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| Baseballers of Lesser Note: Bryn Smith | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 20 2010, 04:30 PM (667 Views) | |
| Erick Von Erich | Sep 20 2010, 04:30 PM Post #1 |
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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Hallo there, and welcome to the second installment of (Professional) Baseballers of Lesser Note. In which we spotlight some of the distinguished gentlemen who have partaken in the professional gentleman's sport of baseball throughout the various eras encompassing the aforementioned sport. This week we look at Bryn Smith. Posted Image What'd He Do? Career Stat Totals: 13 Seasons/ 108-94 record/ 1791.1 IP/ 1028 K What Can You Tell Us About Him? Named after his grandfather's initials (Baxter Robert Young Nisbet), Smith first broke into the Majors with the Montreal Expos in 1981. With a wealth of young talent, the Expos had proclaimed themselves "the Team of the 80's". The Expos usually had winning records in the 80's, but they were never quite able to get over the hump. Smith started out in the bullpen, but by 1984 he had settled in as a second or third starter with the Expos; typically taking the mound the night after guys like Charlie Lea or Dennis Martinez. His best season was probably 1985 when he was the Expos ace and finished with an 18-5 record. Surprisingly, Smith did not receive any Cy Young votes that year (even a 12th place... or however far down they usually went). What Happened to Him? Smith left Montreal after 1989, amongst a mass exodus of Expos such as Pascual Perez, Hubie Brooks and Mark Langston. Around this time, Smith was mentioned in a Sports Illustrated article, where he humorously pined about living in Montreal and how he would often send his wife down to the US for "essentials", such as Doritos. Montreal was never very popular among MLB players.... simply because it wasn't the USA (ie: no hamburgers, beer or junk food). Smith signed a three-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1990. He turned in serviceable years in '90 and '91, but developed elbow problems and was only limited to 13 games in 1992. Now at age 37, he was not re-signed by the Cardinals, but he was soon one of the first free-agent signees of the expansion Colorado Rockies. Smith was almost immediately penciled in as the Rockies 3rd or 4th starter for 1993. At training camp in Tucson that year, Smith playfully passed out nametags to help the new Rockies get acquainted with each other. The team also projected Smith to be a mentor of sorts for the tenderfooted David Neid (their #1 expansion pick and hopeful "ace" of the future); even positioning their lockers next to each other. The Rocky Mountain News published a poster of Smith and Neid, playing off of Smith's age with a rocking chair. Smith did in fact leave Tucson as the Rockies #3 starter. This meant he got the call for the first-ever Major League game played in Denver, in front of 78,000 fans at the converted Mile High Stadium. Smith and the Rockies prevailed, 11-4, as he went into the record books as the first winning pitcher in Colorado Rockies franchise history. Strangely enough, it was a homecoming of sorts, as Smith had gone 15-5 for the Triple A Denver Bears in 1981. However, the Rockies opener turned out to be the last hurrah for Smith. His ERA blossomed and he was soon dropped from the rotation. He won one more game in relief, but was released by the Rockies on June 2 and soon retired. In 1994 he returned to his home of Santa Maria, California and began a coaching career at the collegiate and prep levels; where he can still be found today. Look for (Professional) Baseballers of Lesser Note on Tuesdays! |
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| torturedsoulv1 | Sep 20 2010, 11:22 PM Post #2 |
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true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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I remember him, but didn't realize he lasted 13 years |
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| Erick Von Erich | Sep 21 2010, 07:52 AM Post #3 |
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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I think my credentials for this feature will roughly be: -At least six full seasons -Never won an award (ROY, CYA or MVP) -No more than 1 All-Star invite |
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| torturedsoulv1 | Sep 21 2010, 02:25 PM Post #4 |
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true maharajah Jinder Mahal
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How far back are you going? Babe Ruth era perhaps? :D |
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| Erick Von Erich | Sep 21 2010, 03:56 PM Post #5 |
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I'm Big E and I tell it like it is
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I was thinking of going as far back as Michael "King" Kelly in the 1880's! But there's a good deal written about him as he was sorta' the Deion Sanders or Dennis Rodman of his time. So I don't think he'll qualify. Only fun story I have about him is that he was a player/manager. One time, he was managing, then suddenly declared himself active as a player, so he could catch a foul ball that was out-of-play. I'm going to try to write most of these from some sort of personal recollection (wait until I get to Bob Walk). Otherwise, it'd just be a rehash of what's already out there. So expect a good deal of emphasis on players who have passed through the Rockies or Pirates at some point. |
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5:32 PM Jul 10