Next up in my on-going 1978 sub-set celebrating the "30 Home Run Club" members of the 1977 season is Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Reggie Smith:
Smith joined what was at the time an
exclusive club when he hit the 30th home run of the 1977 season,
becoming one of only a few to hit 30+ homers in a season in both the
American and National Leagues, eventually settling for 32 homers.
On
top of that, it was also an even MORE exclusive club when three other
Dodger teammates, Steve Garvey, Ron Cey and Dusty baker, also hit 30+
homers, becoming the first team in baseball history to have four such
sluggers in a season.
It's easy to forget just what a nice career "the other Reggie" put together over the course of 17 seasons.
Not only was he a legitimate home run threat (finishing his career
with 314), but he hit .300 or better seven times during his run, and
even managed to swipe 137 bases as a Major League player.
He'd finish his career with over 1000 runs scored, 1000 runs batted in,
300 homers and 2000 hits between 1966 and 1982, playing for the Boston
Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
