Dan Smith

From SoSH

Daniel Charles Smith was signed (as a free agent) by the Boston Red Sox on June 2, 2000, and he was immediately activated by the major league club. Dan appeared in 2 games for the 2000 Red Sox (on June 3 and June 7), pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing 2 hits, 3 walks, and 3 earned runs. He was released by the Red Sox in October of that year. While with Boston, Dan wore uniform number 41.

Contents 1 Overall Career 2 Smith's Moments in the Sun 3 Trivia 4 Transactions 5 External Links

Overall Career

Dan Smith was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1993 amateur draft, and he spent six years pitching in the Rangers' system. He followed an impressive 1993 season in rookie ball (3-2 with a 2.87 ERA) with a tough year at High-A in 1994 (7-10 with a 4.92 ERA), but Smith reestablished himself as a prospect in 1995: after being promoted to High-A Charlotte, he went 5-1 with a 2.95 ERA. The 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons saw him jumping between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, and he struggled to master higher levels of competition, posting a combined ERA of 5.10 in 653 1/3 innings from 1996-1998. After the 1998 season he was claimed off waivers by the Montreal Expos.

Smith began the 1999 season at Triple-A Ottawa, and posted a promising 3.89 ERA in 71 innings of work. As a result, he was called up to Montreal midseason, making his debut in a start against the Boston Red Sox on June 8, 1999. Smith was extremely impressive in his debut, pitching 7 innings and striking out 9 batters while allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run. Unfortunately, Dan would make just four more quality starts that year in 16 tries, and his 6.02 ERA and 1.595 WHIP provide an accurate reflection of his difficulties.

Dan Smith was released by Montreal after the 1999 season despite his willingness to eat up some pretty long and horrible innings for the club, and he went unsigned until the Boston Red Sox suddenly discovered this "diamond in the rough" on June 2, 2000. He was immediately summoned to Boston, and pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings in a 9-3 Red Sox loss on June 3. His second appearance, on June 7, was not nearly as successful: he pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 hits, 2 walks, and 3 earned runs to seal [[Florida Marlins|Florida's] 6-2 defeat of the Red Sox. He then mysteriously disappeared (perhaps due to injury) for the rest of the season, and was released in October.

Dan spent the 2001 season in the Cleveland Indians' organization, providing mediocre starting pitching for their Triple-A Buffalo team (6-4 with a 4.50 ERA in 106 innings). The following January, he re-signed with the Expos and had a surprisingly good season split between Triple-A Ottawa (16 starts, 5-4, 3.24 ERA), and (Triple-A?) Montreal (33 relief appearances, 3.47 ERA, 1.18 WHIP). The Expos, perhaps paralyzed by shock, forgot to release him in the offseason, and he reappeared on the Expos/Nationals roster the following spring, pitching 37 2/3 innings in relief and posting a more typical 5.26 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. This time, he was released at the end of the season.

The 2004 and 2005 seasons found Dan Smith recovering from rotator cuff surgery and trying to resurrect his career with the Nationals (with whom he signed as a free agent). He pitched limited innings in High-A and Triple-A over the two seasons. Given his 2005 ERA of 10.73, he is not quite ready to help the big club.

Smith's Moments in the Sun

• June 8, 1999: The Expos defeat the Red Sox, 5-1, as starting pitcher Dan Smith wins his major league debut. After allowing three hits to the first four batters he faces, Smith retires his last 20 batters in a row before being replaced after seven innings.

Trivia

• There is also a lefty pitcher named Daniel Scott Smith, who appeared in 17 games for the Texas Rangers in 1992 and 1994.

Transactions

• June 3, 1993: Selected by Texas Rangers in the 7th round of the free-agent draft (signed June 4, 1993)
• December 14, 1998: Claimed on waivers by Montreal Expos from Texas Rangers
• December 21, 1999: Granted free agency
• June 2, 2000: Signed by Boston Red Sox
• October 18, 2000: Granted free agency
• November 18, 2000: Signed by Cleveland Indians
• October 15, 2001: Granted free agency
• January 8, 2002: Signed by Montreal Expos
• October 14, 2004: Released by Washington Nationals
• October 28, 2004: Signed by Washington Nationals
• October 15, 2005: Granted free agency

External Links

• Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis