Today’s
blog post has a “not so missing” 1974 card for five-year Major league
outfielder Tommy Smith, who made his Big League debut in 1973 with the
Cleveland Indians:
Smith appeared in only 14 games for the Tribe, hitting .244 with 10 hits
in 41 at-bats, including two homers and three runs batted in while
playing all three outfield positions.
He’d play in 23 games the next season, though hitting only .097 with
three hits in 31 at-bats, with a double and four runs scored thrown in.
He only appeared in eight games for the Indians in 1975, collecting one hit over eight at-bats yet driving in two runs.
In 1976 he’d see the most playing time of his five Major League seasons,
appearing in 55 games while hitting .256 with 42 hits in 164 at-bats,
driving in 12 runs and scoring 17 himself.
In November of 1976 he would be drafted by the new Seattle Mariners
organization as part of the expansion draft, where he would go on to
play the last games of his career, 21 to be exact, where he hit .259
with seven hits in 27 at-bats.
All told, Smith played in 121 games in five seasons, hitting .232 with 63 hits, driving in 21 while scoring 28 over 271 at-bats.