View source for Ozzie Smith

{{Short description|American professional baseball player (born 1954)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Ozzie Smith
|position=[[Shortstop]]
|image=Ozzie_Smith_1983_Saint_Louis.jpg
|image_size=240
|caption= Smith with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1954|12|26|mf=y}}
|birth_place=[[Mobile, Alabama]], U.S.
|bats=Switch
|throws=Right
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=April 7
|debutyear=1978
|debutteam=San Diego Padres
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 29
|finalyear=1996
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.262
|stat2label=[[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value=2,460
|stat3label=[[Home run]]s
|stat3value=28
|stat4label=[[Run batted in|Runs batted in]]
|stat4value=793
|stat5label=[[Stolen base]]s
|stat5value=580
|teams=
* [[San Diego Padres]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1981}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1982}}–{{mlby|1996}})
|highlights=
* 15× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1981]]–[[1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1992]], [[1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1994]]–[[1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1996]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1982}})
* [[NLCS MVP]] ({{nlcsy|1985}})
* 13× [[Gold Glove Award]] (1980–1992)
* [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1987)
* [[Roberto Clemente Award]] (1995)
* [[St. Louis Cardinals#Retired numbers|St. Louis Cardinals No. 1]] retired
* [[St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum|St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate = [[2002 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2002]]
|hofvote = 91.7% (first ballot)
}}

'''Osborne Earl Smith''' (born December 26, 1954) is an American former professional [[baseball]] player. Nicknamed "'''the Wizard of Oz'''", Smith played [[shortstop]] for the [[San Diego Padres]] and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] in [[Major League Baseball]]. Renowned for his acrobatic athletic ability, Smith is now widely regarded as the greatest defensive player of all time, winning the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] [[Gold Glove Award]] for defensive play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. He was also a 15-time [[All-Star]], accumulated 2,460 [[hit (baseball)|hits]] and 580 [[stolen base]]s during his career, and won the National League [[Silver Slugger Award]] as the best hitter at shortstop in 1987. 

Smith was born in [[Mobile, Alabama]]; his family moved to [[Watts, Los Angeles]], when he was six years old. While participating in childhood athletic activities, Smith possessed quick reflexes; he went on to play baseball at [[Locke High School]] in Los Angeles, then at [[California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo]]. Drafted as an amateur player by the Padres, Smith made his major league debut in 1978. He quickly established himself as an outstanding fielder, and later became known for performing backflips on special occasions while taking his position at the beginning of a game. Smith won his first Gold Glove Award in 1980 and made his first All-Star Game appearance in 1981.

When Smith clashed with the Padres' owners, Cardinals manager [[Whitey Herzog]] flew to San Diego to persuade the shortstop that he would be an appreciated and core component of the St. Louis team. Herzog's overture worked; Smith waived his contract's [[Trade (sports)|"no trade" clause]] and was traded to the Cardinals for shortstop [[Garry Templeton]] in 1982. Upon joining the Cardinals, Smith helped the [[1982 St. Louis Cardinals season|team]] win the [[1982 World Series]]. Three years later, his game-winning [[home run]] during Game 5 of the [[1985 National League Championship Series]] prompted broadcaster [[Jack Buck]]'s "Go crazy, folks!" play-by-play call. Despite a [[rotator cuff]] injury during the 1985 season, Smith posted career highs in multiple offensive categories in 1987. Smith continued to earn Gold Gloves and All-Star appearances annually until 1993. During the 1995 season, Smith had shoulder surgery and was out nearly three months. After tension with his new manager [[Tony La Russa]] developed in 1996, Smith retired at season's end, and his uniform number (No. 1) was subsequently retired by the Cardinals. Smith served as host of the television show ''[[This Week in Baseball]]'' from 1997 to 1998.

Smith was elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in his first year of eligibility in [[2002 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|2002]]. He was also elected to the [[St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum|St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame]] in the inaugural class of 2014.

==Early life==
Smith was born in [[Mobile, Alabama]], the second of Clovi and Marvella Smith's six children (five boys and one girl).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/07/27/ozzie_hall_ap/ |title='Wizard of Oz' on deck for enshrinement |access-date=March 19, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |date=July 28, 2002 |work=Sports Illustrated.com |archive-date=July 30, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100730012510/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/07/27/ozzie_hall_ap/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> His father worked as a sandblaster at [[Brookley Air Force Base]].<ref name="page6">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 6</ref> When Smith was six, his family moved to the [[Watts, Los Angeles, California|Watts]] section of Los Angeles.<ref name=page6/> His father became a delivery truck driver for [[Safeway Inc.|Safeway]] stores, while his mother became an aide at a [[nursing home]].<ref name=page9/> His mother was an influential part of his life who stressed the importance of education and encouraged him to pursue his dreams.<ref name="Eisenbath284">[[#Eis99|Eisenbath 1999]]: 284–285</ref><ref name="SI87">{{cite web |url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066503/4/index.htm |last=Fimrite |first=Ron |title=No. 1 In His Field |date=September 28, 1987 |access-date=January 3, 2009 |work=Sports Illustrated.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801154824/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066503/4/index.htm |archive-date=August 1, 2009  }}</ref>

Smith played a variety of sports in his youth, though considered baseball to be his favorite.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 8</ref> He developed quick reflexes through various athletic and leisure activities, such as bouncing a ball off the concrete steps in front of his house, moving in closer to reduce reaction time with each throw.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 24</ref> When not at the local [[YMCA]] or playing sports, Smith sometimes went with friends to the neighborhood lumberyard, springboarding off inner tubes and doing flips into sawdust piles (a precursor to his famous backflips).<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 7</ref> In 1965, at age 10, he endured the [[Watts Riots]] with his family, recalling, "We had to sleep on the floor because of all the sniping and looting going on."<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 4</ref>

While Smith was attending [[middle school|junior high school]], his parents divorced.<ref name="page9">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 9</ref> Continuing to pursue his interest in baseball, he would ride the bus for nearly an hour to reach [[Dodger Stadium]], cheering for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] at about 25 games a year.<ref name="page9"/> Upon becoming a student at [[Locke High School]], Smith played on the basketball and baseball teams.<ref name="page9"/> Smith was a teammate of future [[National Basketball Association]] player [[Marques Johnson]] on the basketball team, and a teammate of future fellow Hall-of-Fame player [[Eddie Murray]] on the baseball side.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 9–10</ref> After high school, Smith attended [[California Polytechnic State University|Cal Poly San Luis Obispo]] in 1974 on a partial academic scholarship, and managed to [[Walk-on (sport term)|walk on]] to the [[Cal Poly Mustangs baseball|baseball team]].<ref name="calpoly">{{cite web |url=http://polyland.calpoly.edu/topics/recreation/studentsites/2004b/Ozzie%20Smith.htm |title=Ozzie Smith |access-date=April 26, 2008 |publisher=Cal Poly Land |archive-date=September 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913085556/http://polyland.calpoly.edu/topics/recreation/studentsites/2004b/Ozzie%20Smith.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He learned to [[switch hitter|switch-hit]] from Cal Poly coach Berdy Harr.<ref name="Yearbook">Lang, Dave. "There is Only 1 Ozzie Smith." St. Louis Cardinals Official 1993 Yearbook. 1993. 17</ref> When Cal Poly's starting shortstop broke his leg midway through the 1974 season, Smith took over the starting role.<ref name="SI87"/> He was named an [[All-America|All-American athlete]] and established school records in career [[at bat|at-bat]]s (754) and [[stolen base]]s (110) before graduating in 1977.<ref name="calpoly"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gopoly.com/index.php?p=hall_of_fame&id=166 |title=Ozzie Smith |access-date=January 4, 2009 |publisher=California Polytechnic State University |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929170555/http://gopoly.com/index.php?p=hall_of_fame&id=166 |archive-date=September 29, 2010  }}</ref>

==Professional baseball career==
===San Diego Padres (1978–1981)===
Smith was playing semi-professional baseball in [[Clarinda, Iowa]], when in June 1976 he was selected in the seventh round of the [[1976 Major League Baseball draft|amateur entry draft]] by the [[Detroit Tigers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a6663664 |title=Ozzie Smith |last=Faber |first=Charles F. |access-date=July 21, 2019 |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430131711/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a6663664 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="retrosheet1"/> The parties could not agree on a contract; Smith wanted a $10,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10000|1976|r=0}}}} today) signing bonus, while the Tigers offered $8,500 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8500|1976|r=0}}}} today).<ref name="almost">{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-drafted-almost-signed-ozzie-smith-c278808630 |title=Ozzie Smith to Detroit? It almost happened |last=Beck |first=Jason |date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=July 21, 2019 |work=MLB.com |archive-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721181920/https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-drafted-almost-signed-ozzie-smith-c278808630 |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith returned to Cal Poly for his senior year, then in the [[1977 Major League Baseball draft|1977 draft]] was selected in the fourth round by the [[San Diego Padres]], ultimately agreeing to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|5000|1977|r=0}}}} today).<ref name="almost"/> Smith spent his first year of professional baseball during 1977 with the Class A [[Walla Walla Padres]] of the [[Northwest League]].<ref name="Hummel85">[[#Hum07|Hummel 2007]]: 57–61</ref>

{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."
|source=—Ozzie Smith describes a fielding play he made in 1978<ref name="Smith21"/>
}}

Smith began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San Diego Padres' spring training camp in [[Yuma, Arizona]]. Smith credited Padres manager [[Alvin Dark]] for giving him confidence by telling reporters the shortstop job was Smith's until he proved he can't handle it.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 17</ref> Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp, Smith made his [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) debut on April 7, 1978.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 18</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04070SFN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 3, San Francisco Giants 2 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128140305/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04070SFN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

It did not take long for Smith to earn recognition in the major leagues, making what some consider his greatest fielding play only 10 games into his rookie season.<ref name="SI87"/><ref name="USAToday">{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-07-24/cover.htm |title=Go Crazy for the Wizard |last=Colston |first=Chris |date=July 24, 2002 |access-date=May 4, 2008 |work=USA Today Baseball Weekly |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629105343/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-07-24/cover.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Padres played host to the [[1978 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] on April 20, 1978, and with two out in the top of the fourth inning, Atlanta's [[Jeff Burroughs]] hit a ground ball up the middle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04200SDN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 2, Atlanta Braves 0 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171738/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04200SDN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith described the play by saying, "He hit a ball back up the middle that everybody thought was going into center field. I instinctively broke to my left and dove behind second. As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."<ref name="Smith21">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 21</ref>

[[File:Ozzie Smith - San Diego Padres - 1978.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Smith in 1978]]
During a roadtrip to [[Houston]], later in the season, Smith met a part-time usherette at the [[Reliant Astrodome|Astrodome]] named Denise while making his way to the team bus outside the stadium.<ref name="Smith2425">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 24–25</ref> The couple developed a relationship that was sometimes long-distance in nature, and eventually decided to [[marriage|marry]].<ref name="Smith2425"/><ref name="sportingnews"/> It was also during the 1978 season where Smith introduced a signature move. Padres promotion director Andy Strasberg knew Smith could perform backflips, though only did them during practice before fans entered the stadium.<ref name="USAToday"/> Strasberg asked Smith to do a backflip for fans during Fan Appreciation Day on October 1, the Padres' last home game of the season.<ref name="USAToday"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B10010SDN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3 |access-date=June 30, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309153008/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B10010SDN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> After conferring with veteran teammate [[Gene Tenace]], Smith went ahead with the backflip, and it proved to be wildly popular.<ref name="USAToday"/> Smith finished the 1978 season with a .258 batting average and .970 fielding percentage, placing him second in the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|National League Rookie of the Year]] voting to [[Bob Horner]].<ref name=stats1/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1978.shtml#NLroy |title=Baseball Awards Voting for 1978 |access-date=November 12, 2007 |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228210336/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1978.shtml#NLroy |url-status=live }}</ref>

After working with a hitting instructor during the offseason, Smith failed to record a base hit in his first 32 at-bats of the 1979 season.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 28–31</ref> Among players with enough at-bats to qualify for the 1979 National League Triple Crown, Smith finished the season last in batting average (.211), home runs (0), and RBI (27).<ref>[[#Spa07|Spatz 2007]]: 141</ref> Off the field, conflict developed between Padres' ownership and the combination of Smith and his agent, Ed Gottlieb. The parties entered into a contract dispute before the 1980 season, and when negotiations lasted into spring training, the Padres renewed Smith's contract at his 1979 salary of $72,500<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 34</ref> Smith's agent told the Padres the shortstop would forgo the season to race in the Tour de France, despite the fact Smith admitted to The Break Room on 96.5 WCMF in Rochester, New York, he had never heard of the Tour. Angered by the Padres' attitude during those contract talks, Gottlieb took out a help-wanted ad in the [[The San Diego Union-Tribune|''San Diego Union'']], part of which read, "Padre baseball player wants part-time employment to supplement income."<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 35</ref> When Joan Kroc, wife of Padres owner [[Ray Kroc]], publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant gardener on her estate, Smith and Gottlieb's relationship with the organization deteriorated further.<ref name="wizard3536">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 35–36</ref>

Meanwhile, Smith was winning recognition for his accomplishments on the field. In 1980, he set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop (621), and began his string of 13 consecutive [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove awards]].<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 37</ref> Smith's fielding play prompted the ''Yuma Daily Sun'' to use the nickname "the Wizard of Oz" in a March 1981 feature article about Smith.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 22</ref> While "the Wizard of Oz" nickname was an allusion to the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 motion picture]] of the same name, Smith also came to be known as simply "the Wizard" during his playing career, as Smith's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque would later attest.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 25</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=122439 |title=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum:Hall of Famer detail |access-date=November 21, 2008 |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080625094109/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=122439 |archive-date = June 25, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1981, Smith made his first [[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game appearance]] as a reserve player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B08090ALS1981.htm |title=National League 5, American League 4 |access-date=November 21, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122709/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B08090ALS1981.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Trade====
While Smith was having problems with the Padres' owners, the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop, [[Garry Templeton]]. Templeton's relationship with [[Cardinal Nation]] had become increasingly strained and finally came to a head during a game at [[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]] on August 26, 1981, when (after being heckled for not running out a ground ball) he made obscene gestures at fans, and had to be physically pulled off the field by manager [[Whitey Herzog]].<ref>[[#O'Neill05|O'Neill 2005]]: 108</ref><ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 135–136</ref>

Given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner [[Gussie Busch]] (and specifically to unload Templeton), Herzog was looking to trade Templeton when he was approached by Padres General Manager [[Jack McKeon]] at the 1981 [[Winter meetings|baseball winter meetings]].<ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 119–120, 137</ref> While McKeon had previously told Herzog that Smith was untouchable in any trade, the Padres were now so angry at Smith's agent Gottlieb that McKeon was willing to deal.<ref name="herzog137">[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 137</ref> McKeon and Herzog agreed in principle to a six-player trade, with Templeton for Smith as the centerpiece.<ref name="herzog137"/> It was then that Padres manager [[Dick Williams]] informed Herzog a [[no-trade clause]] had been included in Smith's 1981 contract.<ref>[[#Her99|Herzog and Pitts 1999]]: 92–93</ref> Upon learning of the trade, Smith's initial reaction was to invoke the clause and stay in [[San Diego]], but he was still interested to hear what the Cardinals had to say.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 51</ref> While the deal for the players beside Templeton and Smith went through, Herzog flew to San Diego to meet with Smith and Gottlieb over the Christmas holiday.<ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 138</ref> Smith later recalled that, "Whitey told me that with me playing shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, we could win the pennant. He made me feel wanted, which was a feeling I was quickly losing from the Padres. The mere fact that Whitey would come all the way out there to talk to us was more than enough to convince me that St. Louis was the place I wanted to be."<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 52</ref>

===St. Louis Cardinals (1982–1996)===
====1982–1984====
On December 10, 1981, the Padres traded Smith, [[Steve Mura]], and a player to be named later to the Cardinals for Templeton, [[Sixto Lezcano]] and a player to be named later. The teams completed the trade on February 19, 1982, with the Padres sending [[Al Olmsted]] to the Cardinals, and St. Louis sending [[Luis DeLeon]] to the Padres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithoz01.shtml|title=Ozzie Smith Stats|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=December 14, 2017|archive-date=November 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101205042/http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithoz01.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 57</ref> Herzog believed Smith could improve his offensive production by hitting more ground balls, and subsequently created a motivational tool designed to help Smith concentrate on that task.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 28–29</ref> Approaching Smith one day during spring training, Herzog said, "Every time you hit a fly ball, you owe me a buck. Every time you hit a ground ball, I owe you a buck. We'll keep that going all year."<ref name="page61">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 61</ref> Smith agreed to the wager, and by the end of the season had won close to $300 from Herzog.<ref name="page61"/> As the [[1982 St. Louis Cardinals season|1982 season]] got underway, Herzog's newly assembled team won 12 games in a row during the month of April, and finished the season atop the National League East division.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/VSLN01982.htm |title=The 1982 St. Louis Cardinals Regular Season Game Log |access-date=July 18, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171740/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/VSLN01982.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[[#Lea08|Leach 2008]]: 37</ref> Herzog would later say of Smith's contributions: "If he saved two runs a game on defense, which he did many a night, it seemed to me that was just as valuable to the team as a player who drove in two runs a game on offense."<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 6</ref>

Smith became a father during the 1982 season with the birth of his son O.J., today known as [[Nikko Smith|Nikko]], on April 28.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 65</ref> Smith also developed a lasting friendship with teammate [[Willie McGee]] during the season, and Smith said he likes to think he "helped Willie get over some of the rough spots of adjusting to the major leagues".<ref name="page66">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 66</ref> Smith later participated in the postseason for the first time when the [[1982 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] faced the [[1982 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the best-of-five [[1982 National League Championship Series]] (NLCS). In Game 1, Smith drove in the series' first run by hitting a [[sacrifice fly]] that scored McGee, ultimately going five for nine in St. Louis' three-game series sweep.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/B10070SLN1982.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 7, Atlanta Braves 0 |access-date=October 15, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=January 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130113061821/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/B10070SLN1982.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Just as Herzog had predicted in December, Smith found himself as the team's starting shortstop in the best-of-seven [[1982 World Series]] against the [[1982 Milwaukee Brewers season|Milwaukee Brewers]]. During the series, Smith scored three runs, had five hits, and did not commit an error in the field.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 105</ref> When St. Louis was trailing 3–1 with one out in the sixth inning of [[1982 World Series#Game 7|Game 7]], Smith started a rally with a base hit to left field, eventually scoring the first of the team's three runs that inning.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/B10200SLN1982.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 6, Milwaukee Brewers 2 |access-date=October 28, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120911004242/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1982/B10200SLN1982.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Cardinals scored two more runs in the 8th inning for a 6–3 win and the championship.

In January 1983, Smith and the Cardinals agreed on a new contract that paid Smith $1 million per year.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 81</ref>

During the 1983 season, Smith was voted the National League's starting shortstop in the [[1983 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] for the first time in 1983, and at season's end won a fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 87</ref>

In July 1984, Smith's wrist was broken by a pitch as he batted against the Padres.<ref name="page95">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 95</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1984/B07130SLN1984.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 7, San Diego Padres 4 |access-date=October 30, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171741/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1984/B07130SLN1984.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> He returned from the [[disabled list]] after a month, but his return to the lineup was not enough to propel the Cardinals to a postseason berth.<ref name="page95" />

====1985–1986====
{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="Smith corks one into right, down the line! It may go ... Go crazy, folks, go crazy! It's a home run, and the Cardinals have won the game, by the score of 3 to 2, on a home run by the Wizard! Go crazy!"
|source=—[[Jack Buck]]<ref name="Garner 2000: 98">[[#Gar00|Garner 2000]]: 98</ref>
}}
{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="And that's driven to deep right field, back goes [[Mike Marshall (outfielder)|Marshall]] ... gone!
|source=—[[Major League Baseball on NBC|NBC]]'s [[Vin Scully]]<ref name="Garner 2000: 98"/>
}}

In 1985, Smith amassed a .276 batting average, 31 stolen bases, and 591 assists in the field.<ref name=retrosheet1/> The Cardinals as a team won 101 games during the season and earned another postseason berth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/TSLN01985.htm |title=The 1985 St. Louis Cardinals |access-date=November 8, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329000229/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/TSLN01985.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Facing the [[1985 Los Angeles Dodgers season|Los Angeles Dodgers]] in the now best-of-seven [[1985 National League Championship Series|NLCS]], a split of the first four games set the stage for [[1985 NLCS#Game 5|Game 5]] at Busch Stadium. With the score tied at two runs apiece in the bottom of the ninth inning, Dodgers manager [[Tommy Lasorda]] called upon closer [[Tom Niedenfuer]] to pitch. Smith batted left-handed against Niedenfuer with one out. Smith, who had never hit a home run in his previous 2,967 left-handed major league at-bats,<ref name="media"/> pulled an inside fastball down the right-field line for a walk-off home run, ending Game 5 in a 3–2 Cardinals victory.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 130</ref> Smith said, "I was trying to get an extra-base hit and get into scoring position. Fortunately, I was able to get the ball up."<ref name="Hummel85"/> The home run not only prompted broadcaster [[Jack Buck]]'s "Go crazy folks" play-by-play call, but was also later voted the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history by Cardinals fans.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050930&content_id=1231334&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423070801/http://cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050930&content_id=1231334&vkey=news_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2008 |title=Ozzie's homer tops in Busch history |last=Leach |first=Matthew |date=September 30, 2005 |access-date=January 2, 2008 |work=MLB.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20020619&content_id=56675&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null |title=Legendary voice passes away |last=Hoffman |first=Jared |date=June 19, 2002 |access-date=August 17, 2008 |work=MLB.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423202055/http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20020619&content_id=56675&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null |archive-date=April 23, 2008  }}</ref>

After Smith's teammate [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]] hit a late-inning home run of his own in Game 6 to defeat the Dodgers, the Cardinals moved on to face the [[1985 Kansas City Royals season|Kansas City Royals]] in the [[1985 World Series]]. Once again sportswriters were quick to draw attention to Smith's outstanding defensive play instead of his 2 for 23 effort at the plate.<ref>[[#Sch90|Schoor 1990]]: 362</ref><ref name="#Sch90|Schoor 1990: 418">[[#Sch90|Schoor 1990]]: 418</ref> After the Cardinals took a three-games-to-two advantage, a controversial [[1985 World Series#Game 6|Game 6]] call by umpire [[Don Denkinger]] overshadowed the remainder of the Series (which the Royals won in seven games).<ref>[[#Nem02|Nemec and Wisnia 2002]]: 433</ref>

What was not publicly known during the regular season and playoffs was that Smith had torn his [[rotator cuff]] after suffering an impingement in his right shoulder during the July 11–14 homestand against the Padres.<ref name="Smith121">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 121</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/VSLN01985.htm |title=The 1985 St. Louis Cardinals Regular Season Game Log |access-date=November 8, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171741/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/VSLN01985.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> After suffering the impingement diving back into first base on a [[pickoff]] throw, Smith altered his throwing motion to such a degree that the rotator cuff tear subsequently developed.<ref name="Smith121"/> The {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m|adj=on}}, {{convert|180|lb|kg|adj=on}} Smith opted to forgo surgery and instead built up his arm strength via weightlifting, playing through whatever pain he encountered.<ref name="media"/> Said Smith, "I didn't tell anybody about the injury, because I wanted to keep playing and didn't want anybody thinking they could run on me or take advantage of the injury. I tried to do almost everything, except throw a baseball, left-handed: opening a door, turning on the radio—everything. It didn't get any better, but it was good enough that I didn't have to have surgery."<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 43</ref>

Because of his injury, Smith let his then four-year-old son Nikko perform his traditional Opening Day backflip before the Cardinals' first home game of the 1986 season.<ref name="Rains111">[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 111</ref> Smith made an "eye-popping" play later that season on August 4, during a game against the [[1986 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]] at Busch Stadium.<ref name=media/> In the top of the ninth inning, Phillies pinch-hitter [[Von Hayes]] hit a short fly ball to left field, which was pursued by both Smith and left fielder [[Curt Ford]].<ref>[[#Hum07|Hummel 2007]]: 85–87</ref> Running with his back to home plate, Smith dove forward, simultaneously catching the ball while parallel to the ground and flying over the diving Ford, avoiding a collision by inches.<ref name="Eisenbath284"/><ref name="media">St. Louis Cardinals 2005 Media Guide. Hadler Printing, 2005. C-26.</ref>

====1987–1990====
{{Quote box
| width =30%
| align  =right
| quote  = "The thing about Ozzie is, if he misses a ball, you assume it's uncatchable. If any other shortstop misses a ball, your first thought is, 'Would Ozzie have had it?'"
| source =&nbsp;—Former [[New York Mets]] shortstop [[Bud Harrelson]] in 1987<ref name="SI87"/>
}}

After hitting in either the second or eighth spot in the batting order for most of his time in St. Louis, Herzog made Smith the number-two hitter full-time during the 1987 season.<ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Pitts 1999]]: 95</ref> Over the course of the year, Smith accrued a .303 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], 43 stolen bases, 75 [[Runs batted in|RBI]]s, 104 [[Run (baseball)|runs]] scored, and 40 [[Double (baseball)|doubles]], good enough to earn him the [[Silver Slugger Award]] [[List of NL Silver Slugger winners at shortstop|at shortstop]].<ref name=stats1/> In addition to winning the Gold Glove Award at shortstop for the eighth consecutive time, Smith posted a career-high [[on-base percentage]] of .392. Smith was also the leading vote-getter in the [[1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1987 All-Star Game]].<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 160</ref> The Cardinals earned a postseason berth with 95 wins, and subsequently faced the [[1987 San Francisco Giants season|San Francisco Giants]] in the [[1987 National League Championship Series]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/TSLN01987.htm |title=The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals |access-date=November 12, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190329000248/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1987/TSLN01987.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith contributed a triple during the series, and the Cardinals won the contest in seven games.<ref>[[#Nem02|Nemec and Wisnia 2002]]: 441</ref>

The [[1987 World Series]] matched the [[1987 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] against the American League champion [[1987 Minnesota Twins season|Minnesota Twins]]. The home team won every game of the contest, as Minnesota won the series.<ref>[[#Sch90|Schoor 1990]]: 370–371</ref> In 28 at-bats during the Series, Smith scored three runs and had two RBIs.<ref name="#Sch90|Schoor 1990: 418"/> Smith finished second in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|MVP]] balloting to [[Andre Dawson]], who had played on the last-place [[1987 Chicago Cubs season|Chicago Cubs]], largely because Smith and teammate [[Jack Clark (baseball)|Jack Clark]] split the first-place vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.shtml |title=Baseball Award Voting for 1987 |access-date=December 4, 2007 |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |archive-date=January 4, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104070918/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1987.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the 1987 season, Smith was awarded the largest contract in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] at $2.34 million.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_1988_t.shtml |title=1988 National League Leader Boards |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=October 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071104034054/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/NL_1988_t.shtml |archive-date=November 4, 2007  }}</ref>

While the team did not see the postseason for the remainder of the decade, Smith continued to rack up All-Star appearances and Gold Gloves. Combined with the attention he received from his contract, Smith continued to be a national figure. Known as a savvy dresser, he made the April 1988 cover of ''[[GQ]]'' magazine.<ref>Boswell, Thomas. "The Wizardry of Ozzie Smith." GQ. April 1988.</ref> Smith was witness to change within the Cardinal organization when owner [[Gussie Busch]] died in 1989 and Herzog quit as manager during the 1990 season.<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert Jr. |last=Thomas |title=August A. Busch Jr. Dies at 90. Built Largest Brewing Company. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0328.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 30, 1989 |access-date=March 21, 2008 |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827114512/http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0328.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[[#Hum07|Hummel 2007]]: 121–123</ref>

====1990–1995====
{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="No one paid attention to my offense. So having 2,000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment."
|source=—Ozzie Smith, from the 1993 St. Louis Cardinals Yearbook<ref name="Yearbook"/>
}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Homer at the Bat players.png|thumb|left|200px|Smith ''(far right)'' in "[[Homer at the Bat]]"]] -->
[[Joe Torre]] became Smith's new manager in 1990, but the team did not reach the postseason during Torre's nearly five-year tenure.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 251–252</ref> While the Cardinals celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1992, Smith marked milestones of his own, stealing his 500th career base on April 26, then notching a triple on May 26 in front of the home crowd for his 2,000th hit.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 251</ref> [[1992 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis]] had a one-game lead in the National League East division on June 1, 1992, but injuries took their toll on the team, including Smith's two-week illness in late July after contracting [[chicken pox]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/history/timeline5.jsp |title=History:Cardinals Timeline |access-date=November 21, 2007 |date=March 22, 2005 |publisher=St. Louis Cardinals |archive-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612001828/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/history/timeline5.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a testament to his national visibility during this time, Smith appeared in a 1992 episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' titled "[[Homer at the Bat]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/homer-at-the-bat |title=A Salute to 'Homer at the Bat' at Hall of Fame Classic Weekend |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |date=February 20, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514014813/https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/homer-at-the-bat |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith became a free agent for the first time in his career on November 2, 1992, only to re-sign with the Cardinals on December 6.<ref name="retrosheet1">{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psmito001.htm |title=Ozzie Smith |access-date=July 27, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213200155/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psmito001.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith won his final Gold Glove in 1992, and his 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at [[List of NL Gold Glove winners at shortstop|shortstop]] in the National League has yet to be matched.<ref name="nlgold">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl_alt.shtml |title=National League Gold Glove Award Winners |access-date=July 10, 2008 |work=Baseball-Reference |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127143938/https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl_alt.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1993 season marked the only time between 1981 and 1996 where Smith failed to make the All-Star team, and Smith finished the 1993 season with a .288 batting average and .974 fielding percentage.<ref name=stats1/> He appeared in 98 games during the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike-shortened]] 1994 season, and later missed nearly three months of the 1995 season after shoulder surgery on May 31.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/01/sports/sports-people-baseball-smith-has-shoulder-surgery.html |title=Smith Has Shoulder Surgery |access-date=November 15, 2007 |date=June 1, 1995 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306013908/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/01/sports/sports-people-baseball-smith-has-shoulder-surgery.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/Ismito0010181995.htm |title=The 1995 STL N Regular Season Batting Log for Ozzie Smith |access-date=February 5, 2009 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171740/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/Ismito0010181995.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith was recognized for his community service efforts with the [[Branch Rickey Award|1994 Branch Rickey Award]] and the [[Roberto Clemente Award|1995 Roberto Clemente Award]]. In February 1994, Smith took on the role of honorary chairman and official spokesman for the Missouri Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fitness.mo.gov/History.html |title=History:Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health |access-date=March 4, 2008 |publisher=Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706141645/http://www.fitness.mo.gov/History.html |archive-date=July 6, 2008  }}</ref>

====1996====
As Smith entered the 1996 season, he finalized a divorce from his wife Denise during the first half of the year.<ref name="sportingnews">{{Cite journal|url = http://business.highbeam.com/62653/article-1G1-18504134/cardinal-singe|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150702200109/http://business.highbeam.com/62653/article-1G1-18504134/cardinal-singe|url-status = dead|archive-date = July 2, 2015|title = Cardinal singe — shortstop Ozzie Smith|last = Geffner|first = Michael|date = July 22, 1996|journal = The Sporting News|access-date = July 2, 2015|via = [[HighBeam Research]] }}</ref><ref name="Rains110">[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 110</ref> Meanwhile, manager [[Tony La Russa]] began his first season with the Cardinals in tandem with a new ownership group. After General Manager [[Walt Jocketty]] acquired shortstop [[Royce Clayton]] during the offseason, La Russa emphasized an open competition for the spot that would give the Cardinals the best chance to win.<ref>[[#Rai09|Rains 2009]]: 183–184</ref> When spring training concluded, Smith had amassed a .288 batting average and zero errors in the field, and Clayton batted .190 with eight errors.<ref name="sportingnews"/> Smith believed he had earned the position with his spring training performance, but La Russa disagreed, and awarded Clayton the majority of playing time in the [[platoon system|platoon situation]] that developed, where Smith typically saw action every third game.<ref name="sportingnews"/><ref>[[#Rai09|Rains 2009]]: 187</ref> La Russa said, <blockquote>I think it's fair to say he misunderstood how he compared to Royce in spring training ... When I and the coaches evaluated the play in spring training—the whole game—Royce started very slowly offensively and you could see him start to get better. By what he was able to do defensively and on the bases, Royce deserved to play the majority of the games.<ref>[[#Rai09|Rains 2009]]: 185–186</ref></blockquote>

Smith missed the first month of the season with a [[hamstring]] injury, and continued to harbor ill feelings toward La Russa that had developed after spring training ended.<ref name="sportingnews"/><ref>[[#Rai09|Rains 2009]]: 186–187</ref> In a closed-door meeting in mid-May, La Russa asked Smith if he would like to be traded.<ref name="sportingnews"/> Instead, Smith and his agent negotiated a compromise with Cardinals management, agreeing to a buyout of special provisions in his contract in conjunction with Smith announcing his retirement.<ref name="sportingnews"/> The agreement prompted a press conference at Busch Stadium on June 19, 1996, during which Smith announced he would retire from baseball at season's end.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 252</ref>

{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = CardsRetired1.PNG
|Name   = Ozzie Smith
|Number = 1
|Team   = St. Louis Cardinals
|Year   = 1996
}}
As Smith made his final tour of the National League, he was honored by many teams, and received a standing ovation at the [[1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1996 All-Star Game]] in Philadelphia.<ref name="sportingnews"/> Between June 19 and September 1, Smith's batting average increased from .239 to .286.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/Ismito0010191996.htm |title=The 1996 STL N Regular Season Batting Log for Ozzie Smith |access-date=March 15, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171742/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/Ismito0010191996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 2 Smith tied a career high by scoring four runs, one of which was a home run, and another on a close play at [[home plate]] in the bottom of the 10th inning against division leader [[1996 Houston Astros season|Houston]].<ref name="Hummel96">[[#Hum07|Hummel 2007]]: 129–135</ref> The victory moved the [[1996 St. Louis Cardinals season|Cardinals]] to within a half game of Houston in the [[National League Central|National League Central Division]], and the Cardinals went on to win the division by six games.<ref name="Hummel96"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/Y_1996.htm |title=The 1996 Season |access-date=March 15, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707103316/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/Y_1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Cardinals held a special ceremony at Busch Stadium on September 28, 1996, before a game against the [[1996 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]], honoring Smith by retiring his uniform number. Noted for his ritual backflip before Opening Days, All-Star Games, and postseason games, Smith chose this occasion to perform it for one of the last times.<ref name="USAToday" />

In the postseason, the Cardinals first faced the [[1996 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]] in the [[1996 National League Division Series]]. After sitting out Game&nbsp;1, Smith got the start in Game&nbsp;2 at Busch Stadium, helping his team go up two games in the series by notching a run, a hit and two walks at the plate, along with an assist and a putout in the field.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10030SLN1996.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 5, San Diego Padres 4 |access-date=October 26, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142106/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10030SLN1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Cardinals then swept the series by winning Game&nbsp;3 in San Diego.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1996_NLDS2.shtml |title=1996 NL Division Series: St. Louis Cardinals over San Diego Padres (3–0) |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=March 27, 2021 |archive-date=April 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417163402/https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1996_NLDS2.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Cardinals faced the [[1996 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] in the [[1996 National League Championship Series]]. Smith started Game 1 and subsequently registered three putouts and one assist in the field, but went hitless in four at-bats in the Cardinals' 4–2 loss.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10090ATL1996.htm |title=Atlanta Braves 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2 |access-date=November 2, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142114/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10090ATL1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Cardinals then won Games 2, 3, and 4, contests in which Smith did not appear.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10100ATL1996.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 8, Atlanta Braves 3 |access-date=November 2, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142115/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10100ATL1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10120SLN1996.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 3, Atlanta Braves 2 |access-date=November 2, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142117/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10120SLN1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10130SLN1996.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 4, Atlanta Braves 3 |access-date=November 2, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142118/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10130SLN1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Upon receiving the start in Game 5, Smith nearly duplicated his Game 1 performance with four putouts, one assist, and no hits in four at-bats as part of another Cardinals defeat.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10140SLN1996.htm |title=Atlanta Braves 14, St. Louis Cardinals 0 |access-date=November 2, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142120/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10140SLN1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Cardinals also failed to win Game 6 or Game 7 in Atlanta, ending their season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE0DC1031F93BA25753C1A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 |title=Not Even Close: Braves Bronx-Bound After Routing Cards |access-date=April 30, 2008 |last=Willis |first=George |date=October 18, 1996 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171742/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/18/sports/not-even-close-braves-bronx-bound-after-routing-cards.html |url-status=live }}</ref> When the Cardinals were trailing by 10 runs during Game 7 on October 17, Smith flied out to right field while pinch-hitting in the sixth inning, marking the end of his playing career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10170ATL1996.htm |title=Atlanta Braves 15, St. Louis Cardinals 0 |access-date=September 25, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924142123/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B10170ATL1996.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith finished his career with distinctions ranging from the accumulation of more than 27.5 million votes in All-Star balloting, to holding the record for the most MLB at-bats without hitting a [[grand slam (baseball)|grand slam]].<ref name=Eisenbath284/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2551746 |title=The grand slam ... unusual, yet fun |access-date=November 25, 2007 |last=Kurkjian |first=Tim |date=August 17, 2006 |work=ESPN.com |archive-date=June 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629052835/http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=2551746 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Post-playing career==
Upon retirement, Smith took over from [[Mel Allen]] as the host of the television series ''[[This Week in Baseball]]'' (''TWIB'') in 1997.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 15, 1997 |title=Ozzie Smith Gets Job in Television |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/15/sports/ozzie-smith-gets-job-in-television.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120095701/http://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/15/sports/ozzie-smith-gets-job-in-television.html |archive-date=November 20, 2010 |access-date=March 19, 2008 |work=The New York Times|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Smith also became [[color commentator]] for the local broadcast of Cardinals games on [[KPLR-TV]] from 1997 to 1999.<ref>Robinson, Tom. "Ozzie Puts Down Glove, Picks Up Mike." ''The Virginian-Pilot''. May 22, 1997: C1. Retrieved on December 28, 2007.</ref> When his stint on ''This Week in Baseball'' concluded, Smith then moved on to do work for [[CNN Sports Illustrated|CNN-SI]] beginning in 1999.<ref>[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 109</ref> After La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals in 2011, Smith became active in the organization again, starting with his stint as a special instructor for the team's 2012 spring training camp.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/ozzie-in-cards-camp-it-s-like-coming-home/article_40ac4b7e-5fe8-11e1-b0b2-0019bb30f31a.html |title=Ozzie in Cards camp: 'It's like coming home' |last=Goold |first=Derrick |access-date=February 25, 2012 |date=February 25, 2012 |website=STLtoday.com |archive-date=February 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229190642/http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/cardinal-beat/ozzie-in-cards-camp-it-s-like-coming-home/article_40ac4b7e-5fe8-11e1-b0b2-0019bb30f31a.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Ozzie Smith Doubleday.JPG|right|thumb|Smith fields a ground ball at [[Doubleday Field]] in 2002.|alt=Player fielding a ground ball on a dirt infield]]

On January 8, 2002, Smith learned via a phone call he had been elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] on his first ballot by receiving 91.7% of the votes cast.<ref>[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 107</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/hallfame/2002-01-08-ozzie.htm |title=Ozzie Smith voted into Hall of Fame |access-date=March 19, 2008 |last=Bodley |first=Hal |date=January 9, 2002 |work=USA Today |archive-date=December 12, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212213001/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/hallfame/2002-01-08-ozzie.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> As it happened, the [[Olympic torch]] was passing through St. Louis on its way to [[Salt Lake City]] for the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], and Smith served as a torchbearer in a ceremony with [[St. Louis Rams]]' quarterback [[Kurt Warner]] that evening.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 18–19</ref> Smith was inducted into the Hall of Fame during ceremonies on July 28, 2002. During his speech, he compared his baseball experiences with the characters from the novel ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]'', after which his son Dustin presented his Hall of Fame plaque.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20020728&content_id=91588&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null |title=A Day of Celebration |access-date=October 23, 2007 |last=Leach |first=Matthew |date=July 28, 2002 |work=MLB.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217102632/http://www.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20020728&content_id=91588&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=null |archive-date=December 17, 2007  }}</ref> Days later on August 11, Smith was back at [[Busch Memorial Stadium]] for the unveiling of a statue in his likeness made by sculptor [[Harry Weber (sculptor)|Harry Weber]].<ref name="statue">{{cite news |title=Cardinals Unveil Ozzie Smith Statue |agency=Associated Press |date=August 11, 2002 |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel }}</ref> Weber chose to emphasize Smith's defensive skills by showing Smith stretched horizontal to the ground while fielding a baseball.<ref name="statue"/> At the ceremony Weber told Smith, "You spent half of your career up in the air. That makes it difficult for a sculptor to do something with it."<ref name="statue"/>

Smith has also been an entrepreneur in a variety of business ventures. Smith opened "Ozzie's" restaurant and sports bar in 1988, started a youth sports academy in 1990, became an investor in a grocery store chain in 1999, and partnered with David Slay to open a restaurant in the early 2000s.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/off-the-menu/article_4c543c91-4fd6-5f1d-94ef-1f2407e79a4b.html |title=Ozzie's at Westport closing on Friday |date=October 12, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2009 |newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171743/https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/off-the-menu/article_4c543c91-4fd6-5f1d-94ef-1f2407e79a4b.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 113</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/1999/07/12/daily7.html |title=Ozzie Smith to invest in grocery chain |access-date=October 25, 2008 |date=July 14, 1999 |work=St. Louis Business Journal |archive-date=September 21, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030921053521/http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/1999/07/12/daily7.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ozziesmithssportsacademy.com/chesterfield/baseball_custom_training.html |title=Chesterfield Baseball Custom Technical Training |access-date=February 1, 2009 |work=Ozzie Smith's Sports Academy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090215022416/http://www.ozziesmithssportsacademy.com/chesterfield/baseball_custom_training.html |archive-date=February 15, 2009  }}</ref> Of those businesses the youth academy remains in operation, with the restaurant having closed in 2010 after changing ownership and locations once.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ozziesmithssportsacademy.com/ |title=Ozzie Smith's Sports Academy |access-date=February 1, 2009 |archive-date=February 6, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206042047/http://www.ozziesmithssportsacademy.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/12/28/story6.html |title=Gallardo building Ozzie's Sports Bar downtown |last=Brown |first=Lisa R. |access-date=January 6, 2010 |date=December 25, 2009 |publisher=St. Louis Business Journal |archive-date=December 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091228153624/http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/12/28/story6.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Aside from appearing in numerous radio and television commercials in the St. Louis area since retiring from baseball, Smith authored a children's book in 2006 and launched his own brand of salad dressing in 2008.<ref>{{cite book |title=Hello Fredbird! |isbn=1932888837 |last1=Smith |first1=Ozzie |date=July 2006 |publisher=Mascot Books }}</ref>

Besides the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Smith has also been inducted or honored in other halls of fame and recognitions. In 1999, he ranked number&nbsp;87 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml|title=100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News : A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac|website=www.baseball-almanac.com|access-date=October 19, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190829132658/https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> and finished third in voting at shortstop for the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team]].<ref>[[#Smi98|Smith 1998]]: 189</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html |title=All-Century Team final voting |access-date=January 1, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |date=October 23, 1999 |work=ESPN.com |archive-date=September 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918174445/http://static.espn.go.com/mlb/news/1999/1023/129008.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He was honored with induction into the [[Missouri Sports Hall of Fame]], [[Alabama Sports Hall of Fame]] and the [[St. Louis Walk of Fame]], and received an honorary [[Doctor of Humane Letters]] degree from Cal Poly.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&srctype=display&id=273&submenu=Inductees&view=company_detail |title=Ozzie "The Wizard of Oz" Smith |access-date=January 9, 2009 |publisher=Alabama Sports Hall of Fame |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717015236/http://www.ashof.org/index.php?src=directory&srctype=display&id=273&submenu=Inductees&view=company_detail |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/ozzie-smith.html |title=Ozzie Smith |access-date=December 19, 2007 |publisher=St Louis Walk of Fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071022122900/http://stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/ozzie-smith.html |archive-date=October 22, 2007 |url-status=dead  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.calstate.edu/Newsline/Archive/02-03/030509-SLO.shtml |title=Baseball Great Ozzie Smith To Be Cal Poly's Honored Commencement Speaker |date=May 9, 2003 |access-date=December 28, 2007 |publisher=CSU Newsline |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723140759/http://www.calstate.edu/newsline/Archive/02-03/030509-SLO.shtml |archive-date=July 23, 2008  }}</ref> In January 2014, the Cardinals announced Smith among 22 former players and personnel to be inducted into the [[St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum]] for the inaugural class of [[2014 St. Louis Cardinals season|2014]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Cardinals Press Release |url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140118&content_id=66822534&vkey=pr_stl&c_id=stl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126165854/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140118&content_id=66822534&vkey=pr_stl&c_id=stl |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 26, 2014 |title=Cardinals establish Hall of Fame & detail induction process |publisher=stlouis.cardinals.[[MLB.com|mlb.com]] |date=January 18, 2014 |access-date=January 29, 2014 }}</ref>

In March 2023, Smith returned to his alma mater, as his statue in [[Robin Baggett Stadium|Baggett Stadium]] was rededicated as part of Ozzie Smith Plaza at the facility's entrance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Foreman |first=Dylan |date=March 25, 2023 |title=Cal Poly alum and MLB Hall of Fame inductee Ozzie Smith rededicated outside Baggett Stadium |work=KSBY TV |url=https://www.ksby.com/sports/cal-poly-alum-and-mlb-hall-of-fame-inductee-ozzie-smith-rededicated-outside-baggett-stadium |access-date=March 27, 2023 |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326054405/https://www.ksby.com/sports/cal-poly-alum-and-mlb-hall-of-fame-inductee-ozzie-smith-rededicated-outside-baggett-stadium |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith, who has served as president of the Gateway PGA REACH Foundation in St. Louis since 2010, has been helping grow the game of golf - especially with youth. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America honored Smith with its highest honor in 2025, the [[Old Tom Morris Award]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richman |first=Howard |date=December 2024 |title=Ozzie Smith gives back through golf |work=GCM |url=https://www.gcmonline.com/course/profiles/news/ozzie-smith-gives-back-through-golf}}</ref>

==Career MLB statistics==
===Hitting===
{| class="wikitable" width="400"
|- align="center"
! Category
! [[Games played|G]]
! [[At bat|AB]]
! [[Run (baseball)|R]]
! [[Hit (baseball)|H]]
! [[Double (baseball)|2B]]
! [[Triple (baseball)|3B]]
! [[Home run|HR]]
! [[Run batted in|RBI]]
! [[Base on balls|BB]]
! [[Stolen base|SB]]
! [[Strikeout|SO]]
! [[Batting average (baseball)|AVG]]
! [[On-base percentage|OBP]]
! [[Slugging percentage|SLG]]
|- align="center"
! Statistic<ref name="stats1">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/s/smithoz01.shtml |title=Ozzie Smith Statistics |access-date=December 17, 2007 |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |archive-date=December 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217064502/http://www.baseball-reference.com/s/smithoz01.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>
| 2,573
| 9,396
| 1,257
| 2,460
| 402
| 69
| 28
| 793
| 1,072
| 580
| 589
| .262
| .337
| .328
|}

===Fielding===
{| class="wikitable" width="400"
|- align="center"
! Category
! [[Games played|G]]
! [[Putout|PO]]
! [[Assist (baseball)|A]]
! [[Error (baseball)|E]]
! [[Total chances|CH]]
! [[Double play|DP]]
! [[Fielding percentage|FP]]
! [[Range factor|RF/9]]
! [[Inning]]s
|- align="center"
! Statistic<ref name="stats1"/>
| 2,511
| 4,249
| 8,375
| 281
| 12,624
| 1,590
| .978
| 5.22
| 21,785.67
|}

==Personal life==
Smith is the father to three children from his marriage to former wife Denise: sons [[Nikko Smith|Nikko]] and Dustin, and daughter Taryn.<ref name="Rains111"/><ref name=statue/> Nikko cracked the top ten finalists of the [[American Idol (season 4)|2005 edition]] of ''[[American Idol]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/story/9614089/ |title=Say What? with Ozzie Smith |access-date=June 5, 2008 |last=Stambaugh |first=Phil |date=September 12, 2006 |publisher=PGATOUR.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526080623/http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/story/9614089/ |archive-date=May 26, 2011  }}</ref><ref>Wald, Jaina. "When it's 'Idol' time at Ozzie's, folks go crazy for Nikko". ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. April 6, 2005. E3. Retrieved on March 19, 2008.</ref> In 2012, Smith made news headlines again, when he sold all of his Gold Gloves at auction together for more than $500,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/8702489/ozzie-smith-sells-gold-glove-trophies-500k |title=Ozzie Smith Auctions 13 Gold Gloves |access-date=December 23, 2012 |agency=Associated Press |date=December 2, 2012 |work=ESPN.com |archive-date=June 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617233001/http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/8702489/ozzie-smith-sells-gold-glove-trophies-500k |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith still lives in and remains a visible figure around St. Louis, making varied appearances like playing the role of the Wizard in the [[The Muny|St. Louis Municipal Opera]]'s summer 2001 production of ''The Wizard of Oz''.<ref>[[#Rai02|Rains and Reid 2002]]: 114</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://explorestlouis.com/discover/st-louis-celebrities/ozzie-smith/|title=STL Celebrity FAQ: Ozzie Smith|website=Explore St. Louis|access-date=July 28, 2021|archive-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728025049/https://explorestlouis.com/discover/st-louis-celebrities/ozzie-smith/|url-status=live}}</ref> He is the host of Cardinals Insider, a weekly news magazine television show about the club.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/cardinals-insider/editorial-staff|title=Cardinals Insider Editorial Staff|website=MLB.com|access-date=July 28, 2021|archive-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728032051/https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/cardinals-insider/editorial-staff|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2016, he has opened five regenerative medicine clinics around Missouri.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://imacregeneration.com/ozzie-smith-teams-with-imac-regeneration-center-in-st-louis/|title=Ozzie Smith teams with IMAC Regeneration Center in St. Louis |website=imacregeneration.com|access-date=July 28, 2021|archive-date=July 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728025048/https://imacregeneration.com/ozzie-smith-teams-with-imac-regeneration-center-in-st-louis/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of St. Louis Cardinals team records]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|60em}}
* {{cite book |last=Eisenbath |first=Mike |title=The Cardinals Encyclopedia |publisher=Temple University Press |year=1999 |isbn=1-56639-703-0 |oclc=40193767 |ref=Eis99 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/deepvegetarianis0000foxm }}
* {{cite book |last=Garner |first=Joe |title=And The Fans Roared |year=2000 |publisher=Sourcebooks |location=Naperville |isbn=1-57071-582-3 |oclc=44509368 |ref=Gar00}}
* {{cite book |last=Herzog |first=Whitey |author-link=Whitey Herzog |author2=Kevin Horrigan |title=White Rat&nbsp;— A Life in Baseball |year=1987 |publisher=Harper & Row |location=New York |isbn=0-06-080910-8 |oclc=14132084 |ref=Her87 |url=https://archive.org/details/whiterat00whit }}
* {{cite book |last=Herzog |first=Whitey |author-link=Whitey Herzog |author2=Jonathan Pitts  |title=You're Missin' a Great Game |year=1999 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=New York |isbn=0-684-85314-0 |oclc=40550886 |ref=Her99}}
* {{cite book |title=Commish & the Cardinals |last=Hummel |first=Rick |author-link=Rick Hummel |year=2007 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch Books |isbn=978-0-9661397-9-2 |ref=Hum07}}
* {{cite book |last=Leach |first=Matthew |title=Game of my Life&nbsp;— St. Louis Cardinals |year=2008 |publisher=Sports Publishing L.L.C. |location=Champaign |isbn=978-1-59670-273-8 |ref=Lea08}}
* {{cite book |title=100 Years of Baseball |last=Nemec |first=David |author2=Saul Wisnia |year=2002 |publisher=Publications International, Ltd. |isbn=0-7853-7567-8 |oclc=51621011 |ref=Nem02 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/100yearsofbaseba0000neme }}
* {{cite book |last=O'Neill |first=Dan |author2=Joe Buck |author3=Robert W. Duffy |author4=Bernie Miklasz  |editor=Mike Smith |title=Busch Stadium Moments |year=2005 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |isbn=978-0-9661397-3-0 |oclc=62385897 |ref=O'Neill05}}
* {{cite book |last=Rains |first=Rob |author2=Alvin Reid  |title=Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the '82 Cards World Championship |year=2002 |publisher=Triumph |location=Chicago |isbn=1-57243-485-6 |oclc=  49942657 |ref=Rai02}}
* {{cite book |last=Rains |first=Rob |title=Cardinal Nation |year=2003 |edition=2nd |publisher=The Sporting News |location=St. Louis |isbn=0-89204-727-5 |oclc=52577755 |ref=Rai03}}
* {{cite book |last=Rains |first=Rob |title=Tony La Russa&nbsp;— Man on a Mission |year=2009 |publisher=Triumph |location=Chicago |isbn=978-1-60078-169-8 |oclc=244420814 |ref=Rai09}}
* {{cite book |last=Schoor |first=Gene |title=The History of the World Series |year=1990 |publisher=William Morrow and Company |location=New York |isbn=0-688-07995-4 |oclc=21303516 |ref=Sch90 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofworld00scho }}
* {{cite book | last=Smith | first=Ron | title=The Sporting News Selects Baseball's 100 Greatest Players| year=1998 | publisher=The Sporting News | location=St. Louis | isbn=978-0-89204-608-9 |oclc=40392319 |ref=Smi98}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Ozzie |author2=Rob Rains |title=Wizard |year=1988 |publisher=Contemporary Books |location=Chicago |isbn=0-8092-4594-9 |oclc=17649043 |ref=Smi88 |url=https://archive.org/details/wizard00smit }}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Ozzie |author2=Rob Rains  |title=Ozzie Smith&nbsp;— The Road to Cooperstown |year=2002 |publisher=Sports Publishing L.L.C. |isbn=1-58261-576-4 |oclc=50326570 |ref=Smi02}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Ozzie |title=Hello, Fredbird! |year=2006 |publisher=Mascot Books |isbn=1-932888-83-7}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Spatz |editor-first=Lyle |title=The SABR Baseball List and Record Book: Baseball's Most Fascinating Records and Unusual Statistics |year=2007 |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |isbn=978-1-4165-3245-3 |oclc=86072285 |ref=Spa07}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Baseball Hall of Fame profile|smith-ozzie}}
* {{baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=s/smithoz01|fangraphs=1012186|brm=smith-001osb|retro=S/Psmito001}}
* {{Sabrbio|a6663664}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171210174412/http://www.stlouiswalkoffame.org/inductees/ozzie-smith.html Ozzie Smith] at St. Louis Walk of Fame
* [https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_529-1z41r6p451 Interview with Ozzie Smith] on [[KUT]]'s "[[In Black America]]" radio series, September 8, 1988, at the [[American Archive of Public Broadcasting]]

{{2002 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{1982 St. Louis Cardinals}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals retired numbers}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame}}
{{St. Louis Cardinals HOF}}
{{San Diego Padres HOF}}
{{NLCS MVP}}
{{NL SS Gold Glove Award}}
{{NL SS Silver Slugger Award}}
{{Lou Gehrig Memorial Award}}
{{Branch Rickey Award}}
{{Roberto Clemente Award}}
{{This Week in Baseball}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Ozzie}}
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