- Germany Smith
Infobox MLB retired
name=Germany Smith
position=Shortstop
birthdate=April 21 ,1863
city-state|Pittsburgh|Pennsylvania
deathdate=death date and age|1927|12|1|1863|4|21
city-state|Altoona|Pennsylvania
bats=Right
throws=Right
debutdate=April 17
debutyear=by|1884
debutteam=Altoona Mountain City
finaldate=October 9
finalyear=by|1898
finalteam=St. Louis Browns
stat1label=Batting average
stat2label=Hits
stat3label=Runs
stat1value=.243
stat2value=1,592
stat3value=907
teams=
*Altoona Mountain City (by|1884)
*Cleveland Blues (by|1884)
*Brooklyn Grays/Bridegrooms (by|1885–by|1890, by|1897)
*Cincinnati Reds (by|1891–by|1896)
*St. Louis Browns (by|1898)
highlights=George J. "Germany" Smith (
April 21 ,1863 –December 1 ,1927 ) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball player fromPittsburgh, Pennsylvania . He played primarilyshortstop for five different teams spanning 15 seasons. He made his major league debut forAltoona Mountain City of theUnion Association in by|1884. After Altoona's team folded after just 25 games, he jumped to the Cleveland Blues of theNational League . After the 1884 season, Cleveland then sold him, along with 6 other players, to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $4000.cite web| title = Germany Smith's career stats | work = retrosheet.org | url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psmitg103.htm | accessdate = 2008-02-13 ]On June 17, by|1885, Germany reportedly committed seven errors intentionally, when his team decided to punish new
pitcher ,Phenomenal Smith , losing the game 18-5. All 18 runs against the brash lefthander were unearned‚ due to a total of 14 Brooklyn "errors". "Phenomenal" gave himself his nickname before he joined the team‚ saying that he was so good that he didn't need his teammates to win. The intentional misplays of his teammates caused club President Lynch to fine the guilty players $500 each‚ but he reluctantly agrees to release Smith to ensure team harmony.cite web| title = The Baseball Library: Germany Smith Chronology | work = baseballlibrary.com | url=http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Germany_Smith_1863&page=chronology | accessdate = 2008-02-13 ]A reliable shortstop in the days when a fielding average below .900 could lead the league, he did, in fact, lead the American Association in by|1887, with an .886 average. When the AA folded in by|1890, he, along with most members of the team transferred to the National League's new Brooklyn franchise. In by|1891
John Montgomery Ward took over as manager and shortstop, effectively ending Smith's career with Brooklyn, so he left and joined theCincinnati Reds . There he led NL shortstops in assists each year from 1891 to by|1894. Smith later returned in by|1897, when Cincinnati and Brooklyn swapped shortstops, withTommy Corcoran moving to the Reds.His major league career came to end after the 1898 season, when he played just 51 games for the St. Louis Browns, and moved on to play for the
Minneapolis Millers of theNorthwestern League for the 1899 and 1900 seasons.cite web| title = Minneapolis Miller history | work = stewthornley.net | url=http://stewthornley.net/millers_19_cen.html | accessdate = 2008-02-13 ]Smith died at the age of 64 in
Altoona, Pennsylvania from injuries when struck by an automobilecite web| title = Germany Smith Dead | work = The New York Times, Friday, December 2nd, 1927 | url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Smith.Germany.Obit.html | accessdate = 2008-02-13 ] , and is interred at Calvary Cemetery in Altoona.References
External links
*
*Persondata
NAME = Smith, Germany
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Smith, George J.
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Major League Baseball player
DATE OF BIRTH =April 21 1863
PLACE OF BIRTH =Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
DATE OF DEATH =December 1 1927
PLACE OF DEATH =Altoona, Pennsylvania
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