| Lee Smith | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Lee_Smith.jpg) Smith with the Chicago Cubs in 1985 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: December 4, 1957 Jamestown, Louisiana, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1980, for the Chicago Cubs | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 2, 1997, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Games pitched | 1,022 |
| Win–loss record | 71–92 |
| Earned run average | 3.03 |
| Strikeouts | 1,251 |
| Saves | 478 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2019 |
| Vote | 100% |
| Election method | Today's Game Era Committee |
Lee Arthur Smith (born December 4, 1957) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eight teams. Serving mostly as a relief pitcher during his career, he was a dominant closer, was the first pitcher to reach 400 saves, and held the major league record for career saves from 1993 until 2006, when Trevor Hoffman passed his total of 478.[1] He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2019 by the Today's Game Era Committee.
A native of Jamestown in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Smith was scouted by Buck O'Neil and was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1975 MLB draft. Smith was an intimidating figure on the pitcher's mound at 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) and 265 pounds (120 kg) with a 95-mile-per-hour (150 km/h) fastball.[2] In 1991, he set a National League (NL) record with 47 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals, and was runner-up for the league's Cy Young Award; it was the second of three times Smith led the NL in saves, and he later led the American League (AL) in saves once. When he retired, he held the major league record for career games finished (802) and was third in games pitched (1,022). He holds the Cubs' team record for career saves (180),[3] and held the same record for the Cardinals (160) until 2006.[4]
After his playing career, Smith worked as a pitching instructor in Minor League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants. He served as the pitching coach for the South Africa national baseball team in the World Baseball Classics of 2006 and 2009.
- ^ "Padres closer Trevor Hoffman to catch ceremonial first pitch delivered by Lee Smith prior to Thursday's game". Major League Baseball. October 4, 2006. Archived from the original on November 1, 2007. Retrieved May 8, 2007.
- ^ Long, Shepard C. "Lee Smith". baseballbiography.com. Retrieved August 13, 2006.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Top 10 Career Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ "Carpenter stifles Pirates". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Associated Press. June 14, 2006. p. 15. Retrieved June 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.