Paul Smith, baseball player, 1953-1958

Paul Smith

Born: 3/19/1931 in New Castle, PA, USA

Died: 8/18/2019 in Conroe, TX, USA

MLB Debut: 1953-04-14 | Final Game: 1958-06-07

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 5'8" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Paul Leslie Smith

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Paul Smith was a professional baseball player born in 1931, who played in Major League Baseball from 1953 until 1958. He was primarily a position player, known for his versatility on the field. Smith's career spanned a period that was marked by the transition into the modern era of baseball, as the game began to embrace new styles of play and increased athleticism. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 223 games, where he recorded 152 hits, 7 home runs, and 56 RBIs, finishing with a batting average of .270. His ability to contribute both offensively and defensively made him a valuable asset to his teams. Smith's playing style was characterized by a solid approach at the plate, as evidenced by his respectable batting average. He also showcased his speed with 3 stolen bases during his career, indicating his ability to create scoring opportunities. While his time in the majors was relatively brief, his contributions during the mid-1950s reflected the evolving dynamics of baseball, as players began to adopt more aggressive strategies. After concluding his career on June 7, 1958, Smith's legacy remained part of the rich tapestry of baseball history during a time of significant change in the sport.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
223 562 54 152 16 7 7 56 3 42 44 0.270 0.326 0.361 0.687 -511.1

Career AVG .270 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .326 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .361 vs. league average .394 across their career seasons — 8.4% below league average.

Career OPS 0.687 vs. league average 0.722 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1953 PIT NL 118 389 41 110 12 7 4 44 3 24 23 0.283 .264 (+7%) .335 (-2%) .397 (-4%) .733 (-3%) -300.3
1957 PIT NL 81 150 12 38 4 0 3 11 0 12 17 0.253 .257 (-2%) .323 (-3%) .391 (-13%) .715 (-9%) -210.8
1958 PIT NL 6 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1958 CHC NL 18 20 1 3 0 0 0 1 0 3 4 0.150 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 79 2 637 54 11 53
OF 52 24 83 4 1 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1953 PIT 1B 74 0 622 52 10 53
1953 PIT OF 19 0 31 2 1 0
1957 PIT 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1957 PIT OF 33 24 52 2 0 0
1958 CHN 1B 4 2 14 2 1 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 78
Left Field 34
Center Field 2
Right Field 20