Bill Smith (smithbi04)

From BR Bullpen

William Garland Smith

Bats Left, Throws Left
Height 6' 0", Weight 190 lb.

Debut September 13, 1958
Final Game September 28, 1962
Born June 8, 1934 in Washington, DC USA
Died March 30, 1997 in Clinton, MD USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Lefthander Bill Smith was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Cardinals before the 1953 season. The nineteen year old would spend his first year with the pennant winning St. Joseph Cardinals of the class C Western Association where he won 8 and lost 7 with a 4.79 ERA to help his team to the title. 1954 would see Smith with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the class C Northern League going 17-8 with a 2.93 ERA and a berth on the All-Star team. In 1957 Bill would be with the Columbus Foxes winning 16 and losing 8 with a 3.12 ERA and lead the South Atlantic League in strikeouts with 196. Also in '57 he teamed up with two other pitchers, Joe McClain and Richard Niesyto throwing a no-hitter at the Savannah Redlegs on May 26.

The left-hander would see most of his time on the mound in the late '50s and early '60s with the Omaha Cardinals, Rochester Red Wings and the Buffalo Bisons, but did make it into 32 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1958 and 1959 going 0-1 in '58 in two outings and had no decisions in six games in '59. Bill also saw action with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1962 when the Cardinals traded him along with Bobby Gene Smith for Carl Sawatski. Bill made 24 appearances for the Phillies in '62, going 1-5 with a 4.29 ERA. This would be Bill's last pitching in the major leagues and he would close with a 1-6 record and a career 4.21 ERA.

Smith would finish out his 12 season (1953-64) minor league run with the Arkansas Travelers of the PCL in 1964 at the age of 30 and wind up with a 130-93 record with a 3.72 ERA, appearing in 380 games. After baseball Bill would settle in Clinton, MD and go into the sporting goods business where he was active until his death on March 30, 1997, at the age of 62.