Ozzie Smith to Speak at Truman for Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series
National Baseball Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinals legend Ozzie Smith will visit Truman at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Baldwin Auditorium as part of the Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series.
A World Series champion and 15-time All-Star, Smith put together one of the most accomplished careers in baseball history. He won 13 consecutive Rawlings Gold Gloves from 1980 to 1992, with his highlight-reel defensive plays earning him the nickname the Wizard of Oz. Smith was selected as one of the 100 Best Baseball Players of the 20th Century by Major League Baseball and recognized as the shortstop on the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team.
Offensively, Smith had 580 stolen bases and more than 2,000 career hits. His walk-off home run in the 1985 National League Championship Series helped him earn the series MVP and is immortalized in Cardinals’ history with the help of broadcaster Jack Buck’s call “Go crazy folks.” It was voted as the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history.
Off the field, Smith was the 2001 recipient of the Walter Payton Sweetness Award, given to an athlete who has contributed to his community. Similarly, he earned the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award – Major League Baseball’s humanitarian award – as well as the 1994 Branch Rickey Award for personifying service above self. In 1992, Smith was the first athlete to receive the prestigious St. Louis Man of the Year award. He also earned a Father of the Year Honors Group Award in 1986 and the 1983 NAACP Image Award for Sportsmanship, Humanitarianism and Community Involvement.
Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also the Education Ambassador for the Baseball Hall of Fame and headlines a fundraiser, “Play Ball with Ozzie Smith,” every year in Cooperstown during Induction Weekend.
Since his playing career ended, Smith has remained active with baseball and other pursuits. He hosted “This Week in Baseball” and did color commentary on local Cardinals broadcasts. Currently, he is the host of “Cardinals Insider,” a weekly television show about the club. Away from baseball, Smith has explored multiple business ventures, including a restaurant and sports bar, a youth sports academy and medical clinics.
Smith was cast in three theatrical productions at The Municipal Theatre in St. Louis. He had a cameo role in “Damn Yankees” in 1998, and the following year he sang and tap danced in “The Muny Goes British,” a musical revue based on songs from various Broadway musicals. In 2001 he starred as The Wizard in The Muny’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Smith was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, his first year of eligibility. He was also a member of the inaugural Cardinals Hall of Fame class in 2014.
Tickets are free and will be available starting Oct. 1. They can be picked up downtown at the Kirksville Arts Association or in the Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center located at the corner of Franklin Street and Normal Avenue. On campus, tickets are available at the U&I Office in the Student Union Building, and in the Advancement Office, McClain Hall 205. Any remaining tickets will be available at the box office window in Baldwin Hall beginning 30 minutes before the presentation.
The Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series was named for Squire Paul and Meeda (Daniel) Holman by their children to honor their parents’ long association with Truman and is funded through an endowment with the Truman State University Foundation.
A World Series champion and 15-time All-Star, Smith put together one of the most accomplished careers in baseball history. He won 13 consecutive Rawlings Gold Gloves from 1980 to 1992, with his highlight-reel defensive plays earning him the nickname the Wizard of Oz. Smith was selected as one of the 100 Best Baseball Players of the 20th Century by Major League Baseball and recognized as the shortstop on the Rawlings All-Time Gold Glove Team.
Offensively, Smith had 580 stolen bases and more than 2,000 career hits. His walk-off home run in the 1985 National League Championship Series helped him earn the series MVP and is immortalized in Cardinals’ history with the help of broadcaster Jack Buck’s call “Go crazy folks.” It was voted as the greatest moment in Busch Stadium history.
Off the field, Smith was the 2001 recipient of the Walter Payton Sweetness Award, given to an athlete who has contributed to his community. Similarly, he earned the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award – Major League Baseball’s humanitarian award – as well as the 1994 Branch Rickey Award for personifying service above self. In 1992, Smith was the first athlete to receive the prestigious St. Louis Man of the Year award. He also earned a Father of the Year Honors Group Award in 1986 and the 1983 NAACP Image Award for Sportsmanship, Humanitarianism and Community Involvement.
Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He is also the Education Ambassador for the Baseball Hall of Fame and headlines a fundraiser, “Play Ball with Ozzie Smith,” every year in Cooperstown during Induction Weekend.
Since his playing career ended, Smith has remained active with baseball and other pursuits. He hosted “This Week in Baseball” and did color commentary on local Cardinals broadcasts. Currently, he is the host of “Cardinals Insider,” a weekly television show about the club. Away from baseball, Smith has explored multiple business ventures, including a restaurant and sports bar, a youth sports academy and medical clinics.
Smith was cast in three theatrical productions at The Municipal Theatre in St. Louis. He had a cameo role in “Damn Yankees” in 1998, and the following year he sang and tap danced in “The Muny Goes British,” a musical revue based on songs from various Broadway musicals. In 2001 he starred as The Wizard in The Muny’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Smith was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, his first year of eligibility. He was also a member of the inaugural Cardinals Hall of Fame class in 2014.
Tickets are free and will be available starting Oct. 1. They can be picked up downtown at the Kirksville Arts Association or in the Ruth W. Towne Museum and Visitors Center located at the corner of Franklin Street and Normal Avenue. On campus, tickets are available at the U&I Office in the Student Union Building, and in the Advancement Office, McClain Hall 205. Any remaining tickets will be available at the box office window in Baldwin Hall beginning 30 minutes before the presentation.
The Holman Family Distinguished Speaker Series was named for Squire Paul and Meeda (Daniel) Holman by their children to honor their parents’ long association with Truman and is funded through an endowment with the Truman State University Foundation.
