D. Smith

D. Smith

• Bats Unknown Throws Unknown

• Debut September 15, 1875
• Final Game October 9, 1875

BR page

Biographical Information

A player named Smith played three games at second base for the Brooklyn Atlantics of the National Association in September of 1875. At some point, he was identified as Tom Smith who was born in Canada, which would have made him the first Canadian to play in the major leagues, or at least the first for which solid evidence of a Canadian birth was available (current information seems to show Bob Addy as coming before him). However, that identification is problematic as Tom Smith was normally an outfielder, and contemporary newspapers said the player was a former member of the Brooklyn Nassaus, an amateur team which included two players with the last name Smith, catcher/shortstop S. Smith, who played with the Nassaus at the same time as the major appeared with the Atlantics, and second baseman D. Smith, who does not have such a conflict and was the likely player, rather than the Canadian.

The Atlantics team for which he appeared won only 2 games all season, and so it tried to find some players who would improve the team, Getting into three games was actually fairly impressive for him, because the Atlantics tried 14 players in only one game and four players in only two games.

Further Reading

• "Want a Challenge?", in Bill Carle, ed.: "Biographical Research Committee Report, SABR, May/June 2023, pp. 1-2.