Joe Smith

[William Malone]

Joseph Michael Smith was born on March 22, 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The New York Mets took Smith in round three of the 2006 MLB Draft out of Wright State. He rose quickly through the minors, and made their Opening Day roster in 2007. Smith pitched two seasons in Queens, posting a 3.51 ERA across 136 relief appearances. He was then traded to the Cleveland Indians as part of a massive three team, 12 player trade.

Smith had a 2.76 ERA over the next five seasons with Cleveland, and then signed a three year deal with the Los Angeles Angles upon reaching free agency for the first time. He became a closer for the first time in his career in 2014, going 15-for-19 in save chances before Los Angeles acquired Huston Street at the deadline. Smith was moved to an eighth inning role, and finished 2014 with a 1.81 ERA. He didn't allow a single base runner in two innings during the postseason that year, which is the Angles last playoff appearance as of 2024.

Los Angeles traded Smith to the Chicago Cubs at the deadline in 2016, which was the final year of his deal with the Angles. He had a 2.61 ERA in 16 outings with the Cubs, but was then placed on the disabled list with a hamstring strain. This ultimately kept him off the playoff roster, but Smith did receive a World Series ring when Chicago defeated his old Cleveland club in the fall classic.

He then became a journeyman reliever, pitching for five teams over the next six years. This included a second stint with the Indians, helping them reach the playoffs in 2017. After missing out due to injury with the Cubs, Smith finally got an opportunity to pitch in the World Series with the Houston Astros in 2018. He allowed a pair of ninth inning insurance runs to score in game seven of the World Series, playing a small part in Houston's 7-2 loss against the Washington Nationals. Smith did have scoreless appearances in games one, three and five.

The final stop of his career came with the Minnesota Twins in 2022. He was brilliant out of the gate for the Twins, not allowing a run over his first 16 appearances. This included all 12 runners he inherited. Smith continued to pitch well, but hit the injured list with a back injury on June 26th. At the time of his injury, Smith had a 2.78 ERA and 14 holds through 28 appearances. He still hadn't allowed any inherited runners to score. Things were never the same when Smith returned from the IL in late July, and he was designated for assignment after allowing nine runs in his first six outings after his activation.

Smith cleared waivers and was released by the Twins on August 5th. He remained unsigned, and announced his retirement via Instagram in 2024.

He spends much of retired life promoting his organization dedicated to finding a cure for Huntington's Disease, a condition that leads to death of the nerve cells in a person's brain. Smith's mother was diagnosed with the disease in 2012. Because it's triggered by a faulty gene, there is a 50% chance Smith will eventually develop it. He is married to Turner Sports sideline reporter Allie LaForce, who is also very active in their HelpCureHD foundation.

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