Smith, Jim

Jim Smith – (1992)

 

JIM SMITH

It has been said the real stars of softball played in its Class A fast pitch divisions. Lorain’s Jim Smith was both a star player and administrator in the fast pitch ranks.

Under Smith’s direction, the Lorain Classic Tournament, which he named and founded, attracted top-flight teams from at least 25 Ohio and out-of-state areas between 1956-1967.

The roster of past Classic performers reads like the all-time Ohio All-Star team on parade: greats like pitcher Todd (Ike) McKinney and infielder Lou Robbins of Columbus Linden, pitcher Richard (Rip) Riley and first baseman Skeet Harlan of Fremont Paint, Lorain’s own Leo Pawlak, Stan Smigel and Jo Costello, Akron’s Rip Fugate, Ashland’s Chuck Smiley, Cleveland’s Bobby Payne, Wellington’s Chip Goss, Youngstown’s Chuck Biddle, Norwalk’s Dave Hunter…the list is countless and endless.

The Classic attracted nationwide attention on the wire services in 1958 when McKinney and Riley struck out 49 and 24 batsmen, respectively, as pitching opponents in the same game here. Oddly enough, McKinney lost the game, 3-1, in 19 innings.

Smittie, “Jitterbug” or “Mr. Fast Pitch” all of which his friends affectionately called him, owned and operated Smittie’s Potato Chip Distributing Co., almost as a sideline to his love for the sport of softball.

Among his major accomplishments was founding and serving as commissioner of the Ohio Big 8 Fast Pitch League from 1956-62. During the same period he doubled as a highly regarded centerfielder for the Lorain United Polish Club, and later Lorain Old Dutch nine, in the same league. Astonishingly, he found time to host a radio sports show at the old AM station located above the Palace Theater.

And to assure that Lorain remained as one of the state’s fast pitch capitals, Smith served as Lorain County Amateur Softball Association Commissioner for nine years during the 1950’s and 1960’s. During this period, he also brought to Lorain the renowned California Cuties globe-trotting softball team several times, once attracting 3,000 fans to little Subway Park.

A 1947 graduate of Lorain High School where he played varsity football. Smith joined the U.S Marines in 1952 and was the only leatherneck playing on the Great Lakes (Ill.) Naval Base Bluejackets eleven. He later played service ball on the regional level in California.

Before and after his military discharge in 1954, Smith played on many other top local amateur baseball, softball or basketball clubs. Among them were Lorain Glass (baseball), Fatty’s Sports, Amvets Post 47 and Villa Capri (softball) and O’Neil for Governor and Old Dutch (basketball).

In 1986, Smith was inducted into the Ohio ASA Hall of Fame at the site of some of his fondest softball memories – Oakwood Park Armory Fast Pitch Field.

Smith’s induction came almost 13 years to the date he lost his long battle with cancer on July 30, 1973 at age 43.