Roy Smalley, Jr.

Smalley in 1953.

Shortstop

Born: June 9, 1926
Springfield, Missouri

Died: October 22, 2011 (aged 85)
Sahuarita, Arizona

Batted: Right

Threw: Right

MLB debut

April 20, 1948, for the Chicago Cubs

Last MLB appearance

April 21, 1958, for the Philadelphia Phillies

MLB statistics

Batting average

.227

Home runs

Runs batted in

305

Teams

Roy Frederick Smalley, Jr. (June 9, 1926 – October 22, 2011) was a shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1948 through 1958, Smalley played for the Chicago Cubs (1948–1953), Milwaukee Braves (1954) and Philadelphia Phillies (1955–1958). He batted and threw right-handed. In an 11-season career, Smalley was a .227 hitter with 61 home runs and 305 RBI in 872 games played. Smalley was the father of fellow major league shortstop Roy Smalley III.

Smalley was signed at age 17 by the Cubs as an amateur free agent out of Springfield Catholic High School. He began his professional career that season with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League, where he batted just .188 in 61 games. After missing a year while serving in World War II, Smalley was moved down to the Shelby Cubs for the 1946 season. By the end of the year, he was back with the Angels.

In 1947, Smalley spent the entire season with the class-A Des Moines Bruins, where he batted .244 in 114 games. He was impressive enough that in 1948 he was given the starting shortstop job with the major league Cubs, replacing incumbent Lennie Merullo, who was sent to the minors himself for the season. Smalley remained the Cubs' primary shortstop for the remainder of his tenure with the team.

Smalley's best season statistically was 1950. He posted career highs in home runs (21), RBI (85), runs (58), hits (128) and doubles (21), including hitting for the cycle on June 28. He struck out a league-leading 114 times. He made 51 errors (the last time a player made at least 50), but he also led NL shortstops in total chances per game, as he had in 1949, and in double plays.

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