TOT - 1914 Braves Get a Big Contributor
The Miracle Braves and Red Smith have an amazing run together in 1914
Transaction of Today...August 10, 1914 - The Boston Braves purchase Red Smith from the Brooklyn Robins.
Red Smith's path to becoming part of the Miracle Braves of 1914 was full of serendipity. It, fortunately, worked out perfectly for both the team and the player.
Born in Greenville, North Carolina, Smith ended up in the Braves' future home of Atlanta early in his childhood. Funny enough, he actually went by his middle name, Carlisle, rather than his first name, which was James. It wasn't until he forged a career in baseball that the name Red stuck as a reference to his hair color.
Smith doesn't become a member of the 1914 Braves without a decision he made in college. A member of the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now known as Auburn) baseball team, Smith impressed many with his excellent hitting. However, when he wasn't playing baseball, he was an engineering student and fully planned on making that his career. If he made a five-year plan, it included marrying, finishing up his degree without baseball taking up his springs, and starting a new job. He did accomplish the first part of the plan if that means anything.
But his hitting had impressed Larry Sutton, a scout for the Brooklyn Superbas. They would later become the Robins but would be known better as the Dodgers. Sutton was convinced that Smith would be an asset for the major league club and the Robins purchased his contract, bringing the 21-year-old to the majors for his debut in September of 1911. He became the first player from Auburn to appear in the majors.
Playing third base, Smith hit .261 with a .632 OPS over 28 games. His defense was a work in progress if we’re being nice, but his new manager liked what he saw. Smith would remain Brooklyn's starter at third base over much of the next three years, showing improvement both in 1912 and 1913 as he become a fan favorite to go along with a favorite of Bill Dahlen, his manager. In 1913, Smith hit .296/.358/.441 with a league-leading 40 doubles, ten triples, and six homers. He was steadily becoming an institution in Brooklyn.
But 1914 was a different year. It started when Brooklyn removed Dahlen as manager and replaced him with Wilbert Robinson. Smith did not mix with the new skipper and apparently may have been conspiring with some other players of the Robins to force the removal of Robinson, who had been the owner's choice. In addition, Smith had threatened over the offseason to jump to the Federal League, which soured his stature with Brooklyn fans.
Even worse was the fact that he was struggling at the plate, slashing .245/.310/.361. With a manager anxious to move on from Smith as he tried to take control of his new team, Robinson's wish was granted on this day in 1914 when Smith was sold to the Boston Braves.
The Boston Braves were a month into their amazing comeback. It coincidently started with the second half of a series against Smith's former squad of Brooklyn. After dropping a doubleheader to Brooklyn on the 4th of July, Boston was 15 games back in the standings and in last place. But after taking Sunday off, Boston swept a second doubleheader against Brooklyn. By the end of play on August 8, they had won 24 of their next 30 games, moving to fourth in the league and 6.5 games out.
It would take Smith a few games to get going. After just six hits in his first nine appearances, Smith took off after August 19. In the final 51 games of the season, Smith hit .337 with a .920 OPS. He smacked 16 doubles, a triple, and a trio of homers. Smith was as good of a pickup as any deadline move could ever be. Boston never missed a beat, either. Following the move, the Braves would go 44-13. Not only would they take over first place for good on September 8, they would run away with the league. By the end of the year, they had a 10.5-game lead.
The Braves embraced Smith's prickly nature. His new manager, George Stallings, never missed an opportunity to show love for Smith and they gave him a raise to keep him happy. Everything that led to him leaving Brooklyn, Boston tried to keep from happening.
Sadly, as he tried to leg out a double in the final game of the year against his former team in Brooklyn, Smith suffered a serious ankle injury. It would keep him out of the World Series, won by Boston in a sweep over the Philadelphia Athletics. Smith would never get a chance to play in the Fall Classic, though.
Smith would recuperate and play five more years in Boston. He was a steady contributor, but would not play out of his mind again like he had after the trade. Overall, he hit .279/.344/.399 with Boston, slightly better than he had performed as a member of Brooklyn. After 1919, Boston moved on. Smith would spend most of the 20s playing minor league ball. He even spent a pair of years with his hometown team, the Atlanta Crackers. But after his final game with Boston in 1919, he never played again in the majors.
Once he did retire from baseball, he finally settled in and around Atlanta. He worked as an insurance agent and then as a tax investigator. When his old team announced they were moving to Atlanta, he was thrilled. His daughter referred to him as the "most enthusiastic booster the Braves had when they moved to Atlanta."
But that would last just one year before, on October 11 of 1966, he passed away due to congestive heart failure.
Smith's career was full of errors at third base, a ton of doubles, and a quick rise-and-fall in Brooklyn. But it also included a magical late summer in Boston as he was a major contributor to one of the greatest turnarounds in baseball history. Smith is also one of just three players who have played only for the Braves and Dodgers and played over 100 games for both. Freddie Freeman is another provided he never plays for another team. In the end, Smith's performance with Boston in 1914 was legendary and deserves to be remembered as it helped put the Braves in a position to claim their first World Series title.
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