1955

Bob Gilchrist Smith was born on February 1, 1930, in Woodsville, New Hampshire.  He played American Legion ball and three years of semipro ball in northern New Hampshire, in Lincoln and Woodsville. He’d been an All-State basketball player for Woodsville High in 1947 and was captain of both the baseball and basketball teams for two years in high school. He graduated from Woodsville High School in the Class of 1948 and was signed to a professional baseball contract in June by the Red Sox. 

His results in his first year were not at all encouraging. He pitched in 16 games for the Wellsville Red Sox in the Class-D PONY League. His record was 0-6, and his ERA was a worse-than-mediocre 7.95.

The Sox brought him back for another year in the league, this time with the Hornell Maple Leafs in 1949. His second year saw him with an ERA of 5.32. Bumped up to Class-C ball and pitching in 1950 for the Oneonta Red Sox in the Canadian-American League, he had an improved ERA of 3.65. In 1951 he pitched  for Roanoke and, very briefly, in Scranton. 

In early February 1952, Bob reported to the Red Sox and pitched in Sarasota during an intramural “Sophomores” versus “Junior Varsity” team at Payne Park. But the Korean War was on in earnest, and he found himself out of baseball and in military service for the full seasons of 1952 and 1953.

Once he had completed his term of duty in 1954, he returned to baseball and the Red Sox assigned him to the Shreveport Sports in the Double-A Texas League where he was 13-5, with a league-leading 2.89 ERA. 

It was no surprise when he was brought to Sarasota for spring training 1955. The Red Sox needed left-handers and he made the team. In May, after appearing in one game and when it was time to cut back rosters, he was sent to Louisville. There he pitched well again, 10-6 with a 2.48 ERA.

In 1956 the Red Sox placed him with the San Francisco Seals. At the Winter Meetings, he was not protected and was given new life when in December, when he was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in that year’s Rule 5 draft. He appeared in six games for St. Louis in 1957 and had no decisions.

In May, Pittsburgh purchased his contract and he appeared in 20 games, mostly in relief. They brought him back in 1958 and he worked in 35 games, with four starts in the first part of the season. In 1959, Smith appeared in 20 games, all in relief and without a decision. The Pirates placed him on waivers and he was selected by the Detroit Tigers in June.

After the first two of the three losses, Bob was sent to Triple-A Charleston West Virginia, where he appeared in 11 games before being recalled in September. He was assigned to the Denver Bears in October and spent 1960 pitching for the Bears.

In 1961, still on a Denver contract, he found himself something of a man on the move, working in the minor leagues for three different teams – Louisville, Columbus, and Rochester, for three different big-league affiliates: the Braves, Pirates again, and the Orioles.

In 1962 Bob's contract was purchased by the Hawaii Islanders, a Los Angeles Angels farm team in the Pacific Coast League. His last two seasons saw him back in the Boston Red Sox system, with the Seattle Rainiers in 1963 and 1964. They were his last two years in baseball.

After his time in baseball, Bob took up work as a purchasing manager for Georgia Pacific in the pulp and paper industry.

Bob Smith died in University Hospital at Augusta, Georgia, on April 1, 2013, at age 83.