Ozzie Smith
San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals
Shortstop
"The Wizard" will be one of the few Hall of Famers inducted for his defensive skills. Immensely popular for his acrobatics on the field, Smith was named to the All-Star team every year from 1981-1996, except 1993, and was voted in by the fans most of those years. He won the Gold Glove Award each year from 1980-1992, and finished second to Andre Dawson in voting for the 1987 NL MVP. His production at the plate left much to be desired, hitting only 28 home runs in his 19-year career and finishing above .300 only once, but he had some speed on the basepaths, stealing 580 bases in his career. But his defensive skills, which include a .978 lifetime fielding percentage, made up the difference and it is his fielding ability that will insure his place among the baseball immortals.
CAREER STATISTICS
(1978-1996)
G = 2573
AB = 9396
R = 1257
H = 2460
2B = 402
3B = 69
HR = 28
RBI = 793
SB = 580
AVG. = .262
FP = .978
OZZIE SMITH LINKS
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