Last Updated: April 16th, 2024 by Michael Schatz
I played baseball throughout my youth and into high school – and to say I was a ‘light-hitting’ second baseman would be generous. At that time, the entire baseball world seemed to only care about home runs. There was no hope for the guys who emphasized defense. But then one man came to the rescue and reminded everyone that defense could be cool too.
That man was Ozzie Smith.
When you think defense you automatically think of Ozzie Smith. He was nicknamed The Wizard for a reason. He would make difficult plays look routine. And he had the greatest on-field entrance of all time with his somersault into a backflip. I mean, come on! How cool was that! I wish more guys did that today.
The Hall of Famer ended his career with 15 All-Star selections, 13 Gold Gloves, an NLCS MVP, and a World Series ring. And for all those people who say Ozzie couldn’t hit, I raise you his 1987 Silver Slugger.
But Ozzie was known for his defensive mastery. So in the spirit of defense, enjoy Ozzie robbing base hits and jumping over base runners.