Jean Smith

Jean Marie Smith

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 6", Weight 128 lb.

• Born May 9, 1928 in Ann Arbor, MI USA
• Died March 13, 2011 in Petoskey, MI USA

Biographical Information

Jean Smith played in the last seven years in the AAGPBL with four different teams. She was primarily an outfielder.

Smith debuted in 1948, hitting .168/~.293/.226 with 15 steals for the Kenosha Comets and Fort Wayne Daisies. In the postseason, she was 2 for 24 for Fort Wayne, which made it to the finals before losing to the Rockford Peaches. In [[1949 AAGPBL|1949], she hit .149/.321/.284 for Fort Wayne and also pitched, allowing 3 runs in 3 3 innings. She was 0 for 1 in the postseason. During 1950, she had a 2-0, 1.80 record on the mound for the Peoria Redwings while hitting .217/~.310/.277. In 1951, she batted .233/~.331/.279 with 38 steals for Peoria. She had her busiest year as a pitcher, with a 7-7, 2.92 record.

In 1952, she moved to the Grand Rapids Chicks, going 1-2 with a 5.44 ERA. offensively, she hit .196/~.274/.253. She was 0 for 8 in the playoffs. In 1953, she hit .227/~.343/.309 with 73 steals, 71 walks and 86 runs in 114 games. She was second in the AAGPBL in swipes, 7 behind leader Betty Foss. She was also second to Foss in runs and tied with Foss for third in doubles (20), behind Eleanor Callow and Jean Geissinger. She had her only good postseason, going 4 for 18 as Grand Rapids won the title.

In the AAGPBL's last season, 1954, she put up a .252/~.418/.385 line with 88 walks, 74 runs and 28 steals. She only struck out in 17 of 309 at-bats. She was 4th in steals and tied for third in doubles (trailing Geissinger and Joanne Weaver).

Overall, she hit .215/~.325/.299 in 567 regular season AAGPBl games, with 194 steals, 333 walks and 320 runs. In the postseason, she was just 6 for 63. As a pitcher, her record was 10-10, 5.61 in 39 games, with 129 walks in 172 innings.

Source: The AAGPBL Record Book by W.C. Madden