Editing Ozzie Smith (section)

====1990–1995====
{{Quote box
|width=30%
|align=right
|quote="No one paid attention to my offense. So having 2,000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment."
|source=—Ozzie Smith, from the 1993 St. Louis Cardinals Yearbook<ref name="Yearbook"/>
}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Homer at the Bat players.png|thumb|left|200px|Smith ''(far right)'' in "[[Homer at the Bat]]"]] -->
[[Joe Torre]] became Smith's new manager in 1990, but the team did not reach the postseason during Torre's nearly five-year tenure.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 251–252</ref> While the Cardinals celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1992, Smith marked milestones of his own, stealing his 500th career base on April 26, then notching a triple on May 26 in front of the home crowd for his 2,000th hit.<ref>[[#Rai03|Rains 2003]]: 251</ref> [[1992 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis]] had a one-game lead in the National League East division on June 1, 1992, but injuries took their toll on the team, including Smith's two-week illness in late July after contracting [[chicken pox]] for the first time.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/history/timeline5.jsp |title=History:Cardinals Timeline |access-date=November 21, 2007 |date=March 22, 2005 |publisher=St. Louis Cardinals |archive-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612001828/http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stl/history/timeline5.jsp |url-status=dead }}</ref> As a testament to his national visibility during this time, Smith appeared in a 1992 episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' titled "[[Homer at the Bat]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/homer-at-the-bat |title=A Salute to 'Homer at the Bat' at Hall of Fame Classic Weekend |publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |date=February 20, 2017 |access-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-date=May 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514014813/https://baseballhall.org/discover-more/news/homer-at-the-bat |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith became a free agent for the first time in his career on November 2, 1992, only to re-sign with the Cardinals on December 6.<ref name="retrosheet1">{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psmito001.htm |title=Ozzie Smith |access-date=July 27, 2008 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213200155/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/S/Psmito001.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Smith won his final Gold Glove in 1992, and his 13 consecutive Gold Gloves at [[List of NL Gold Glove winners at shortstop|shortstop]] in the National League has yet to be matched.<ref name="nlgold">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl_alt.shtml |title=National League Gold Glove Award Winners |access-date=July 10, 2008 |work=Baseball-Reference |archive-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127143938/https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/gold_glove_nl_alt.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1993 season marked the only time between 1981 and 1996 where Smith failed to make the All-Star team, and Smith finished the 1993 season with a .288 batting average and .974 fielding percentage.<ref name=stats1/> He appeared in 98 games during the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|strike-shortened]] 1994 season, and later missed nearly three months of the 1995 season after shoulder surgery on May 31.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/01/sports/sports-people-baseball-smith-has-shoulder-surgery.html |title=Smith Has Shoulder Surgery |access-date=November 15, 2007 |date=June 1, 1995 |work=The New York Times |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306013908/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/01/sports/sports-people-baseball-smith-has-shoulder-surgery.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/Ismito0010181995.htm |title=The 1995 STL N Regular Season Batting Log for Ozzie Smith |access-date=February 5, 2009 |publisher=Retrosheet.org |archive-date=October 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019171740/https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1995/Ismito0010181995.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Smith was recognized for his community service efforts with the [[Branch Rickey Award|1994 Branch Rickey Award]] and the [[Roberto Clemente Award|1995 Roberto Clemente Award]]. In February 1994, Smith took on the role of honorary chairman and official spokesman for the Missouri Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fitness.mo.gov/History.html |title=History:Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health |access-date=March 4, 2008 |publisher=Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706141645/http://www.fitness.mo.gov/History.html |archive-date=July 6, 2008  }}</ref>