Darren Smith
Player
Teams:
All Balls (‘15), Battered Bastards (‘16), Baker’s Dozen (‘17),
Glove Machine (‘19), Pitch Doctors (‘20), All Balls (‘21)
Position(s):
Outfield
Year Inducted:
2023
Notes / Achievements / Contributions / Honors:
5X 1st team Gold Glove (Outfield)
Rookie of the Year (‘15)
Led the league in triples (2015, 2016, 2019), doubles (2019) and runs (2020)
Top 5 Total Bases (2015 (5th), 2016 (3rd), 2017 (5th), 2019 (4th), 2020 (3rd)
Top 5 OPS (2015 (4th), 2017 (5th), 2020 (5th); Top 5 OBP 2020 (3rd)
Top 5 RBI’s (2015 (4th), 2016 (2nd), 2017 (5th)
Top 5 Slugging (2015 (3rd), 2017 (5th), 2019 (5th), 2020 (5th)
Top 5 Runs (2017 (3rd), 2019 (4th), 2021 (2nd)
Top 5 Hits (2017 (3rd), 2020 (2nd); Top 5 Home Runs (2017 (4th)
Top 5 Doubles (2017 (2nd), 2020 (2nd)
Top 5 Batting Average (2017 (5th), 2020 (4th)
Oldest #1 overall pick in DSL history (49 years, 4 months, 10 days)
Was usually scorekeeping or umpiring when not playing. Usually asked to umpire
playoffs and the Championship Game since I was only able to play in one
Championship Game (and lost). The experience umpiring in the DSL has led to a
lucrative “career” of baseball and softball umpiring in the summers back in Manitoba.
Lasting thoughts:
The Daegu Softball League was something I thoroughly looked forward to and enjoyed each spring. I would spend all week getting all my gear cleaned and my extra food and drinks prepped and packed. Up bright and early on Saturday/Sunday morning and lugged that big Nike bag of mine one or two hours on buses, trains, subways, taxis, etc. - all to get to the field an hour before the first game started. I didn’t care if I was playing in that first game – I wanted to be at the field all day. Just loved the sport and the people involved with the DSL. It is definitely one of the things I miss dearly about South Korea.
Quote comes from “Dawg Nation” - the charity organization that helped my younger brother in 2019 when he was fighting Stage IV cancer. “Play Hard. Play Fair. Give Back.”
