When looking at the most impactful moments in the sport's history, the December 1981 trade that changed the balance of the National League really stands out as a major event. The San Diego Padres gave up their promising young shortstop, thinking he was only good at defense and would never be a strong hitter. They couldn’t have been more mistaken. Ozzie Smith was sent to Missouri in a historic trade for Garry Templeton. He didn’t just step into a spot on the infield; he became the energetic, acrobatic heart of the Redbirds’ exciting resurgence. Over an incredible 15 seasons, "The Wizard" completely transformed how his position was played on defense and gradually developed his offensive skills into a top-tier weapon at the top of the lineup.
His initial phase in St. Louis immediately confirmed Whitey Herzog's vision of emphasizing speed, aggressive defense, and generating runs. Although Smith’s compact swing never suggested a power hitter, he dedicated himself to improving his offensive game, transforming his approach under the Gateway Arch. He made consistently making high-velocity contact a daily habit, accumulating 1,944 of his 2,460 career hits while with the Cardinals. Once on the bases, he leveraged his exceptional acceleration to produce 13 consecutive seasons with at least 20 stolen bases, amassing 433 of his 580 career steals with the team and continually challenging opposing pitchers.
The pinnacle of his evolutionary development as a comprehensive, multidimensional athlete was demonstrated during a remarkable 1987 regular season. Acting as the driving force behind a pennant-winning team, Smith delivered an exceptional offensive performance that exceeded conventional expectations. He achieved a remarkable batting average of .303, his career high, supplemented by 40 doubles and 104 runs scored across 158 games. Most notably, he attained this high level of offensive output without recording a single home run throughout the summer. His exceptional discipline at the plate was unmatched; he drew 89 walks compared to only 36 strikeouts, resulting in an impressive on-base percentage of .392. This performance merited the receipt of a Silver Slugger Award and contributed to a strong second-place finish in the National League Most Valuable Player voting, surpassed only by Andre Dawson.
Nevertheless, while his offensive development solidifies his overall value, it is his extraordinary, gravity-defying defensive prowess that sustains his standing in the sport’s enduring zeitgeist. "The Wizard of Oz" did not merely play shortstop; he did so with a predatory, awe-inspiring artistic flair that transformed routine grounders into a literal human highlight reel, famously executing his iconic pre-game backflip to the utmost delight of the Busch Stadium spectators. He secured 13 of his 15 career Gold Glove Awards while solely representing St. Louis, thereby establishing a standard that remains unparalleled.
His advanced analytical filters strongly affirm his defensive dominance as the greatest to ever wear leather. He led National League shortstops in Total Zone Runs eight times—ranking first all-time at the position—and led the league in fielding percentage seven times. As a Redbird, he was the league leader in defensive bWAR five times, retiring as the sport's all-time top defensive player, conclusively establishing himself as the greatest defensive asset in baseball history.
His steady hand and unmatched instinct directly translated into historic team success, guiding the franchise to three National League pennants and the ultimate world-championship crown during a magical 1982 Fall Classic run, highlighted by his unforgettable, walk-off home run in Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS that triggered Jack Buck's immortal "Go crazy, folks!" broadcast.
Across his 1,990 games representing St. Louis, he accumulated exactly 1,944 hits, 991 runs scored, 876 bases on balls, and 433 stolen bases. Smith would enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002 on his first year of eligibility, and was also named to the inaugural Cardinals Hall of Fame Class in 2014. Smith's #1 was retired in 1996, right after he hung up the cleats.
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