Paddy Smith

Biography

Cantankerous, combative and combustible, Lawrence “Paddy” Smith was a beloved player for the Silk Sox. He first saw the Doherty Oval in 1920 as a member of the Boston Red Sox. After playing for the Silk Sox from 1922 to 1925, he left in 1926 and became an opponent with the Brooklyn Bushwicks.

During his Doherty tenure, Paddy’s status as an “outlaw player” (having jumped his minor league contract) came back to haunt the Silk Sox. Still, they stayed loyal to Smith and kept him on the roster despite being unable to book major league teams during the 1925 season.

While playing in Clifton, the fans loved the big chattering catcher, who hit in the clutch and constantly distracted opponents from behind the plate. The Silk Sox were his team and Paddy was unafraid to let other teams know that – including when the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Pie Traynor disrespected the Doherty Oval. Smith told him to behave professionally ... loudly.

As his SABR bio written by Bill Nowlin points out, Smith, who lived to age 96, is buried in the same cemetery as Babe Ruth, the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, N.Y. It’s fair to assume similar big personalities like Paddy and the Babe are getting along quite well there.