It doesn¡¯t take long to spot an Ozzie Smith jersey in St. Louis, given his popularity, which resonates with fans to this day -- even decades after the legendary shortstop retired.
But it¡¯s less common to actually be able to meet the man himself. Last Tuesday, fans spanning across multiple generations were given that opportunity at a special event that took place in St. Louis, ahead of Opening Day.
One young boy -- donning a red No. 1 jersey with Smith across the back -- was lifted into the arms of an older man accompanying him, hoisting him above the crowd so he could get a clear look at the Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals legend.
¡°Right there in the red and white Cardinals shirt,¡± the man said as he pointed Smith out to the youngster. ¡°That¡¯s his jersey [that you¡¯re wearing]. That¡¯s him.¡±
It¡¯s been nearly three decades since Smith retired, but his presence still looms large over the city where he spent 15 of his 19 seasons in the big leagues. And that presence was especially felt during his special appearance at Tuesday¡¯s ¡°First Glove¡± Play Ball event, a collaboration between MLB, the Cardinals and Rawlings that hosted approximately 40 local youths from STL Youth Sports Outreach, Cardinals Care Redbird Rookies and Gateway Region YMCA Miracle League.
The event provided children with brand new Rawlings gloves in an effort to grow participation and accessibility in the sport at the grassroots level.
¡°Today we're gifting a lot of local kids their very first glove,¡± said Rawlings senior director of brand marketing Lindsey Naber. ¡°So very near and dear to Rawlings' hearts, we're known for our gloves. So to be part of that journey from day one is something that we treasure.¡±
In addition to receiving the gloves, the kids were able to soak up pointers from Smith, a 13-time Gold Glove Award winner, on how to break in their new equipment and get it ready for gameday.
¡°When I played, they didn't have something like this where you can help pound the glove and get it in shape,¡± Smith said as he motioned with the glove mallet he held in one of his hands. ¡°They didn't have oil. And so what I did with my glove -- along with sleeping with it underneath my pillow -- was always try to make it as round as possible.¡±
Smith explained that he viewed his glove as an extension of his hand, and therefore should look as similar to the position of his outstretched hand as can be. He accomplished that by constantly bending down the fingers of his glove until they held a round shape. He also told the crowd that applying baby oil and shaving cream with lanolin to the palm of the glove would keep the area soft, which gave him a better feel for when the ball would hit his glove.
¡°I always spent a lot of time making sure that my glove was an extension of my hand, and I made sure that it was exactly like my hand,¡± he said. ¡°So as a shortstop, this here became very, very important. And you probably saw me standing on the field doing this a lot, because this is what gives the ball the opportunity to go in the glove.¡±
Smith stayed behind after his presentation to pose for pictures with fans in front of a life-size Gold Glove trophy replica, while other kids hit in the batting cages or took a tour of Rawlings' headquarters. Once that was finished, the youths finished the day playing catch and rolling ground balls to each other with MLB Play Ball Youth Ambassador Justin Sherman. They walked away with the experience of a lifetime -- and a new glove -- in hand. Some, like Bradley Cline and Jamir Johnson, were able to get their gloves signed by Smith himself.
¡°I know I¡¯m not wearing it,¡± Cline said as a smile beamed on his face.