Smith, Lee A.
Baseball
b. Dec. 4, 1957, Jamestown, LA
A menacing figure on the mound at 6-foot-6 and 269 pounds, Smith became the major league's all-time save leader in 1993. (His record was broken in 2006 by Trevor Hoffman.)
Smith had an unusually long career for a relief pitcher who throws hard. He entered the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs during the 1980 season. He led the league with 29 saves in 1983, when he had a 1.65 ERA.
The Cubs traded Smith to the Boston Red Sox in 1988 and Boston sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals during the 1990 season. Smith set a league record with 47 saves in 1991 and he led the NL again with 43 saves in 1992.
Shortly after he set the career save record, the Cardinals traded Smith to the New York Yankees. After pitching only 8 innings for the Yankees, he went to the Baltimore Orioles in 1994 and to the California Angels in 1995. The Angels traded him to the Cincinnati Reds during the 1996 season and he finished his career with the Montreal Expos in 1997.
Smith was selected for nine All-Star games and he won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1991, 1992, and 1994.