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 professional ...

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 c ...

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 (AL), ...

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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

(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 eigh ...

(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 of ...

(1922–23), and Cincinnati Reds (1925). Smith was a member of the

1920 World Series The 1920 World Series was the championship series for Major League Baseball's 1920 season. The series was a best-of-nine format played between the American League (AL) champion Cleveland Indians and the National League (NL) champion Brooklyn ...

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 Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

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 World ...

history.

Early life

Smith was born in Sandusky, Ohio. 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 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 Sou ...

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. The

Cleveland Naps 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) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive ...

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 Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

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 of the Class B

Eastern Association The Eastern Association of counties was an administrative organisation set up by Parliament in the early years of the First English Civil War. Its main function was to finance and support an army which became a mainstay of the Parliamentarian mi ...

, and made his major league debut with Cleveland, now known as the Indians, on September 20, 1914. He had a .321

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

in 13 games played. In 1915, Smith competed with

Nemo Leibold Harry Loran "Nemo" Leibold (February 17, 1892 – February 4, 1977) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball from 1913 to 1925. He played for the Cleveland Naps, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox, and Washington Senators. He stood at and was n ...

to be the starting

centerfielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

for Cleveland. Leibold won the job, but Smith forced his way into Cleveland's batting lineup, with

Shoeless Joe Jackson Joseph Jefferson Jackson (July 16, 1887 – December 5, 1951), nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American outfielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) in the early 1900s. Although his .356 career batting average is the fourth highest ...

moving from right field to first base. The acquisition of Braggo Roth reduced Smith's playing time during the 1916 season. On August 18, 1916, Cleveland traded Smith and

Joe Leonard Joe Leonard (August 4, 1932 in San Diego, California – April 27, 2017 in San Jose, California) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver. Biography Motorcycle career Leonard won the first A.M.A. Grand National Champion ...

to the Washington Senators for Joe Boehling and Danny Moeller. In 1917, Smith became a bench player, as the Senators started

Clyde Milan Jesse Clyde Milan (; March 25, 1887 – March 3, 1953) was an American professional baseball player who spent his entire career as an outfielder with the Washington Senators (1907–1922). He was not a powerful batter, but was adept at getting o ...

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 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 warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

. 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

. In the first inning of Game 5, Smith hit a grand slam off of

Burleigh Grimes Burleigh Arland Grimes (August 18, 1893 – December 6, 1985) was an American professional baseball player and manager, and the last pitcher officially permitted to throw the spitball. Grimes made the most of this advantage, as well as his unshav ...

; 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 hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire ano ...

s in seven consecutive at bats, 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, playin ...

broke the record with eight consecutive extra base hits in 1926. After the 1921 season, Cleveland traded Smith,

George Burns George Burns (born Nathan Birnbaum; January 20, 1896March 9, 1996) was an American comedian, actor, writer, and singer, and one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, radio, film and television. His arched eyebr ...

, 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 shortstop ...

to the

for Chick Fewster, Elmer Miller,

Johnny Mitchell Johnny Mitchell Jr. (born January 20, 1971) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Nebraska. Early ye ...

, 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 ...

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; Smith batted 0-for-2 with two strikeouts 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 The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as th ...

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 (oft ...

In 1924, Smith hit .334 with 28 home runs for Louisville. The Cincinnati Reds acquired Smith from Louisville before the 1925 season. Smith played in 96 games for Cincinnati and tied with

Edd Roush Edd J. Roush (May 8, 1893 – March 21, 1988) was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a center fielder from 1913 to 1931, most prominently as a member of the Cincinnati Reds where he was a ...

for the team lead for home runs with eight. After the 1925 season, the Reds sold Smith to the

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams ...

of the Pacific Coast League (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 The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels. Hollywood Stars (192 ...

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 ...

of the International League, 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 of the

Southern Association The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A (1902–1935), Cla ...

, and he joined the Springfield Senators in the

Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League The Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League was a Minor League Baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 seasons, with teams based in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The league began pla ...

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 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 Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, a ...

, her hometown. They moved to Columbia, Kentucky, 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's Digital Gallery
Part 1 of 2Part 2 of 2
{{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