Chris Smith (first baseman)

Christopher William Smith (born July 18, 1957 in Torrance, California) is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman, pinch hitter, and left fielder.

Baseball career

Smith attended the University of Southern California from 1976-78. He was a starting member on the varsity baseball team since his freshman year where he hit third in the lineup all three years. He was selected to play for the USA All Stars team against the Japan All Stars in 1977 and 1978, where he met some very special friends from the Japanese national team, Tatsunori Hara and his close friend Suguru Egawa, which Christopher roomed with at USC in 1978, where the Trojans won the national title in Omaha, Nebraska. After touring Japan with the USA All Stars in 1978, Christopher signed a professional contract with the Texas Rangers. In his first year professionally, he hit .331, third highest in the Texas League. He was traded to the Montreal Expos the next year for Rusty Staub where he hit .327 in the International league, Wichita Aeros, AAA affiliate of the Montreal Expos. The next year he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for Jim Wohlford, where he played in the Pacific Coast League AAA affiliate of the Giants winning the batting title hitting .378 in 1983. He proceeded to play in the Major Leagues with the Montreal Expos in 1981 and 1982, and San Francisco Giants where in 1983, he finished the year hitting .328. One of his highlights in the major leagues, was at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, where he hit a three run home run to beat the Cincinnati Reds in the top of the ninth inning going 2-for-5 for the day.

Career in Japan

After his career in the United States, he signed at the time, the most lucrative three-year contract ever, with the Yakult Swallows in Japan. His only regret was not signing with the Yomiuri Giants, who at the time, offered him two years, instead of three. In two seasons with the Swallows, he played in 68 total games, having 36 hits with five home runs and 18 RBIs for a .202 batting average.

Personal life

Smith has lived in Japan since 1995 where he considers his home after meeting a former model and TV broadcaster whom he married in 2003. They have twins, one boy and one girl.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Retrosheet, or Baseball Reference (Minor and Japanese leagues), or Pura Pelota (Venezuelan Winter League)