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Hilton Smith
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| Pitcher | Negro Leagues
Hilton Smith
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Hilton Smith Hilton Smith
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| Hilton Smith |
Because he pitched for many years in the shadow of the flashy and outspoken Satchel Paige, he was underappreciated as a pitcher. During much of his career with Kansas City, Smith acted as a long-reliever to the legendary Paige, who would commonly be tapped to pitch the first few innings of a Monarchs ball game in order to attract a large crowd. Then, after a once-through of the opposing lineup, the flamboyant Paige would yield to the quiet Smith, who would pitch the remainder of the game.
Smith would shut down the competition with an assortment of pitches highlighted by a devastating fastball and a curveball frequently cited as the best in Negro League history. Though Negro League statistics are incomplete at best, Smith is credited with winning 20 or more games in each of his 12 years with Kansas City, including an astonishing record of 93-11 over a four year span from 1939 to 1942. In 1941 he won 25 games with but one defeat, and, in league contests that year, was 10-0 in 19 games, allowing a league-low 39 hits in a league-best 89 innings. That season he also led the league in wins, shutouts (2) and saves (3). In a 1937 contest against the powerful Chicago American Giants, Smith pitched a no-hitter as just two balls were hit out of the infield.
In a glimpse of what might have been, Smith pitched brilliantly in exhibitions against white major leaguers, collecting six wins with just one loss in the contests. As if his pitching prowess was not enough, his ability with the bat meant that it was not uncommon for the Monarchs to utilize Smith as an outfielder or first baseman.
Born in Giddings, Texas, the tall right-hander began as a ballplayer on his father's local team. Following a short stint with the Austin Senators in 1931, the 20-year-old Smith joined the Monroe Monarchs of the Negro Southern League. After four years (1932-1935) with Monroe, as well as a number of other brief affairs with small-time clubs, Smith joined the Kansas City Monarchs — the club with which he would make his mark and the club with which he would play out his career.
Prior to joining the Monarchs, Smith was a pitching talent who got by on raw ability. With the Monarchs, Smith blossomed into a true all-around pitcher. Smith credited Kansas City Manager Andy Cooper, long-time Monarch catcher Frank Duncan, and future Hall of Famer Bullet Rogan as the teachers that transformed him into an ace on the Monarch staff.
Picture from National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.
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