The Major League Baseball world got some tragic news on Friday as the Atlanta Braves announced that former outfielder and World Series Champion Dwight Smith had passed away at the age of 58.
Smith spent portions of eight seasons in the MLB, playing for both the Braves and the Chicago Cubs between 1989-1996. Smith began his career with the Cubs in 1989, helping lead the team to the division title as the 1989 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up. That season, he hit for a .324 average with 19 doubles, six triples, nine home runs, and 52 RBIs along with nine stolen bases – all in just 109 games.
Perhaps the highlight of Smith’s eight-year career came in 1995 when he was a member of Atlanta’s World Series Championship team. Smith picked up a pinch-hit single in game two of the series against the Cleveland Indians to help lead the Braves to victory.
Smith was beloved in the baseball world, and news of his passes struck a chord as many took to social media to remember the outfielder and mourn his passing.
I remember Smith well from the 1989 Cubs, and I also remember a walk-off grand slam he hit for the Braves against the Marlins in 1995. https://t.co/acvaKHReRe
— Jason Foster (@ByJasonFoster) July 22, 2022
Sad to see this. One of my favorite Cubs. One of the bright young stars on that '89 team. Smile to light up a room. Man. https://t.co/U9fugdkw4o
— Jeff Wallner (@JeffWallner) July 22, 2022
Was as good a national-anthem singer as he was a player … https://t.co/wbJ0dnEPyT
— Creg Stephenson the First (@CregStephenson) July 22, 2022
Ah, man. Saw his son playing for Charlotte earlier this year and remembered how much I enjoyed watching Dwight, especially with the Cubs https://t.co/qwDaW120hd
— Marc Lancaster (@MarcLancaster) July 22, 2022
Sad news here. Also, his son Dwight Smith Jr. began this season with the Charlotte Knights. https://t.co/JgXeTWuhuU
— Nick Carboni (@NickCarboniWCNC) July 22, 2022
RIP Dwight https://t.co/QE9Oc0NFcr
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 22, 2022
Smith’s son, Dwight Smith, Jr., is carrying on his father’s legacy as a professional baseball player. The 29-year-old outfielder has appeared in 122 career MLB games for the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. He began this season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights before he was released in May.
