Tom Smith (baseball coach, born 1942)
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 9, 1942 Coldwater, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University |
| Playing career | |
| 1962 | Dublin Braves |
| Position(s) | Catcher |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1964–1982 | Michigan State (asst.) |
| 1983–1995 | Michigan State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 377–332–2 |
| Tournaments | B1G: 4–10 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
Thomas Woodrow Smith (born December 9, 1942) is a former American college baseball coach and catcher. He played professional baseball in 1962, before retiring due to injury. He was the head baseball coach at Michigan State University from 1983 to 1995.
Playing career[edit]
Smith attended Coldwater High School in Coldwater, Michigan, where he played baseball, basketball and football. On August 17, 1961, it was reported that Smith had signed a professional baseball contract with the Milwaukee Braves.[1] Smith began his professional career with the Dublin Braves of the Georgia–Florida League, where he hit .243 with 3 home runs and 35 RBIs. Following an injury plagued 1963 season, Smith turned down a contract from the Los Angeles Angels and retired from professional baseball.[2]
Coaching career[edit]
Smith worked as a student assistant under Danny Litwhiler until he completed his degree. In 1967, he worked as the freshman coach as well as an assistant with the varsity. On March 12, 1982, Smith was promoted to head coach after Litwhiler announced his retirement.[3]
Head coaching record[edit]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State Spartans (Big Ten Conference) (1983–1995) | |||||||||
| 1983 | Michigan State | 22–32 | 8–6 | 2nd (East) | Big Ten Tournament | ||||
| 1984 | Michigan State | 32–26 | 8–9 | 2nd (East) | Big Ten Tournament | ||||
| 1985 | Michigan State | 22–35 | 2–14 | 5th (East) | |||||
| 1986 | Michigan State | 28–26–1 | 7–9 | T-3rd (East) | |||||
| 1987 | Michigan State | 34–20 | 6–10 | 4th (East) | |||||
| 1988 | Michigan State | 41–20 | 16–12 | 3rd | Big Ten Tournament | ||||
| 1989 | Michigan State | 25–26 | 13–15 | 7th | |||||
| 1990 | Michigan State | 28–24 | 13–15 | 7th | |||||
| 1991 | Michigan State | 28–25–1 | 12–16 | 8th | |||||
| 1992 | Michigan State | 36–19 | 17–11 | 3rd | Big Ten Tournament | ||||
| 1993 | Michigan State | 31–23 | 12–16 | T-8th | |||||
| 1994 | Michigan State | 26–29 | 13–15 | T-3rd | Big Ten Tournament | ||||
| 1995 | Michigan State | 24–27 | 12–16 | T-8th | |||||
| Michigan State: | 377–332–2 | 139–164 | |||||||
| Total: | 377–332–2 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ "Coldwater's Tom Smith Turns Pro". www.newspapers.com. Battle Creek Enquirer. August 17, 1961. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ "Thomas W. Smith Endowed Scholarship in Kinesiology". www.education.msu.edu. Michigan State University. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ "Michigan State assistant baseball coach Tom Smith has been..." www.upi.com. United Press International, Inc. March 12, 1982. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
External links[edit]
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
