Editing Ozzie Smith (section)

===San Diego Padres (1978–1981)===
Smith was playing semi-professional baseball in [[Clarinda, Iowa]], when in June 1976 he was selected in the seventh round of the [[1976 Major League Baseball draft|amateur entry draft]] by the [[Detroit Tigers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a6663664 |title=Ozzie Smith |last=Faber |first=Charles F. |access-date=July 21, 2019 |publisher=Society for American Baseball Research |archive-date=April 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430131711/https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a6663664 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="retrosheet1"/> The parties could not agree on a contract; Smith wanted a $10,000 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|10000|1976|r=0}}}} today) signing bonus, while the Tigers offered $8,500 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|8500|1976|r=0}}}} today).<ref name="almost">{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-drafted-almost-signed-ozzie-smith-c278808630 |title=Ozzie Smith to Detroit? It almost happened |last=Beck |first=Jason |date=May 29, 2018 |access-date=July 21, 2019 |work=MLB.com |archive-date=July 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721181920/https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-drafted-almost-signed-ozzie-smith-c278808630 |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith returned to Cal Poly for his senior year, then in the [[1977 Major League Baseball draft|1977 draft]] was selected in the fourth round by the [[San Diego Padres]], ultimately agreeing to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|5000|1977|r=0}}}} today).<ref name="almost"/> Smith spent his first year of professional baseball during 1977 with the Class A [[Walla Walla Padres]] of the [[Northwest League]].<ref name="Hummel85">[[#Hum07|Hummel 2007]]: 57–61</ref>

{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."
|source=—Ozzie Smith describes a fielding play he made in 1978<ref name="Smith21"/>
}}

Smith began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the San Diego Padres' spring training camp in [[Yuma, Arizona]]. Smith credited Padres manager [[Alvin Dark]] for giving him confidence by telling reporters the shortstop job was Smith's until he proved he can't handle it.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 17</ref> Even though Dark was fired in the middle of training camp, Smith made his [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) debut on April 7, 1978.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 18</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04070SFN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 3, San Francisco Giants 2 |access-date=September 27, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128140305/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04070SFN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

It did not take long for Smith to earn recognition in the major leagues, making what some consider his greatest fielding play only 10 games into his rookie season.<ref name="SI87"/><ref name="USAToday">{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-07-24/cover.htm |title=Go Crazy for the Wizard |last=Colston |first=Chris |date=July 24, 2002 |access-date=May 4, 2008 |work=USA Today Baseball Weekly |archive-date=June 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629105343/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/bbw/2002-07-24/cover.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The Padres played host to the [[1978 Atlanta Braves season|Atlanta Braves]] on April 20, 1978, and with two out in the top of the fourth inning, Atlanta's [[Jeff Burroughs]] hit a ground ball up the middle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04200SDN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 2, Atlanta Braves 0 |access-date=October 10, 2007 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171738/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B04200SDN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith described the play by saying, "He hit a ball back up the middle that everybody thought was going into center field. I instinctively broke to my left and dove behind second. As I was in the air, the ball took a bad hop and caromed behind me, but I was able to catch it with my bare hand. I hit the ground, bounced back up, and threw Burroughs out at first."<ref name="Smith21">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 21</ref>

[[File:Ozzie Smith - San Diego Padres - 1978.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Smith in 1978]]
During a roadtrip to [[Houston]], later in the season, Smith met a part-time usherette at the [[Reliant Astrodome|Astrodome]] named Denise while making his way to the team bus outside the stadium.<ref name="Smith2425">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 24–25</ref> The couple developed a relationship that was sometimes long-distance in nature, and eventually decided to [[marriage|marry]].<ref name="Smith2425"/><ref name="sportingnews"/> It was also during the 1978 season where Smith introduced a signature move. Padres promotion director Andy Strasberg knew Smith could perform backflips, though only did them during practice before fans entered the stadium.<ref name="USAToday"/> Strasberg asked Smith to do a backflip for fans during Fan Appreciation Day on October 1, the Padres' last home game of the season.<ref name="USAToday"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B10010SDN1978.htm |title=San Diego Padres 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3 |access-date=June 30, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309153008/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1978/B10010SDN1978.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> After conferring with veteran teammate [[Gene Tenace]], Smith went ahead with the backflip, and it proved to be wildly popular.<ref name="USAToday"/> Smith finished the 1978 season with a .258 batting average and .970 fielding percentage, placing him second in the [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|National League Rookie of the Year]] voting to [[Bob Horner]].<ref name=stats1/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1978.shtml#NLroy |title=Baseball Awards Voting for 1978 |access-date=November 12, 2007 |work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |archive-date=February 28, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228210336/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1978.shtml#NLroy |url-status=live }}</ref>

After working with a hitting instructor during the offseason, Smith failed to record a base hit in his first 32 at-bats of the 1979 season.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 28–31</ref> Among players with enough at-bats to qualify for the 1979 National League Triple Crown, Smith finished the season last in batting average (.211), home runs (0), and RBI (27).<ref>[[#Spa07|Spatz 2007]]: 141</ref> Off the field, conflict developed between Padres' ownership and the combination of Smith and his agent, Ed Gottlieb. The parties entered into a contract dispute before the 1980 season, and when negotiations lasted into spring training, the Padres renewed Smith's contract at his 1979 salary of $72,500<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 34</ref> Smith's agent told the Padres the shortstop would forgo the season to race in the Tour de France, despite the fact Smith admitted to The Break Room on 96.5 WCMF in Rochester, New York, he had never heard of the Tour. Angered by the Padres' attitude during those contract talks, Gottlieb took out a help-wanted ad in the [[The San Diego Union-Tribune|''San Diego Union'']], part of which read, "Padre baseball player wants part-time employment to supplement income."<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 35</ref> When Joan Kroc, wife of Padres owner [[Ray Kroc]], publicly offered Smith a job as an assistant gardener on her estate, Smith and Gottlieb's relationship with the organization deteriorated further.<ref name="wizard3536">[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 35–36</ref>

Meanwhile, Smith was winning recognition for his accomplishments on the field. In 1980, he set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop (621), and began his string of 13 consecutive [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|Gold Glove awards]].<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 37</ref> Smith's fielding play prompted the ''Yuma Daily Sun'' to use the nickname "the Wizard of Oz" in a March 1981 feature article about Smith.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 22</ref> While "the Wizard of Oz" nickname was an allusion to the [[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|1939 motion picture]] of the same name, Smith also came to be known as simply "the Wizard" during his playing career, as Smith's Baseball Hall of Fame plaque would later attest.<ref>[[#Smi02|Smith and Rains 2002]]: 25</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=122439 |title=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum:Hall of Famer detail |access-date=November 21, 2008 |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080625094109/http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers/detail.jsp?playerId=122439 |archive-date = June 25, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1981, Smith made his first [[1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game appearance]] as a reserve player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B08090ALS1981.htm |title=National League 5, American League 4 |access-date=November 21, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122709/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1981/B08090ALS1981.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Trade====
While Smith was having problems with the Padres' owners, the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] also found themselves unhappy with their shortstop, [[Garry Templeton]]. Templeton's relationship with [[Cardinal Nation]] had become increasingly strained and finally came to a head during a game at [[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]] on August 26, 1981, when (after being heckled for not running out a ground ball) he made obscene gestures at fans, and had to be physically pulled off the field by manager [[Whitey Herzog]].<ref>[[#O'Neill05|O'Neill 2005]]: 108</ref><ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 135–136</ref>

Given the task of overhauling the Cardinals by owner [[Gussie Busch]] (and specifically to unload Templeton), Herzog was looking to trade Templeton when he was approached by Padres General Manager [[Jack McKeon]] at the 1981 [[Winter meetings|baseball winter meetings]].<ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 119–120, 137</ref> While McKeon had previously told Herzog that Smith was untouchable in any trade, the Padres were now so angry at Smith's agent Gottlieb that McKeon was willing to deal.<ref name="herzog137">[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 137</ref> McKeon and Herzog agreed in principle to a six-player trade, with Templeton for Smith as the centerpiece.<ref name="herzog137"/> It was then that Padres manager [[Dick Williams]] informed Herzog a [[no-trade clause]] had been included in Smith's 1981 contract.<ref>[[#Her99|Herzog and Pitts 1999]]: 92–93</ref> Upon learning of the trade, Smith's initial reaction was to invoke the clause and stay in [[San Diego]], but he was still interested to hear what the Cardinals had to say.<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 51</ref> While the deal for the players beside Templeton and Smith went through, Herzog flew to San Diego to meet with Smith and Gottlieb over the Christmas holiday.<ref>[[#Her87|Herzog and Horrigan 1987]]: 138</ref> Smith later recalled that, "Whitey told me that with me playing shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, we could win the pennant. He made me feel wanted, which was a feeling I was quickly losing from the Padres. The mere fact that Whitey would come all the way out there to talk to us was more than enough to convince me that St. Louis was the place I wanted to be."<ref>[[#Smi88|Smith and Rains 1988]]: 52</ref>