Photo: Johnmaxmena (talk)John Mena / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ozzie Smith is the reason I genuinely believe defense can be an art form. Thirteen consecutive Gold Gloves, a Hall of Fame plaque, and a nickname — the Wizard of Oz — that he absolutely earned without a hint of irony. What gets me is that Ozzie wasn't blessed with a monster bat; his offense was solid but never the headline. He made his name entirely on what he did in the dirt and the air between second and third base, turning would-be singles into outs with a flair that made you rewind the highlight reel just to make sure your eyes hadn't lied to you. His backflip on opening day at Busch Stadium is the kind of image that lives rent-free in baseball's collective memory. The 1985 NLCS homer off Tom Niedenfuer still gives Cardinals fans chills. Ozzie proved that a shortstop who never hit 30 home runs in his career could still be the most electrifying player on the field.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ozzie Smith
- Name (Japanese)
- オジー・スミス
- Reading
- おじー・すみす
- Born
- December 26, 1954 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Horse
- Origin
- Mobile, Alabama, United States
- Occupation
- baseball player / shortstop
2. Background
- High school
- Locke High School
Awards & achievements
- Rawlings Gold Glove Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ozzie Smith born?
Born December 26, 1954 (age 71).
Where is Ozzie Smith from?
Ozzie Smith is from Mobile, Alabama, United States.
What does Ozzie Smith do?
Ozzie Smith works as baseball player, shortstop.
Baseball player — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.