This is a video of highlights of Reggie Smith's time as a member of the Red Sox, during which the center fielder hit for average, hit for power, stole bases, made great catches, and uncorked tremendous throws - seasons that many, including yours truly, believe are vastly underrated.
The games were broadcast on WHDH TV in Boston, with Ken Coleman and Ned Martin mostly calling the action, with Leo Egan filling in for a few games during a strike.
If you're familiar with this channel, you know that I've taken a lot of Red Sox content from Major League Baseball's highlights of the late 1960s-early 1970s and made tons of Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro videos. I've recently added vids of George Scott's fine fielding, and Rico Petrocelli's 1969 season, during which he hit 40 home runs as a shortstop.
Last, but definitely not least, I finally completed this tribute to No. 7, Reggie Smith, one of my core Fab Five from that era of Red Sox baseball. (Love all the rest of you, fellas, but these were my guys, and wow were they mainstays in some great lineups!)
Switch-hitting Reggie came on the scene in 1967 and helped lead the Impossible Dream team to the American League pennant. He could, and did, do it all in his years with the team; in eight years he hit .281 with 149 home runs and 536 runs batted in. He could run, had a rifle arm, and caught nearly everything in center field.
His tenure was not without some controversy; Reggie and Yaz had beefs with Tony and Billy Conigliaro (some silly, mostly caused by Billy). In a town some still consider racist Smith claimed he didn't get the endorsements other players did. And there may have been a scuffle or two. But young Pete Goodwin didn't really follow the off-the-field stuff. To me, Reggie was a doubles (204) and triples (33) machine who could steal you a base (84) or do anything else needed to win a ballgame (let's face it, the Red Sox of that era didn't lose because of their lineup, they just never had quite enough pitching). And Smith looked badass doing it, with the muscular ballplayer's physique, any number of bangin' hair/sideburn looks, and the bat looking like a toothpick waggling at the top of his stance, surely menacing to pitchers.
In October of 1973, Smith was traded to the Cardinals for pitcher Rick Wise and outfielder Bernie Carbo, who helped the Sox win the pennant in 1975. Reggie had three solid years in St. Louis, then was traded to the Dodgers, where he had six more fine seasons, winning a World Series in 1981. I'm sure you can find video of those exploits. But, as these highlights show (and I wish more were available), don't sleep on how great he was when he was with the Red Sox!
Copyright Major League Baseball or any other party. I don't claim the rights to, and don't profit from, this video. I just posted it for historical and educational purposes, and for those who will enjoy it as much as I did.
Reggie Smith's career statistics:
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