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Ballard Smith (baseball)

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Ballard Smith
Smith in 1981
Born: (1946-06-20) June 20, 1946 (age 78)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Teams

Ballard F. Smith (born June 20, 1946)[1] is an American former sports executive who was president of the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball from 1979 to 1987. He was a district attorney in Pennsylvania before starting his sports career as vice president of the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association (WHA).

Early life

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Smith was born in Indianapolis, Indiana,[1] and attended Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois.[2] After graduating from Carleton College and the University of Minnesota Law School,[3] he was an attorney for five years in Meadville, Pennsylvania, before being elected district attorney of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, in 1975.[1][4] Smith was the youngest district attorney in the state at the time.[3][5] He grew disillusioned with politics, and resigned from his four-year term in 1976 to work in sports management for his stepfather-in-law, Ray Kroc, the owner of the McDonald's hamburger chain.[5]

Sports career

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Smith with the San Diego Padres in 1981

Smith joined the front office of San Diego Mariners, a WHA team recently purchased by Kroc.[4] Smith was vice president and general manager of the Mariners before joining Kroc's Padres as vice president in 1977.[6][7] In 1979, he succeeded Kroc as team president.[4]

Ordered to control spending, Smith enabled the 1983 free agent signing of first baseman Steve Garvey after persuading Ace Parking and KFMB-AM radio to invest money in the Padres, convincing them that their revenues would increase if the team succeeded. In 1984, they signed relef pitcher Goose Gossage using a long-term annuity at the suggestion of Dick Freeman, the Padres’ chief financial officer, an innovative move to lessen the immediate financial obligations. Padres general manager Jack McKeon also arranged to acquire third baseman Graig Nettles in a trade with the New York Yankees. However, with Yankees owner George Steinbrenner wanting to talk to team owners, not McKeon, Smith finalized the deal on the account of being Kroc's son-in-law.[8] That season, the Padres won their first National League pennant.[9] Smith also served on the executive committee of Major League Baseball from 1981 to 1985.[10]

In 1986, the Padres banned beer in the clubhouse. Smith commented that the team's potential legal responsibility along with a 3,000 percent rise in liability insurance in eight years led to the decision. Gossage was fined and suspended by the team after criticizing Smith and Padres owner Joan Kroc for the ban.[9][11] Fans blamed Smith in 1987 for failing to sign free agent Tim Raines,[9][12] who was offered a two-year contract for $1.1 million annually by San Diego after he made $1.5 million the previous year with Montreal.[13][14] Smith resigned from the Padres mid-season in 1987.[15]

Later years

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Smith also served on the board of directors of McDonald's from 1983 to 1997.[7][10] He subsequently moved to Idaho and to other business interests and activities.[10] In 2012, Smith co-founded an educational non-profit called Science of Sport with University of Arizona professor Ricardo Valerdi aimed at promoting STEM education through sports examples.[16][17][18] Smith served as executive director[19] for the non-profit which has established educational programs for the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and Washington Nationals.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Smith was married for 16 years to Linda Smith, the only child of Joan Kroc and stepdaughter of Ray Kroc.[5][20] Linda filed for divorce in 1987. The couple had four daughters together.[20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c San Diego Padres 1985 Media Guide. San Diego Padres. 1985. p. 3. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  2. ^ Kaye, Dan (November 14, 2007). "First things first for the Spartans". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Richman, Milt (November 12, 1981). "Ballard Smith is nobody's dummy". The Stuart News. UPI. p. B1. Retrieved September 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c Distel, Dave (April 5, 1984). "Where's the Beef? Ballard Smith Doesn't Have Any". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "All in family". The Herald-News. AP. September 25, 1976. p. A-14. Retrieved September 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Haddad, Dana (October 13, 1991). "Gulls Ownership In Limbo as Smith, Baldwin Depar". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  7. ^ a b LeMoine, Bob. "Ray and Joan Kroc". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Miller, Bryce (September 17, 2024). "Bryce Miller: 'Forgotten guy' Ballard Smith built 1984 Padres into World Series team". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Shea, John (March 27, 1987). "Smith will go without any regrets". Times-Advocate. p. C2. Retrieved September 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c "Carbite Golf Names Ballard Smith, Former San Diego Padres Executive, To Board of Directors. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. PRNewswire. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
  11. ^ Vecsey, George (September 5, 1986). "The Goose: Country Hardball". The New York Times. p. D16. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  12. ^ Distel, Dave (May 30, 1987). "Kroc Talks Like Owner Padres Need". Los Angeles Times. Part III, p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Distel, Dave. "Padres Quick to Give Up on Raines". Los Angeles Times. Part III, pp. 1, 8. Retrieved September 23, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Young, Geoff (January 19, 2011). "It never Raines in San Diego". The Hardball Times. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  15. ^ Wulf, Steve (April 5, 1989). "All My Padres". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Beal, Tom (July 18, 2014). "Hermosillo students meet goals building soccer-playing robots". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  17. ^ "Science of Sport Starts up | Tech Launch Arizona". Archived from the original on 2015-08-05. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
  18. ^ "Science of Sport – "WE MAKE CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM"". Archived from the original on March 15, 2015.
  19. ^ "People". Science of Sport. Archived from the original on April 5, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Warren, Jenifer (February 19, 1987). "Daughter of Joan Kroc : Linda Smith Plans to Divorce Padres' Boss". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
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