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George J. "Germany" Smith (April 21, 1863 – December 1, 1927) was an American Major League Baseball player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played primarily shortstop for five different teams spanning 15 seasons. He made his major league debut for Altoona Mountain City of the Union Association in . After Altoona's team folded after just 25 games, he jumped to the Cleveland Blues of the National League. After the 1884 season, Cleveland then sold him, along with 6 other players, to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms for $4000.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 work = retrosheet.org )〕 On June 17, , Germany reportedly committed seven errors intentionally, when his team decided to punish new pitcher, Phenomenal Smith, losing the game 18-5. All 18 runs against the brash left-hander were unearned‚ due to a total of 14 Brooklyn "errors". "Phenomenal" gave himself his nickname before he joined the team‚ saying that he was so good that he didn't need his teammates to win. The intentional misplays of his teammates caused club President Lynch to fine the guilty players $500 each‚ but he reluctantly agrees to release Smith to ensure team harmony.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 work = baseballlibrary.com )〕 A reliable shortstop in the days when a fielding average below .900 could lead the league, he did, in fact, lead the American Association in , with an .886 average.〔 When the AA folded in , he, along with most members of the team transferred to the National League's new Brooklyn franchise. In John Montgomery Ward took over as manager and shortstop, effectively ending Smith's career with Brooklyn, so he left and joined the Cincinnati Reds. There he led NL shortstops in assists each year from 1891 to . Smith later returned in , when Cincinnati and Brooklyn swapped shortstops, with Tommy Corcoran moving to the Reds.〔 His major league career came to end after the 1898 season, when he played just 51 games for the St. Louis Browns,〔 and moved on to play for the Minneapolis Millers of the Northwestern League for the 1899 and 1900 seasons.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 work = stewthornley.net )〕 Smith died at the age of 64 in Altoona, Pennsylvania from injuries when struck by an automobile,〔(【引用サイトリンク】 work = The New York Times, Friday, December 2nd, 1927 ) 〕 and is interred at Calvary Cemetery in Altoona.〔 ==See also== *List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Germany Smith」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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