Roy Smith (1980s pitcher)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Roy Smith
position=Pitcher


bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1961|9|6
city-state|Mount Vernon|New York
debutdate=June 23
debutyear=by|1984
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
finaldate=August 16
finalyear=by|1991
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=30-31
stat2label=ERA
stat2value=4.60
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=320
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (1984-1985)
*Minnesota Twins (1986-1990)
*Baltimore Orioles (1991)

Le Roy Purdy Smith is a baseball executive and former Major League Baseball pitcher. He currently serves as special assistant to Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield.

Playing career

Smith was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. After three seasons in the Phillies' farm system, Smith and two other players, were to the Cleveland Indians late in the by|1982 season for pitcher John Denny.

After another season and a half in the minors, he made his major league debut in June of by|1984 against the Seattle Mariners, a game in which he also picked up his first major league win.

Smith split by|1985 between the major and minor leagues once again, then was traded in the following off-season to the Minnesota Twins in a four-player deal. He continued to shuttle between the majors and minors for three more seasons before finally making the majors to stay in by|1989. He had his best season that year, going 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA. He would fall to 5-10 with an ERA nearly a run higher the following season, and was released.

Smith pitched one more season in the majors for the Baltimore Orioles in by|1991, but with even less success. He continued to pitch in the minors until by|1993, when he finally retired.

Baseball executive

After spending his final season with the Buffalo Bisons in the Pittsburgh Pirates system, the Pirates made him a scout in 1994. He moved into the team's front office, serving as assistant general manager from by|1999 until by|2004, then moved on to the Los Angeles Dodgers. There, he worked as their Vice-President for Scouting and Player Development for two seasons, but left the organization along with his boss, Paul DePodesta, and returned to the Pirates. He is currently a special assistant to the Pirates' General Manager, Dave Littlefield.

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