RIP: Dave Smith, my first draft pick

I was a bit sad to hear about the passing of ex-MLB reliever Dave Smith who succumbed to a heart attack at the young age of 53.  From all accounts, he was a kind and laid back guy.  His death, however, has a special meaning for me APBA-wise.  Dave Smith was the very first player I ever drafted in an APBA league. 

Flash back with me 28 years when I was a nerdy 16 year old kid and entering my first APBA league.  I had just “passed” my phone interview with the person you know as Teddy Ballgame as well as a in-person interview with DonS.  I must have passed that too because I was invited to my first league convention.  It was a bit intimidating with all these “grownups” and I was doing my best to hold my own and not look like a fool. 

I had been handed a team a few weeks before the convention and it was no secret my team wasn’t going to win any championships.  Going on memory here but I had Ruppert Jones, Don Baylor, and Lance Parrish with his double ones (and four 24s).  Pitching-wise, I had Roger Erickson (a B) and a couple Cs in Ross Baumgarten and John Curtis…

…and no bullpen.

  It was draft time and all these rookies!  Looking back, I had no idea who they were compared to these other guys who read Baseball America faithfully.  I had two draft picks to play with and I had holes to cover at 2B and SS.  I don’t remember exactly what pick I had but it had to be pretty high in the order given the team’s position in the standings the previous year. 

So for my first pick, my Geneseo A’s took a chance on a reliever named Dave Smith from the Houston Astros who at least was graded Ayz.  I needed bullpen and I figured I could get something out of him.

Nowadays, I generally don’t pick relievers in the first round unless they are something special.  As it turned out, the Smith pick didn’t turn out too bad.  Smith had a 13 year mostly successful career in the majors with a career ERA of 2.67 and 216 saves. 

As for me, Smith had 3 productive years (he was graded A, B, C).  1980, (the year I picked him), he saved 15 games for my last place team with an ERA of 2.27.  After three years, I traded him though I can’t remember the details.  Six years later when I took over a different team (my current Thunderchickens), I remembered what Smith had done for my A’s and went after him again.  I acquired him in a trade from Teddy’s Chicago Champions.  He pitched three more years for me. 

In the six seasons Dave Smith pitched for me, he never had an ERA over 4.00.  For his 12 year career in the IAL, he had a 3.25 ERA in 823 1/3 innings.  Not bad for pitching in a hitting strong league.  Only in his last season did his ERA go over 4.00. 

For those of us who have been in APBA leagues for much of our lives, we reach certain milestones.  When we become as old as one of our players.  Then when we are OLDER than all of players.  But when our former players start passing away, that is a sad day. 

RIP Dave Smith