Hal Smeltzly

Harold Meloy Smeltzly

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 170 lb.
• School Florida Southern College
• Born October 24, 1931 in Minneapolis, MN USA
• Died June 15, 2018

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Hal Smeltzly played minor league baseball in the Florida State League in 1953 and 1955. Playing 1B/OF for the Palatka Azaleas/Lakeland Pilots, he hit .264/~.342/.396 in 1953 with 11 doubles and 5 homers in 288 at-bats. He was then drafted into the Army. He stole 19 bases and played left field primarily. He returned in 1955 to hit .243 with 11 doubles and 1 homer in 235 at-bats for Lakeland.

Smeltzly was the head coach at Florida Southern College from 1959 to 1976. He compiled a 391-166 record at FSC, with six Division II College World Series appearances and three national championships (1971, 1972, and 1975). Smeltzly's #7 has been retired by the FSC baseball team. He also served as the athletic director for Florida Southern from 1972 to 2000.

Smeltzly served as the manager for the Netherlands national baseball team in 1967 and 1971, coached Team USA in the 1969 Amateur World Series (Silver Medal) and 1970 Amateur World Series (Silver Medal) and managed Team USA to Silver Medals in the 1972 Amateur World Series and 1975 Pan American Games.

Smeltzly was inducted into the Florida Southern Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Sunshine State Conference Hall of Fame in the class of 1991-1992.

Further Reading

• Obituary