RIP Bobby Gene Smith, 1934-2015

[G-Fafif]

Another early Met is late, as is the information regarding his passing. Bobby Gene Smith, an outfielder for eight games in April of 1962, died last November 24.

http://m.hoodrivernews.com/obituaries/2015/dec/04/bobby-smith/?templates=mobile

He's the second Oregonian whose death slipped under radar in recent years, following the long-delayed discovery of the departure of Dick Smith from 2012 in 2015.

The first triple ever recorded in franchise history -- delivered in service to a Mets win, no less -- came off Bobby's bat on 4/23/62. It brought home the eighth and ninth runs in our inaugural victory, the 9-1 demolition of the Pirates at Forbes Field. Three days later he was swapped to the Cubs for Sammy Taylor.

Bobby Gene Smith May 28, 1934 - November 24, 2015 Hood River native Bobby Gene Smith, 81, passed into the Kingdom of Heaven on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015, at home. Bob was born in Hood River on May 28, 1934, to Henry and Grace Smith. He is survived by his sisters Frances and Betty of Hood River; brother Frank of Vancouver, Wash.; his four children: Michael Smith, of The Dallas, Ore., David Smith, of Dallas, Texas, Vicki Kissler Smith, of Seattle, Wash., and Mark Owens, of Tacoma, Wash.; and his twin grandsons, Josh and Tony, of Tacoma. After graduation, Bob went into Major League Baseball and played for 17 years. From there he went to work for the city of Tacoma, Wash., until his retirement. He enjoyed playing golf and watching all sports. He loved to travel and took many trips with his constant companion of 12 years, Erlene, who recently preceded him in death. When not traveling, Bob enjoyed gardening and spending time with his many friends and family. Bob had a great sense of humor, a big heart, and was very dedicated to family and friends. A note from his family: “We were blessed to share his life and love. We love you, Bob, and will miss you always.”

Edited June 30, 2016 by Guest

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've been to Hood River, Oregon! Stopped there for dinner (at a restaurant with a very sexy waitress) on the way to Mt. Hood two years ago.

At the time of his death, Bobby Gene Smith was just a little too young to have been on the list of the twenty oldest Mets. He was two and a half months younger than Ken MacKenzie.

Hillman, Darius Dutton (Dave) September 14, 1927 88 years, 70 days
Thomas, Frank Joseph (Frank) June 11, 1929 86 years, 165 days
Pignatano, Joseph Benjamin (Joe) August 4, 1929 86 years, 111 days
Piersall, James Anthony (Jimmy) November 14, 1929 86 years, 9 days
Craig, Roger Lee (Roger) February 17, 1930 85 years, 279 days
Landrith, Hobart Neal (Hobie) March 16, 1930 85 years, 252 days
Lary, Frank Strong (Frank) April 10, 1930 85 years, 227 days
Friend, Robert Bartmess (Bob) November 24, 1930 84 years, 364 days
Mays, Willie May 6, 1931 84 years, 201 days
Marshall, Rufus James (Jim) May 25, 1931 84 years, 182 days
Sherry, Norman Burt (Norm) July 16, 1931 84 years, 130 days
Fernandez, Humberto (Chico) March 2, 1932 83 years, 266 days
Bressoud, Edward Francis (Ed) May 2, 1932 83 years, 205 days
Taylor, Samuel Douglas (Sammy) February 27, 1933 82 years, 269 days
Altman, George Lee (George) March 20, 1933 82 years, 248 days
Hicks, William Joseph (Joe) April 7, 1933 82 years, 230 days
Charles, Edwin Douglas (Ed) April 29, 1933 82 years, 208 days
Green, Elijah Jerry (Pumpsie) October 27, 1933 82 years, 27 days
Hunter, Willard Mitchell (Willard) March 8, 1934 81 years, 260 days
MacKenzie, Kenneth Purvis (Ken) March 10, 1934 81 years, 258 days

[G-Fafif]

He was just a kid, comparatively speaking.

[Zvon]

RIP BGS

[Edgy MD]

How in the world does this stuff go un-noticed? Every backwater in America knows when they have former big leaguers living among them, and they note this in the small town newspapers when they pass, yet somehow the wire services these days miss it.

Well, I looked up
Some old Mets the other day
Saw them all in my mind
Dressed in road gray
They said there was nothing
Ol' Case' could have done
There was nobody there that could play
For the first two weeks
You played right and center
You slugged a triple!
You wore sixteen!
I wished I could have known
I wished I could have called you
Just to say goodbye
Bobby Gene.

[Benjamin Grimm]

It took five months for the death of Beth Howland to become known, and she was TV's Vera!

[Edgy MD]

I was going to write, "Yeah, well, there are no active, operating online fora for discussions of Alice!" but of course I was wrong.

[G-Fafif]

Of the truly Original Mets, the 28 who composed the first active roster (when 28 was the norm for the first 30 days of the season), 16 are no longer with us. Smith forever tilted the balance in November and Jim Hickman unscored the inevitable tilting of the mortal scales earlier this month.

These guys we've lost from those years, I find myself picturing them as kids in Oregon or Cuba or Tennessee or wherever picking up a baseball at some tender age, discovering they could throw it or hit it harder than the other kids who lived nearby and trying out for the first team they could find, whether at school or under the auspices of the Y, and realizing they really are pretty good at this. They keep at it, they get a coach's attention, then a scout's, and they're off on their journey, one that drops them off in New York for a spell. Maybe they don't break records when they reach the top, maybe their stay in the majors is brief, maybe after a while the only ones who are going to make a point of remembering them are a handful of obsessives who never saw them play...but damn, they were Mets.

As Mets, Bobby Gene Smith hit .136, Chico Fernandez .200, Dick Smith .228, Jim Hickman .241. At some point in their lives, though, you know they were the best players around.

[G-Fafif]

Edgy MD wrote: I was going to write, "Yeah, well, there are no active, operating online fora for discussions of Alice!" but of course I was wrong.

Some years ago, couldn't have been too many, but not lately, Alice was used as a bracing example in an article to drive home the splintering of the television audience. However many viewers Alice drew in its prime was usually good to land it as the No. 25 or 30 program of the week, I think it said, yet it was substantially more viewers than whatever the No. 1 show of the modern age at the time was drawing.

Lesson for this thread? Bobby Gene Smith could probably outhit Alejandro De Aza if you spotted him a few decades.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Alejandro De Aza wouldn't even be able to kiss his grits!

[G-Fafif]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Alejandro De Aza wouldn't even be able to kiss his grits!

"More like swing and miss his grits. Right Mom?"

"Tommy, you are growing up so fast. Ask Mel to fix you a burger."

With Marvin Kaplan as Jay the PR guy.

[Benjamin Grimm]

COL! (Chuckle Out Loud!)

Anybody under 40 reading this thread probably has no idea what this is about.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I believe he was the 1st Met ever to be traded. First guy to wear #16 too.

[MFS62]

Living in New York we were spoiled by having grown up watching three centerfielders who could hit, and hit with power. (Willie, Mickey and the Duke)
But it had traditionally been a defensive position, and when I think of those good field/ no hit centerfielders of the 50s, I think of Bill Tuttle, Whitey Herzog and Bobby Gene Smith.
RIP

Later