Elmer John Smith (September 21, 1892 – August 3, 1984) was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

for the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

(1914–16, 1917 and 1919–21), Washington Senators (1916–17),

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

(1922),

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

(1922–23), and

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

(1925). Smith was a member of the 1920 World Series champions with Cleveland and the

1923 World Series The 1923 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1923 season. The 20th edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion New York Yankees against the National League champion New York Giants. ...

champions with New York. He hit a grand slam in Game 5 of the 1920 World Series, which was the first in

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the Worl ...

history.

Early life

Smith was born in

Sandusky, Ohio Sandusky ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Erie County, Ohio, United States. Situated along the shores of Lake Erie in the northern part of the state, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo ( west) and Cleveland ( east). Accor ...

. His family moved to

Milan, Ohio Milan ( ) is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,367 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the birthplace and childhood home of Thomas Edison. The Erie County portion of Milan is part of the ...

, when he was two years old. He had five siblings. Smith played baseball, football, and basketball in high school as well as for

semi-professional sports Semi-professional sports are sports in which athletes are not participating on a full-time basis, but still receive some payment. Semi-professionals are not amateur because they receive regular payment from their team, but generally at a consid ...

teams near Milan.

Career

Early career (1911–1917)

Smith made his

debut with the Adrian Yeggs of the Class C

Southern Michigan League The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912. After that, the league was known as the Sout ...

in 1911, and returned to Adrian for the 1912 season. He began the 1913 season with the

Duluth White Sox The Duluth White Sox were a minor league baseball team based in Duluth, Minnesota, that played from 1903 to 1916, and in 1934. The team played in the Northern League (1903–1905, 1908, 1913–1916, 1934), Northern-Copper Country League (1906� ...

of the Class C

Northern League Northern League may refer to: Sport Baseball * Northern League (baseball, 1902–71), a name used by several minor leagues that operated in the upper midwestern U.S. and Manitoba from 1902 to 1971 * Northern League (baseball, 1993–2010), an indep ...

. The Cleveland Naps purchased Smith from Duluth in July 1913. He finished the 1913 season with the

Toledo Mud Hens The Toledo Mud Hens are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Toledo, Ohio, and play their home games at Fifth Third Field. A Mud Hens team has played in ...

of the Class AA

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

. Smith began the 1914 season with the

Waterbury Contenders Several different Minor League Baseball teams have been located in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut since 1884. Teams Connecticut State League teams The earliest Waterbury teams played in the Connecticut State League between 1884 and 1912. The ...

of the Class B Eastern Association, and made his major league debut with Cleveland, now known as the Indians, on September 20, 1914. He had a .321 batting average in 13

games played Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. Basebal ...

. In 1915, Smith competed with Nemo Leibold to be the starting centerfielder for Cleveland. Leibold won the job, but Smith forced his way into Cleveland's batting lineup, with Shoeless Joe Jackson moving from

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

. The acquisition of

Braggo Roth Robert Frank Roth (August 28, 1892 – September 11, 1936), nicknamed Braggo, was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball over parts of eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Phi ...

reduced Smith's playing time during the 1916 season. On August 18, 1916, Cleveland traded Smith and Joe Leonard to the Washington Senators for

Joe Boehling John Joseph Boehling (March 20, 1891 – September 8, 1941) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for seven seasons. He played with the Washington Senators from 1912 to 1916, and the Cleveland Indians from 1916 to 1920. Boehling made his major ...

and Danny Moeller. In 1917, Smith became a

bench player In team sports, substitution (or interchange) is replacing one player with another during a match. Substitute players that are not in the starting lineup (also known as bench players, backups, interchange, or reserves) reside on the bench and ar ...

, as the Senators started Clyde Milan,

Sam Rice Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Se ...

, and

Mike Menosky Michael William Menosky (October 16, 1894 – April 11, 1983) was a professional American baseball outfielder for the Federal League and Major League Baseball. Born in Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania, he was known as "Leaping Mike" for his daring, fe ...

in the outfield.

Peak years (1917–1923)

On June 13, 1917. Cleveland purchased Smith from Washington for $4,000 ($ in current dollar terms). He finished the 1917 season as a bench player. Smith did not play during the 1918 season, as he served as a sergeant in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

. Before the 1919 season, the Indians traded Roth, and Smith reclaimed a starting position in their outfield. In 1920, he batted .316, with 12 home runs and 103 RBIs, which were the 10th-most in baseball. Smith batted .308 with one home run in the 1920 World Series. In the first inning of Game 5, Smith hit a grand slam off of Burleigh Grimes; it was the first grand slam in World Series history. Cleveland won the game and the series. On September 4 and 5, 1921, Smith recorded extra base hits in seven consecutive

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s, setting a new major league record.

Earl Sheely Earl Homer Sheely (February 12, 1893 – September 16, 1952) was a first baseman for the Chicago White Sox (1921–27), Pittsburgh Pirates (1929) and Boston Braves (1931). Sheely finished sixth in voting for the 1925 American League MVP, playing ...

broke the record with eight consecutive extra base hits in 1926. After the 1921 season, Cleveland traded Smith, George Burns, and Joe Harris to the

for

Stuffy McInnis John Phalen "Stuffy" McInnis (September 19, 1890 – February 16, 1960) was a first baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. McInnis gained his nickname as a youngster in the Boston suburban leagues, where his spectacular playing brought ...

. Starting the 1922 season with Boston, Smith batted .286 in 73 games. On July 23, 1922, the Red Sox traded Smith and

Joe Dugan Joseph Anthony Dugan (May 12, 1897 – July 7, 1982), was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Jumping Joe", he was considered one of the best defensive third basemen of his era. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortst ...

to the

for

Chick Fewster Wilson Lloyd "Chick" Fewster (November 10, 1896 – April 16, 1945) was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1917 and 1927 for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Cle ...

, Elmer Miller, Johnny Mitchell, a

player to be named later In Major League Baseball, a player to be named later (PTBNL) is an unnamed player involved in exchange or "trade" of players between teams. The terms of a trade are not finalized until a later date, most often following the conclusion of the seaso ...

and $50,000 ($ in current dollar terms). Smith became a bench player for the Yankees, pinch hitting for

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

and

Bob Meusel Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was best ...

. The Yankees won the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

pennant in 1922, but lost the

1922 World Series The 1922 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1922 season. The 19th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion New York Yankees. ...

to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

; Smith batted 0-for-2 with two

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...

s in the series. He was a member of the

champions, as the Yankees defeated the Giants, though he did not play in the series.

Later career (1924–1932)

On January 7, 1924, the Yankees traded Smith, a player to be named later, along with $50,000 ($ in current dollar terms) to the Louisville Colonels for

Earle Combs Earle Bryan Combs (May 14, 1899 – July 21, 1976) was an American professional baseball player who played his entire career for the New York Yankees (1924–1935). Combs batted leadoff and played center field on the Yankees' fabled 1927 team (of ...

In 1924, Smith hit .334 with 28 home runs for Louisville. The

acquired Smith from Louisville before the 1925 season. Smith played in 96 games for Cincinnati and tied with Edd Roush for the team lead for home runs with eight. After the 1925 season, the Reds sold Smith to the Portland Beavers of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Ba ...

(PCL). Smith led the PCL in home runs with 46 in 1926 and with 40 in 1927. He played for Portland into the 1928 season, when they sold him to the Hollywood Stars in September 1928. After the 1928 season, the Stars sold Smith to Louisville. Smith played for Louisville in 1929. He began the 1930 season with the

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen F ...

of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ( ...

, and in May was traded to the

Minneapolis Millers The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...

of the American Association for Hack Miller. He opened the 1931 season with Minneapolis, but was released in April. In May, he played for the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

of the Southern Association, and he joined the

Springfield Senators The Springfield Senators were a minor league baseball team based in Springfield, Illinois that played on-and-off from 1889 to 1935. The team played in the Central Interstate League (1889), the Three-I League (1904-1912, 1925–1932, 1935) and the ...

in the Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League in June. Smith played for the Fort Wayne Chiefs of the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consi ...

in 1932. In his major league career, Smith had a .276 batting average, 70 home runs, and 540 RBIs.

Personal life

Smith married Ruth (

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

Hanrath) in 1921. After his baseball career, Smith worked for the Cleveland Trencher Company, an engineering firm, until 1959. He and his wife retired to Shaker Heights, Ohio, her hometown. They moved to

Columbia, Kentucky Columbia is a home rule-class city just above Russell Creek in Adair County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 4,452 at the 2010 census. Columbia is the seat of its county. History The area was settled by Daniel Trabue. The ...

, in the 1970s. Smith died in Columbia on August 3, 1984, a month before his 92nd birthday. In 2011, Smith was inducted into the PCL Hall of Fame.

References

External links

*Interview with baseball player Elmer Smith by Eugene C. Murdock on November 17, 1973, in Shaker Heights, Ohio (1 hr., 30 min., in two parts). Available on

Cleveland Public Library Cleveland Public Library, located in Cleveland, Ohio, operates the Main Library on Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland, 27 branches throughout the city, a mobile library, a Public Administration Library in City Hall, and the Ohio Library for th ...

's Digital Gallery
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Elmer Boston Red Sox players Cincinnati Reds players Cleveland Indians players Cleveland Naps players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball right fielders New York Yankees players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players 1892 births 1984 deaths Baseball players from Ohio Adrian Yeggs players Adrian Lions players Toledo Mud Hens players Duluth White Sox players Cleveland Bearcats players Waterbury Contenders players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Portland Beavers players Hollywood Stars players Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Springfield Senators players Fort Wayne Chiefs players Sportspeople from Sandusky, Ohio