June 1, 1931

Hal Smith was born in Barling (Sebastian County). Smith became the starting catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in his rookie season, 1956, and held that position until a heart valve condition caused his retirement as a player in 1961. He briefly came out of retirement to play in four games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965. Playing in 570 games, Smith had a major league batting average of .258 and hit twenty-three home runs. Known for his rifle-shot throwing arm, Smith listed superstars Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente—the best base runners of the era—among his “thrown out trying to steal second” victims.

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