| John Smiley | |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1965-03-17)March 17, 1965 (age 60) Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| September 1, 1986, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| August 30, 1997, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 126–103 |
| Earned run average | 3.80 |
| Strikeouts | 1,284 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
John Patrick Smiley (born March 17, 1965) is an American formerMajor League Baseballpitcher who played for thePittsburgh Pirates, theMinnesota Twins, theCincinnati Reds, and theCleveland Indians, from1986 to1997.
Smiley graduated fromPerkiomen Valley High School in 1983, where he played sports as a baseball pitcher, basketball point guard, and football quarterback.[1]
Despite never playing minor league baseball higher than Class A, Smiley enteredspring training before the1987 season with arelief pitcher role already in place, with managerJim Leyland saying he would have to "pitch his way off the club".[2] In Smiley's first full season, he led the Pirates in appearances with 63 games. Smiley was converted to astarting pitcher in 1988, lowering hisearned run average by a full 2.5 runs per game, posting a 3.25 ERA and 13 wins against 11 losses.
On April 26, 1990, Smiley threw a complete game against theSan Francisco Giants in 87 pitches, of which 73 were strikes, which remains a major league record for strike percentage in a single game. He allowed three hits and a single run, and struck out six batters, facing only three above the minimum.[3]
Smiley was a two time All-Star: as a Pirate in1991, a season in which Smiley led the National League with twenty wins and finished third in theCy Young Award balloting; and in1995 with the Reds, a season in which he had twelve wins and five losses. In August 1995, Smiley surrendered a home run toBraves pitcherTom Glavine — the only homer Glavine hit in his major league career.
On July 31, 1997, the Reds traded Smiley along withJeff Branson to the Indians forJim Crowell,Danny Graves,Damian Jackson andScott Winchester.[4] That September, Smiley broke his left humerus while warming up for a start;[5] the injury ended his baseball career.