Reggie Smith is a a SOLID member of "The Hall of the Very Good" Not a Hall of Famer... but was a DAMN good ballplayer! One of the best of his generation!
Jaguar, In your piece, you make no mention of Reggie Smith seeing a doctor about the virus. Being a big Reggie Smith (Because he was a switch hitter which I had never seen before and had a cannon for an arm) and Red Sox fan and being 8 years old in 1970, I don't have a recollection of this incident. Do you have any more insight to this incident?
This being 1960s Boston I doubt "a machine" is the right word for what they considered him. I would bet good money they wouldn't have pulled that with Yaz. Similar thing happened to Eddie Murray in Baltimore when after playing every game for nearly a decade when he finally got injured the owner came out casting doubt about the man's work ethic. They wouldn't have done that to Cal
And we all know why that was... There's no way they would have pulled that with Yaz. They wouldn't have even thought to. But it's a huge credit to him that he stuck up for Reggie Smith.
living in boston, i love you football & baseball videos about boston, new england teams. with joe kapp's recent passing, i hope you would consider doing a video about his 1970 season with the boston patiots & the bizarre contract controversy. it always puzzled me that he retired from football relatively young, only 18 months removed from a record setting season & a super bowl appearance. anyway, thanks for your hard work & channel. your videos are informative, entertaining & well paced. peace amigo
Shame on the Red Sox for thinking Smith was trying to get out of playing ball. If he were healthy, there's no doubt in my mind that he would've been out there in a heartbeat.
Let's say for the sake of argument that he was faking. (Don't think he was, but still hear me out) and instead didn't want to play for whatever reason. Now if you're the red Sox organization, why would you put out a player who doesn't want to play. Not only would he underperform, but he's taking away a spot from someone who wants to play. Maybe a September call up motivated to secure a spot for next season. So even if he was faking, it was a bad decision to put him in the lineup. It was a lose/lose situation for the Sox I'd they put him in. Either the situation I just described, or he really is sick and will underperform and potentially get the rest of the team sick as well.
Also, that September call-up could turn it into a Wally Pipp-Lou Gehrig situation, which is bad for Smith, but good for the team. Also, if he's faking to preserve the batting title, that gives your team bragging rights for having a batting titlist (even if it is tainted). And while Smith was a damn good player, he wasn't a drawing card whose absence adversely affects your attendance. There is absolutely no level on which this makes any sense.
I remember him as a dodger (I was only about 3-4 when this story happened). As a vey young Reds fan he scared me. Have a number of his cards somewhere in my collection.
Excellent player for 2 NL Champions. I remember the Dodgers in 1978 had the squeaky-clean, All-American image. And had all the love for each other thing going. Don Sutton was interviewed and spoke candidly about how that image was made up and some of the players were tired of Steve Garvey supposedly being the real guts to this team. He said that everyone else says he is the best player on the team, but the team all knows that Reggie Smith was their MVP. Started a clubhouse scrap between Garvey and Sutton that opened a lot of eyes.
This used to happen a lot back in the day Eddie Murray had 162 games played year after year, when he was finally injured the owner Bennett Williams seemed to claim Murray was milking it....this rift led to Murray, who should've been a life long Oriole like Ripken, being traded to LA for SS Juan Bell (a AAA talent at best). Murray went on to have 9 straight seasone with over 20 HRs, 37, a career high one year, six of those yrars with over 88 RBI, with 100 at age 37
The Red Sox have a long, long history of screwing with the heads of most of their players. (To their detriment) Yes, other teams did that sort of thing.
He was really talented, but 3 things: 1. His own teammate was ahead by 20-25 points in the batting race, so it was not all that close. He was not winning the batting title on his own team. 2. In those days, sitting out was frowned upon, especially when the team doc clears him. Everyone was treated that way. Everyone! 3. I tend to trust the team sentiment. I think you are digging on this one.
Smith had a chip on his shoulder.. He was cantankerous.
It's not just one side
Reggie Smith is a a SOLID member of "The Hall of the Very Good"
Not a Hall of Famer... but was a DAMN good ballplayer! One of the best of his generation!
Hell, with the way the standards for the Baseball HOF have been evaporating, he should probably be in. Harold Baines?!
@@pronkb000 The Hall of Fame has turned into a joke.
Mazeroski is in because of ONE at-bat
@@LiveFromThePorcelainPalace what is your favorite mlb player in the HOF
@@logandavis418 Tom Seaver
Greatest player to ever wear my favorite team's uniform.
@@pronkb000 Baines and Smith were very similar players... neither belongs in Cooperstown
Jaguar,
In your piece, you make no mention of Reggie Smith seeing a doctor about the virus. Being a big Reggie Smith (Because he was a switch hitter which I had never seen before and had a cannon for an arm) and Red Sox fan and being 8 years old in 1970, I don't have a recollection of this incident. Do you have any more insight to this incident?
Tom Yawkey, Red Sox owner at the time was a noted racist. So the demand for Smith’s return might’ve come from the front office and not the dugout.
Wow, with a resume that solid I'm genuinely surprised I've never even heard of this guy at all.
Reggie Smith: *is a good teammate and tries to avoid getting his teammates sick
The Media: "HE HATES HIS TEAMMATES!"
Whats the name of the song in the background
This being 1960s Boston I doubt "a machine" is the right word for what they considered him. I would bet good money they wouldn't have pulled that with Yaz. Similar thing happened to Eddie Murray in Baltimore when after playing every game for nearly a decade when he finally got injured the owner came out casting doubt about the man's work ethic. They wouldn't have done that to Cal
And we all know why that was...
There's no way they would have pulled that with Yaz. They wouldn't have even thought to. But it's a huge credit to him that he stuck up for Reggie Smith.
Let it be known that THAT team owner was Edward Bennett Williams, the single most-destructive man in Orioles history.
The Red Sox made a pretty good deal getting Rick Wise and Bernie Carbo for Reggie Smith. Also, they had Jim Rice and Fred Lynn waiting in the wings.
Oh, i know exactly why. helluva player.. loved his batting stance..
Reggie did win a batting title, leading the International League with a .320 mark with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1966.
living in boston, i love you football & baseball videos about boston, new england teams.
with joe kapp's recent passing, i hope you would consider doing a video about his 1970 season with the boston patiots & the bizarre contract controversy. it always puzzled me that he retired from football relatively young, only 18 months removed from a record setting season & a super bowl appearance.
anyway, thanks for your hard work & channel. your videos are informative, entertaining & well paced. peace amigo
Sox Yawkey hated him.
Shame on the Red Sox for thinking Smith was trying to get out of playing ball. If he were healthy, there's no doubt in my mind that he would've been out there in a heartbeat.
Let's say for the sake of argument that he was faking. (Don't think he was, but still hear me out) and instead didn't want to play for whatever reason. Now if you're the red Sox organization, why would you put out a player who doesn't want to play. Not only would he underperform, but he's taking away a spot from someone who wants to play. Maybe a September call up motivated to secure a spot for next season. So even if he was faking, it was a bad decision to put him in the lineup. It was a lose/lose situation for the Sox I'd they put him in. Either the situation I just described, or he really is sick and will underperform and potentially get the rest of the team sick as well.
Also, that September call-up could turn it into a Wally Pipp-Lou Gehrig situation, which is bad for Smith, but good for the team. Also, if he's faking to preserve the batting title, that gives your team bragging rights for having a batting titlist (even if it is tainted). And while Smith was a damn good player, he wasn't a drawing card whose absence adversely affects your attendance. There is absolutely no level on which this makes any sense.
I remember him as a dodger (I was only about 3-4 when this story happened). As a vey young Reds fan he scared me. Have a number of his cards somewhere in my collection.
Pls do a vid on the pirates
This why he left Boston and never came back forever!!!!!!!
I remember him on the Dodgers he was a very good player switch hitter I think
Excellent player for 2 NL Champions. I remember the Dodgers in 1978 had the squeaky-clean, All-American image. And had all the love for each other thing going. Don Sutton was interviewed and spoke candidly about how that image was made up and some of the players were tired of Steve Garvey supposedly being the real guts to this team. He said that everyone else says he is the best player on the team, but the team all knows that Reggie Smith was their MVP. Started a clubhouse scrap between Garvey and Sutton that opened a lot of eyes.
Deserves Hall of Fame , ridiculous what he had to put up with in 70
He had the misfortune of working for Tom Yawkey.
Dick O’Connell the GM at the time. Had Yawkey’s ear.
This used to happen a lot back in the day
Eddie Murray had 162 games played year after year, when he was finally injured the owner Bennett Williams seemed to claim Murray was milking it....this rift led to Murray, who should've been a life long Oriole like Ripken, being traded to LA for SS Juan Bell (a AAA talent at best).
Murray went on to have 9 straight seasone with over 20 HRs, 37, a career high one year, six of those yrars with over 88 RBI, with 100 at age 37
The Red Sox have a long, long history of screwing with the heads of most of their players. (To their detriment) Yes, other teams did that sort of thing.
Boston has a history of treating Black ball players like crap. Reggie Smith is an icon with The Dodgers.
In the case of other teams, the Yankees with Rickey Henderson (the jaking episode of 1987), which was prompted by sportswriter Dick Young.
Reggie Smith never got any respect.
He was really talented, but 3 things: 1. His own teammate was ahead by 20-25 points in the batting race, so it was not all that close. He was not winning the batting title on his own team. 2. In those days, sitting out was frowned upon, especially when the team doc clears him. Everyone was treated that way. Everyone! 3. I tend to trust the team sentiment. I think you are digging on this one.
No. The Red Soxs treated you like a word tht rhymes with digger and not a man.
Reminds me of how the USPS treats illnesses and injuries
I hear you on that lot of employers do that for spite