Lee Smith Biography

Lee Arthur Smith, born on December 4, 1957, played professional baseball for 18 years in Major League Baseball across eight teams. Lee Smith served primarily as a relief pitcher and became the first MLB pitcher to achieve 400 saves, holding the career saves record from 1993 until 2006 when Trevor Hoffman surpassed his total of 478. A native of north Louisiana, Smith was scouted by Buck O'Neil and selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 1975 MLB draft. In 1991, he recorded 47 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals, a National League record at the time, and finished as runner-up for the Cy Young Award. After retiring as a player, Smith served as a pitching instructor in the San Francisco Giants' minor league system. He began his professional career as a starting pitcher, making his debut in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 1975. Smith returned to Midland in 1979, improving his earned run average from 5.98 to 4.93 over the course of the season.