Jerry Smits

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Biographical Information

Jerry Smits played in Belgium's First Division and for the Belgian national team.

Statistics for Belgium's league are first available online for the 1988 season, when he was 3-4 with a 4.04 ERA for General Motors. He fell to 1-1, 7.94 in 1989. In 1990, he was 0-8 with a 10.83 ERA for the Brasschaat Braves, leading the league in losses by one over Norman Caes. He rebounded to 4-4, 7.13 in '91 and tied for 9th in wins. In 1992, he pitched four shutout innings and had no decisions as the Braves won the title.

Smits moved to the Hoboken Pioneers in 1993, going 7-5 with a 3.77 ERA. He tied Andre De Wit and Roger De Saedeleer for 5th in wins, was 6th in IP (86), tied De Saedeleer for 7th in complete games (6), was 7th in K (66, between Frank Mathijs and De Wit) and was 7th in ERA (between De Saedeleer and Michael Leys). In 1994, he had a 6-5, 6.17 record and was 7th in victories. During 1995, he was 6-4 with a 5.45 ERA for the Antwerp Royal Greys. He tied for 6th in wins and was third in ERA behind Mathijs and Leys.

Making Belgium's squad for the 1995 European Championship, he made two appearances. He closed out a mercy rule loss to the powerful Dutch national team, relieving Wim Kerstens and allowing two runs on a hit, walk and wild pitch in a third of an inning. His other game, he replaced Leys in the 5th of a loss to Spain and gave up five runs in 4 1/3 IP (5 H, 6 BB, 5 K), outperforming Leys that day. For the event, only De Wit had a higher ERA for Belgium, which won the Bronze.

The left-hander's career was pretty much over by this point. He was 2-1 with a 7.46 ERA for the champion Braves in 1997 after missing '96, ending his career.

Sources

• Belgian Baseball Federation
• Wayback Archive, 1995 European Championship