| Skyrocket Smith | |
|---|---|
| First baseman | |
| Born: March 19, 1868 Baltimore, Maryland |
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| Died: April 26, 1916 (aged 48) St. Louis, Missouri |
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| Batted: Right | Threw: Unknown |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 1888 for the Louisville Colonels | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| July 8, 1888 for the Louisville Colonels | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .238 |
| Home runs | 1 |
| Runs batted in | 31 |
| Teams | |
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Samuel J. "Skyrocket" Smith (March 19, 1868 - April 26, 1916) was a Major League Baseball first baseman. He played for the Louisville Colonels of the American Association during the first half of the 1888 season (April 18-July 8). The 20-year-old rookie stood 6'2" and weighed 170 lbs.
As the regular first baseman for 58 games, Smith hit .239 (49-for-206), but 24 bases on balls and 11 hit by pitches (# 9 in the league) pushed his on base percentage up to .349. He hit 1 home run, had 31 runs batted in, scored 27 runs, and had five stolen bases. He was average defensively for his era, with a fielding percentage of .970. The Colonels had a record of 21-40 (.344) at the time of Smith's departure, and were 27-47 (.365) afterwards. Smith also played in various minor leagues from 1884 to 1895.
After his baseball career was over, Smith became a firefighter for the city of St. Louis, Missouri. He died of uremia at the age of 48.[1]