Willie Smith

Who was Willie Smith?

Willie Smith was a major league baseball left-handed pitcher and converted outfielder. After starting his career as a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers in 1963, Smith later converted to an outfielder for the California Angels, the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Cubs, and the Cincinnati Reds. He also played two seasons in Japan for the Nankai Hawks. He threw and batted left-handed and was born in Anniston, Alabama.

Smith was a highly regarded pitching prospect in the Detroit farm system. In 1963, playing for the AAA Syracuse Chiefs, he led the International League in winning percentage with a 14–2 won/loss mark, and posted a 2.11 earned run average. He also batted .380, with one home run and 13 runs batted in. Smith was still plying his trade on the mound when he was swapped to the Angels for Julio Navarro on April 28, 1964. He had compiled a 1–4 record with an earned run average of 2.84 with the Angels in 33⅔ innings pitched when Halo manager Bill Rigney shifted Smith to the outfield to get his bat in the lineup on a daily basis. Smith responded by hitting .301 that season with 11 home runs and 51 RBI.