Reggie Smith, the switch-hitting outfielder whose powerful bat and clubhouse leadership helped fuel three pennant-winning teams and a World Series championship for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will be inducted into the Legends of Dodger Baseball on Saturday, August 15, at Dodger Stadium before the team’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
A 17-year Major Leaguer who enjoyed the best chapter of his career with L.A. between 1976 and 1981, Smith becomes the 10th member of the Legends of Dodger Baseball, joining Don Newcombe (2019), Steve Garvey (2019), Fernando Valenzuela (2019), Maury Wills (2022), Kirk Gibson (2022), Manny Mota (2023), Orel Hershiser (2023), Dusty Baker (2024) and Ron Cey (2025).
Smith, a graduate of Centennial High School in Compton, made his Major League debut at age 21 with the 1966 Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers acquired him in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals on June 15, 1976, in exchange for catcher Joe Ferguson and minor leaguers Freddie Tisdale and Bob Detherage.
“I tell people I was a Dodger before I actually joined the team,” Smith said. “Being a young, African American player, I had such respect for Jackie Robinson while growing up. When the Dodgers came to Los Angeles, we had the opportunity to see them play. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Jackie play because he had retired. He was my boyhood hero, so when I became a Dodger, it was very special.”
He enjoyed his best season in 1977 when he hit a career-high 32 home runs and was part of MLB’s first 30-homer quartet, along with teammates Steve Garvey (33), Ron Cey (30) and Dusty Baker (30). Smith also led the National League in on-base percentage (.427).
Smith was an All-Star in 1977 and 1978 and in each season finished fourth in the NL Most Valuable Player balloting. Over his MLB career, Smith was a seven-time All-Star and started the 1980 Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium.
He was a member of the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series championship team, going 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI as a pinch hitter in the postseason, and in the 1977 World Series he reached base 10 times in 26 plate appearances with four walks, a double and three home runs.
Among switch-hitters, Smith ranks ninth on the MLB career all-time list with 314 home runs. And among MLB players not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, he ranks 20th all-time with 64.6 wins above replacement, according to Baseball Reference.
Smith returned to the Dodger organization and served as a Minor League instructor (1989–92), Minor League Field Coordinator (1993) and Major League hitting coach (1995–98). He also was part of Tommy Lasorda’s coaching staff in 2000 when Team USA won the gold medal in the Summer Olympics baseball tournament in Sydney, Australia.
Dave Roberts selected Reggie Smith to All-Star staff in 2021
During the 2021 MLB All-Star Game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts selected Reggie Smith to be a special inclusion on his coaching staff. At the time, the two had been friends for more than 15 years.
“I’ve known him for many years and what he did in the game of baseball, what he did off the field, what he has continued to do off the field for the urban youth, shouldn’t go unnoticed,” Roberts said at the time of naming Smith to his All-Star Game staff.
“And I think that for us to give an opportunity to connect old versus young players, generations, I think it’s very cool. And when I told him, he got pretty choked up. Reggie is a very humble guy, hasn’t been around the big leagues in quite some time so I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring it back and from what I hear from the texts I’ve received, it’s been all received really well, which it should be, and Reggie and his family are thrilled.”
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