Ozzie “The Wizard” Smith, who made a name for himself during his MLB career, was an outstanding shortstop for two teams from 1978 to 1996. Although he was a great contact hitter and stole bases with ease, his best baseball asset was his quick glove.
This brief biography details information about the upbringing, baseball career, and personal life of Ozzie Smith.
Brief Biography of Ozzie Smith Section I: Childhood of the MLB legend
Ozzie Smith was born one day after Christmas in 1954 in Mobile, Alabama. He came from a relatively large family, as he was one of six children. His parents both had jobs during his early years: his father worked at Brookley Air Force Base, while his mother worked as an aide at a local nursing home. Over the years, Ozzie Smith became interested in the sport of baseball. He turned out to be an agile shortstop with excellent fielding abilities during his teenage years.
Brief Biography of Ozzie Smith Section II: Stint with the San Diego Padres
“The Wizard” was selected by the San Diego Padres in the seventh round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft. Ozzie Smith and the Tigers could not come up with an agreement over a contract, so Smith decided to try his luck at the following year’s amateur entry draft. This turned out to be a great decision, as he was selected by the Padres in the fourth round. Smith made his MLB debut shortly afterwards, for the team on April 7, 1978. While a member of the Padres, he was selected to one All-Star Game, in 1981, and received two Gold Glove Awards, in 1980 and 1981.
Brief Biography of Ozzie Smith Section III: Tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals
His stint with the Padres was a short-lived one. Ozzie Smith became disgruntled with the ownership of the Padres, and demanded a trade. He ended up being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that he played for the rest of his career. From 1982 to 1996, the Hall of Fame shortstop amazed fans and critics with great hitting and fieldwork. His statistics while a member of the team made him one of the best players in the game.
Brief Biography of Ozzie Smith Section IV: Summary of a Hall of Fame baseball career
As previously mentioned in this biography, Ozzie Smith had a legendary baseball career. He was a 15-time All-Star, won the Gold Glove Award every year from 1981 to 1992, and won the Silver Slugger Award in 1989. It is also worth mentioning in this biography that Smith became a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.
Brief Biography of Ozzie Smith Section V: His Campaign to make Opening Day more special
This biography cannot end without mentioning Ozzie Smith’s exuberant personality. In 2014, Smith mentioned to reporters that he believes that Opening Day of each baseball season should be a national holiday.
Sources:
David Brown, “Ozzie Smith petitions White House to make major league opening day a national holiday,” Yahoo! Sports.
“Ozzie Smith Biography,” Biography.com.
“Smith, Ozzie,” National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
