Willie Smith, 66, Versatile Ballplayer
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Willie Smith, first a pitcher and then a hitter in nine years in the major leagues, died January 16 of an apparent heart attack. He was 66.
Smith began in the Negro Leagues and played for five clubs in the majors, beginning as a left-handed pitcher in 1963 with the Detroit Tigers. Nicknamed “Wonderful Willie,” he also pitched in 1964 for the California Angels, where he went 1-4 with a 2.84 ERA; that same year the Angels put him in the field and he batted .301 with 11 homers and 51 RBIs.
An outfielder and first baseman, Smith also played for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds.
For his career, which ended with Cincinnati in 1971, Smith batted .248, with 46 homers and 211 RBIs. As a pitcher, including relief, he was 2-4 with two saves and a 3.10 ERA. He made 29 appearances as a pitcher, including 15 in the 1964 season with Gene Autry’s California Angels.
In recent years, Smith often worked with the Jacksonville State University baseball team, coaching both pitching and hitting.
