Reggie Smith--1968
Originally signed as an infielder by
the Minnesota Twins, Reggie Smith
was shifted to the tall grass by the
Red Sox; though you can’t tell it from
first glance at his 1968 card.
While the card states outfield, Smith
appears to be defiant as he struck an
infielder’s pose for Topps. One can
almost imagine that seconds before
he struck the pose, the 22-year-old
yelled out, “I am Spartacus, the
warrior second baseman.” He's even
wearing an infielder’s glove in a
rebellious move against the shift to
the outfield. Yet, utilizing his speed
and cannon arm, Smith grabbed a
Gold Glove for his outfield play in
1968 with Boston.
However, most of us remember Smith
as switch-hitter with a potent bat.
During his 17-year career, Smith
launched 15 or more homers in 14
seasons, topping out at 30 in ’71 with
Boston. A lead off hitter early in his
career, Smith would settle into the
middle of batting orders for the Red
Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants.
The seven-time all-star appeared in
four World Series, but wound up on
the winning end just once. However
during the 13 seasons in which he
appeared in 70 or more games, his
club finished the year with a winning
record.
Smith had a pretty good career for
an outfielder who really wanted to be
in the infield.
the Minnesota Twins, Reggie Smith
was shifted to the tall grass by the
Red Sox; though you can’t tell it from
first glance at his 1968 card.
While the card states outfield, Smith
appears to be defiant as he struck an
infielder’s pose for Topps. One can
almost imagine that seconds before
he struck the pose, the 22-year-old
yelled out, “I am Spartacus, the
warrior second baseman.” He's even
wearing an infielder’s glove in a
rebellious move against the shift to
the outfield. Yet, utilizing his speed
and cannon arm, Smith grabbed a
Gold Glove for his outfield play in
1968 with Boston.
However, most of us remember Smith
as switch-hitter with a potent bat.
During his 17-year career, Smith
launched 15 or more homers in 14
seasons, topping out at 30 in ’71 with
Boston. A lead off hitter early in his
career, Smith would settle into the
middle of batting orders for the Red
Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers and Giants.
The seven-time all-star appeared in
four World Series, but wound up on
the winning end just once. However
during the 13 seasons in which he
appeared in 70 or more games, his
club finished the year with a winning
record.
Smith had a pretty good career for
an outfielder who really wanted to be
in the infield.
