(PC - Reese Kaplan)
I met Dominic Smith when he arrived to play for the Savannah Sand Gnats in 2014.
The pre-season kickoff press luncheon was held at Coach's Corner sports bar, on Victory Drive, a few miles away Grayson Stadium, where they played their home games (now home for the infamous Savannah Bananas).
After the festivities, Dom and his father stayed behind and had a burger and fries with me at a side table.
I learned four things about Dom that day.
One, the boy could eat. Didn't stop with one cheeseburger.
Two, he was quiet. Real quiet. A listener, not a talker.
Three, he was heavily controlled by his father. Ask him five questions, the Dad would answer four.
And last, he really seemed both interested and grateful when I gave him tips on hitting in that stadium in the summer (too much humidity to try for the fences... ball would just drop into outfielders gloves... slap to seams for doubles).
He thanked me and it was the last words we ever shared. Followed me on Twitter for a few years but that eventually ended.
I always thought Dom would win a dozen Gold Gloves at first for the Mets, but after one sleep apnea night, he was kicked to the curb by the Mets.
Gave it a shot in right but that didn't work. Dom was a first baseman and nothing more.
There was no DH then so that was out.
The Pete Alonzo freight train came through and the dream ended years before the release.
I felt truly sorry for him at the end of his major league stint. There was no fire in his eyes and less in his bat.
I hope he finds a home somewhere to play first. He's still only 27. Hell, I bet there are still a few Gold Gloves left in him.
6 comments:
Haven't had a post without a comment since pre 9-11.
Must be losing it.
I can't let that streak get broken. I was profoundly sad when I read about the non tender. I am really hoping he hooks up with the Guardians to play first base. I am still a huge Dom Smith fan. It is really too bad the way things ended.
The game has always been half mental.
He really needed to get out if Dodge.
Smith seemed overly controlled by his father, maybe that had something to do with his struggles to overcome adversity. He needs to make his next stop count.
I think Dom still has some good ball in him. His tough luck was Alonso's emergence as a big time power bat, and that was simply something he couldn't outplay. It happens quite a lot in sports. All the best to him.
First base is a power position. Even if Dom bounces back and hits 260-270,10-12 HRs doesn’t cut it.
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