John Ford Smith (January 9, 1919 – February 26, 1983) was an American Negro league pitcher in the 1930s and 1940s.
| Ford Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: January 9, 1919 Phoenix, Arizona | |
| Died: February 26, 1983 (aged 64) Phoenix, Arizona | |
Batted: Both Threw: Right | |
| Negro league baseball debut | |
| 1939, for the Chicago American Giants | |
| Last appearance | |
| 1948, for the Kansas City Monarchs | |
| Teams | |
|
A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Smith attended the University of Arizona.[1] He broke into the Negro leagues in 1939 with the Chicago American Giants, and played with the Indianapolis Crawfords in 1940 and the Kansas City Monarchs in 1941. He served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II,[citation needed] and after his service returned to play with Kansas City from 1946 to 1948. He started Game 2 and Game 7 of the 1946 Negro World Series for the Monarchs, and was selected to play in the East–West All-Star Game in 1947.[citation needed]
Smith and Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin signed with the New York Giants on the same day in 1949,[2] and Smith spent the next several years playing in the minor leagues. In 1949 and 1950, he played for the Jersey City Giants, in 1951 for the Drummondville Cubs, 1952 and 1953 for the Phoenix Senators, and 1954 for the El Paso Texans.[3]
After his baseball career, he returned to Phoenix, where he worked for the Phoenix Union High School District, and served as executive director of the Arizona Civil Rights Commission.[citation needed] He died in Phoenix in 1983 at age 64.
References
edit- ^ "Ford Smith". seamheads.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ Craig Muder. "Monte Irvin Signs With Giants". baseballhall.org. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ "John Smith". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
External links
edit- Career statistics from Baseball Reference, or Baseball Reference (Minors) and Seamheads
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