A two-time All Star, Smith played for seven years in the majors, spending six of those years with the St. Louis Cardinals. Smith caught 75 games for the Cardinals in his rookie year of 1956 and 100 in 1957. A fine defensive catcher, Smith hit .279 in 1957 and played in his first All-Star Game. His best year at the plate came in 1959. He hit .270 that season with 13 home runs, 50 RBI and 35 runs scored. All of these were career highs. Smith was diagnosed with a problem with his heart in 1961 and immediately forced to retire. He became the Cardinals’ bullpen coach and later held the job for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He appeared in four games for the Pirates in 1965 as a player-coach after the team lost most of its regular catchers to injury.
Smith was a veteran of the Korean War. He died April 12, 2014 in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Hal Smith – career stats
