Player #41: Charley Smith. Pitcher with the Washington Senators in 1906-1909. 66 wins and 3 saves in 10 MLB seasons. He debuted with the Cleveland Bronchos in 1902. He had a career ERA of 2.81. His best season was 1910 with Boston as he posted a 11-6 record with a 2.30 ERA in 156.1 innings.
Smith's SABR biography explains his time in Washington: In 1905, Smith was 13-8. He returned to the majors in 1906, working for the Washington Senators. Smith impressed in spring training and got off to a good enough start. Sporting Life commented, “He has a world of speed, excellent control, god (sic) curves and a profound indifference to the efforts of his opponents. He held the visitors to five hits, which were all made in two innings. Evidently, he will do, and is a valuable find.” Smith’s record was 9-16, but his 2.91 earned run average was better than the team ERA of 3.25 and he was brought back for 1907.
He won ten games in 1907, though he lost 20, despite an improved ERA of 2.61. Smith struck out a career-high 119, walking 75. And he had some tough luck, wrote the Washington Post: “On just one occasion this season has he had an easy game…in all his other games this season, he has had tight games to contend with, and has unquestionably lost more games by one run than any other pitcher in the league.” He had, the Post wrote a week later, “a chin that indicates determination.” He brought his ERA down again in 1908, to 2.41. His record was 9-13, though he missed several weeks during the season with a lame arm. The Senators placed seventh. The hard luck theme hadn’t gone away. The May 13, 1908 Post went into even more detail, this time adding, “If there is anything in physiognomy, his jaw would indicate that he has the nerve to face a lion.”
In 1909, Washington dropped back to last place again. Smith didn’t help the team that much; he had a recurrence of the arm problem from which he’d suffered in 1908; his record was 3-12 and he’d pitched to a 3.27 ERA. He escaped before the season was over, however, traded to the Boston Red Sox. Despite what looked like a sorry record, Washington manager Joe Cantillon said, “I am sorry to lose Charley Smith, for everybody knows I think he is one of the best pitchers in the American League. He has been with me three years and during that time he has always twirled great ball.” Smith was re-energized, perhaps: he started three games for Boston and won all three. The first was a 4-2 win against Washington on the 13th.
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