Former Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves outfielder Dwight Smith died on Friday. He was 58.
No immediate cause of death was provided by either team.
Smith finished second in the 1989 National League Rookie of the Year balloting behind teammate Jerome Walton, helping the Cubs reach the postseason. He batted .324 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs in 109 games.
He spent five seasons with the Cubs before leaving as a free agent and signing with the then-California Angels prior to the 1994 season. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles 2 1/2 months into the season.
Smith then spent his final two seasons with the Braves, and was a member of the team’s 1995 World Series championship team.
Smith finished with a .275 career batting average in 813 games. He hit 46 homers and 20 triples and drove in 226 runs.
Smith’s son, Dwight Jr., spent parts of four seasons in the majors with the Toronto Blue Jays (2017-18) and Orioles (2019-20). He batted .248 with 17 homers and 68 RBIs in 169 games.
The younger Smith, 29, currently plays for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He took leave from the team on Wednesday for the second time this month.
–Field Level Media