The Underappeciated Reggie Smith

[Chris Counts]

One player whose name never comes up in talk about the Hall of Fame is Reggie Smith. His numbers were deceptively good — he had a career .855 OPS, which is way better than a bunch of outfielders in Cooperstown — including his far more famous teammate, Carl Yastrzemski, and he did it during an era when pitchers were dominating. He had a better career WAR than Dave Winfield or Shoeless Joe Jackson, and a better career OPS plus than Al Kaline or Roberto Clemente.

Would you rather have Reggie on your team instead of Lloyd Waner, Harold Baines, Ross Youngs, Tommy McCarthy or Richie Ashburn?

When the Dodgers played the Yankees in the World Series in 1977, myself and a friend made a big banner and paraded around Dodger Stadium with it. It read: "Reggie Jackson is a Candy Bar, but Reggie Smith is a Superstar." The fans loved it, but it didn't help the Dodgers, who were wiped out by the Bronx Bombers.