also experienced a mini-resurgence in the midst of a pennant race, hitting . 287 entering September. ^[76] 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 tenth inning to secure the win for the Cardinals against division leader Houston. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played The Houston Astros are a Professional baseball team based in Houston Texas. ^[77] The win 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, earning their first playoff berth since 1987. The National League Central Division is one of Major League Baseball 's six divisions ^[77][78] After 19 seasons, Smith's career culminated in a special ceremony at Busch Stadium on September 28, 1996 before a game against the Cincinnati Reds. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA During the ceremony the Cardinals honored 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. ^[15]

Although his number was retired, Smith was not finished playing. First, the Cardinals faced Smith's former team, the San Diego Padres, in the 1996 National League Division Series. The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego California since their founding in 1969 The 1996 National League Division Series ( NLDS) the opening round of the 1996 National League playoffs began on Tuesday October 1 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. ^[79] The team carried on from there, sweeping the series by winning Game 3 in San Diego.

After going up three games to one on the Atlanta Braves in the 1996 NLCS, the Cardinals could not get the extra win to put themselves into the World Series. The National League Championship Series matched the Eastern Division champion Atlanta Braves and the Central Division champion St The 1996 World Series matched the defending champion Atlanta Braves against the New York Yankees, with the Yankees winning in six games to capture their first ^[80] After Game 7 in Atlanta had turned into a blowout, Smith filed out to right field while pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, marking the end of his Hall of Fame career. The National League Championship Series matched the Eastern Division champion Atlanta Braves and the Central Division champion St ^[81] Along with all the other accolades he achieved in his career, not the least of which was accumulating more than 27. 5 million votes from fans in All-Star balloting, Smith currently holds the record for the most at-bats without hitting a grand slam. ^[4][82]

Retirement

Upon retirement, Smith took over for Mel Allen as the host of the long-running television series This Week in Baseball (TWIB) in 1997. Mel Allen ( February 14, 1913 – June 16, 1996) was an American Sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary This Week in Baseball is a weekly Television program, originally designed to show highlights of the previous week's Major League Baseball action ^[83] Concurrent to his role on TWIB, Smith became color commentator for the local broadcast of Cardinal games on KPLR-TV. A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play KPLR-TV, channel 11 is a television station in St Louis Missouri. ^[84] He was able to cheer on Willie McGee after McGee's pinch-hit ninth inning home run to win the Cardinals' 1997 home opener, and witnessed Mark McGwire's record-setting year from the broadcast booth the following season. The St Louis Cardinals 1997 season was the team's 116th season in St Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the When his stint on This Week in Baseball concluded, Smith then moved on to do work for CNN-SI beginning in 1999. CNN Sports Illustrated (or CNN/SI for short was a 24-hour sports news channel ^[85]

Cooperstown and beyond

On January 8, 2002 Smith received a phone call from Jack O'Connell, the secretary of the Baseball Writer's Association of America, informing him that he had been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot by receiving 91. Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Baseball Writers' Association of America ( BBWAA) is a professional association for Baseball Journalists writing for daily Newspapers, Magazines 7% of the votes cast. ^[86][87] As it happened, the Olympic torch was passing through St. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. 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. Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner (born June 22 1971 in Burlington Iowa) is an American football Quarterback ^[88] Smith was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies on July 28, 2002. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. During his speech, he compared his baseball experiences with the characters from the novel "The Wizard of Oz", after which his son Dustin presented his Hall of Fame plaque. ^[89] 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. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Busch Memorial Stadium, or Busch Stadium was the home of the St Harry Weber is an American sculptor Weber was born in St Louis Missouri in 1942 and educated at Princeton University where he studied art history ^[90]

Smith is father to three children from his marriage to former wife Denise; sons O. J. , Dustin, and daughter Tarya. ^[91] Smith continues to remain a visible figure around the St. Louis area, making appearances as varied as playing the role of the Wizard in the St. Louis Municipal Opera's summer 2001 production of The Wizard of Oz. The Muny, short for The Municipal Opera Association of St Louis, is an outdoor musical Amphitheatre, located in Forest Park, St ^[92] Plus, Smith still received accolades even after his playing days. For instance, in 1999 he ranked number 87 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and finished third in voting at shortstop for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports In 1999 MasterCard sponsored the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. ^[93] Then in 2003 he was given the additional honors of induction into the St. Louis Walk of Fame and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from his alma-mater Cal-Poly. The St Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St Louis Missouri who made contributions to Culture of the United States. The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters ( Latin: Litterarum humanarum doctor; D California Polytechnic State University, also officially recognized as Cal Poly, is a nationally ranked Public university located in San Luis Obispo ^[94][95] Additionally, Smith has chosen to limit his association with the Cardinals for as long as La Russa remains manager of the team, still upset with the situation that unfolded in 1996. ^[96] Besides playing golf as a hobby, Smith keeps busy with a restaurant at Westport Plaza in St. Louis that bears his name, a location he used to cheer on his son O. J. "Nikko" Smith as he cracked the top ten finalists of the 2005 edition of American Idol. Nikko Smith (born Osborne Earl Smith on April 28, 1982 in San Diego CA) is a singer/songwriter who was the ninth-place finalist of American Idol, with the full title American Idol The Search for a Superstar for the first season only is an American reality-competition ^[97][98]

Career MLB statistics

Hitting

Category	G	AB	AVG	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SB	SO	OBP	SLG
Statistic	2573	9396	. Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a Statistic used in Team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches In Mathematics a triple is an n-tuple with n being 3. A triple is a sequence of three elements A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. 262	1257	2460	402	69	28	793	1072	580	589	. 337	. 328
All-time rank	39th	42nd	-	-	93rd	-	-	-	-	80th	21st	-	-	-

T = tied

Rankings as of March 4, 2008. Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Calendar Major League Baseball See also 2008 Major League Baseball season Postseason October 1 – ALDS and ^{[99][56][100]}

Fielding

Category	G	PO	A	CH	E	DP	FP	RFg
Statistic	2511	4249	8375	12624	281	1590	. Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a Statistic used in Team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has In Baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly ball when appropriate is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the Chances was an Australian evening Soap opera, produced from 1991 to 1992 The word error has different meanings and usages relative to how it is conceptually applied This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness. In Baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly Range Factor (commonly abbreviated RF) is a baseball statistic developed by Bill James. 978	5. 03
All-time rank for SS	3rd	-	1st	1st	-	2nd	-	-

T = tied

Rankings as of May 28, 2008. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Calendar Major League Baseball See also 2008 Major League Baseball season Postseason October 1 – ALDS and ^{[56][101][102][100]}

See also

• List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball players with 500 stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases
• Triple Crown Loser

Notes

References

• Eisenbath, Mike (1999). The Cardinals Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. ISBN 1566397030.  
• Garner, Joe (2000). And The Fans Roared. Naperville: Sourcebooks. ISBN 1-57071-582-3.  
• Herzog, Whitey; Kevin Horrigan (1987). White Rat - A Life in Baseball. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-080910-8.  
• Herzog, Whitey; Jonathan Pitts (1999). You're Missin' a Great Game. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-85314-0.  
• Hummel, Rick (2007). Rick Hummel is a St Louis Post-Dispatch Columnist who was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1980 Commish & the Cardinals. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Books. ISBN 978-0-9661397-9-2.  
• Rains, Rob; Alvin Reid (2002). Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship. Chicago: Triumph. ISBN 1-57243-485-6.  
• Nemec, David; Saul Wisnia (2002). 100 Years of Baseball. Publications International, Ltd. . ISBN 0-7853-7567-8.  
• Rains, Rob; Alvin Reid (2002). Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship. Chicago: Triumph. ISBN 1-57243-485-6.  
• Rains, Rob (2003). Cardinal Nation, 2nd edition, St. Louis: The Sporting News. ISBN 0-89204-727-5.  
• Schoor, Gene (1990). The History of the World Series. New York: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-07995-4.  
• Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (1988). Wizard. Chicago: Contemporary Books. ISBN 0-8092-4594-9.  
• Smith, Ozzie; Rob Rains (2002). Ozzie Smith - The Road to Cooperstown. Sports Publishing L. L. C. . ISBN 1-58261-576-4.  

External links

• baseballhalloffame.org – Hall of Fame biography page
• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or The Baseball Cube
• "Go Crazy Folks!" mp3 audio of Jack Buck's 1985 call for Smith's game winning NLCS home run against the Dodgers.
• St. Louis Walk of Fame

Persondata
NAME	Smith, Osborne Earl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Smith, Ozzie; The Wizard
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Baseball player
DATE OF BIRTH	December 26, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH	Mobile, Alabama
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Events 1481 - Battle of Westbrook - Holland defeats troops of Utrecht. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar)

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