By Eugene Tucker
There is an old story - maybe the oldest story - about Gilgamesh who upon witnessing his friend die swore that he would defeat death. He embarked upon an epic quest to discover everlasting life, coming tormentingly close only to learn an immutable truth: when the gods created humanity, they allotted them death and kept life for themselves.
On September 3, 2001, Bud Smith struck out Ricky Henderson to lead off the bottom of the first inning. It was only Smith’s 13th major league appearance and he caught the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of baseball looking with a cut fastball. It is not hyperbole to suggest that the strikeout of Ricky Henderson – THE Ricky Henderson – was the highlight of Smith’s major league career up until that point. By the end of the night, that highlight would be easily eclipsed as Bud Smith retired 27 San Diego Padres without a single one of them getting a hit.
Whereas two years previously, Jose Jimenez needed a little luck and a lot of Eric Davis to preserve his no hitter, Smith’s no hitter was never seriously challenged. Over the first 5.1 innings, Smith struck out six Padres, issuing only two walks. The only time Smith truly labored was following that sixth strikeout. He would walk Ricky and then run the count to 2-0 to shortstop D’Angelo Jimenez. ESPN announcer (and former Cardinal broadcaster) Bob Carpenter pointed out that Tony La Russa was more interested in a win than a no hitter. In furtherance of such sentiment, Luther Hackman began warming up in the Cardinal bullpen.
While Smith was able to induce a pop out from Jimenez, he fell behind again against the next Padre batter, Ryan Klesko. La Russa looked to the bullpen pointing to his right arm as if to ask if Hackman was ready. But before a change could be made, Klesko flared a ball down the right field line into foul territory and into the glove of JD Drew. “I always tell everyone my best pitch was my defense,” Smith told me over email in 2017. “I wasn't a big strikeout guy so I relied on my defense to make plays. They did that night.” Hackman sat down and Smith’s no hitter kept rolling.
Over the next two innings, Smith retired six in a row, adding another strikeout to tie his career high of seven. He came into the ninth three outs away from the no hitter, but with a pitch count of 113. Aware of the perils that accompany such high pitch counts, the Cardinals had two relievers throwing in the bullpen. “I was almost rooting for him to give up a hit,” Dave Duncan quipped after the game, “so we could get him out of there.”
But Smith did not relent and while he would admit afterwards that he was running on fumes in the ninth, with a steely gaze and two outs, he stared down Phil Nevin before inducing a one hopper right back to the mound. Smith snatched it and ran three-fourths of the way to first before flipping it underhand to Pujols. No hitter!
“This kid is going to win himself a lot of ball games in the National League,” ESPN color commentator (and former Cardinal) Rick Sutcliffe predicted during the game. At the end of the 2001 season, Post Dispatch hall of fame scribe Rick Hummel concurred, writing of Bud Smith: “Reminds one of Tom Glavine with his ability to change speeds and work the corners.”
11. Bud Smith would only pitch in eleven major league games following the conclusion of the 2001 season.
The 2002 season was more than cruel to Smith. He spent two weeks on the disabled list with an inflamed rotator cuff1 and returned for his fourth start at Wrigley Field, without the benefit of a rehab assignment. He allowed 8 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks to the Chicago Cubs that day over just two innings. “I felt ready to go out there and give us a chance…It just didn’t happen,” Smith said after the disappointing outing.
On July 14, 2002, Smith returned to the site of his 2001 no hitter, his first game back in San Diego since that historic day. Over seven innings, he held the Padres to three hits and struck out 3, walking only one. The Cardinals won and Smith’s in season record improved to 1-5. Any hope that the California sun had rejuvenated Smith was quickly dashed as five days later, he toed the rubber in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates tattooed him for 8 runs on 9 hits over just 4.2 innings. Two weeks later, he was included in the trade with Placido Polanco and Mike Tomlin for Scott Rolen. He never pitched in the major leagues again.
Nine months after comparing Smith to Tom Glavine, Hummel reevaluated the young left hander following the Rolen trade, “Truthfully,” Hummel wrote, “if you remove those nine innings from his record, Smith was not all that impressive last season (2001), either. Perhaps he’ll find himself, perhaps not, but give me a slugging third baseman (Scott Rolen) at the cost of an offspeed pitching prospect every day.”
Bud Smith’s story isn’t tragic as it is sadly cautionary. At 21, he did something that less than ten people had done as a St. Louis Cardinal. He was favorably compared to a hall of fame pitcher. But when he got hurt, he was dismissed as just another prospect. Our days are numbered; whatever we might do, it is but wind.
Gilgamesh’s story does not end in defeat though, and neither does Bud Smith’s. Upon his return home, Gilgamesh - still cursed with mortality - was inconsolable Through his desolation though, he is said to have looked up and upon seeing the city he built had an epiphany: There is no need for immortality, because death cannot destroy a legacy.
Bud Smith will be forever remembered. It does not matter that he only pitched in 27 career games and never became Tom Glavine. There are people who will never forget where they were the night he no hit the Padres. There are people who hung on every pitch, who sighed with relief when JD Drew caught Ryan Klesko’s line drive, who cheered when Pujols secured the final out. He gave people a story to tell and an experience to remember. Nothing destroys that.
Completely unrelated I’m sure but Smith’s 134 pitches during the no hitter were the third most by any Cardinal between 2000 to present day.
Any Luther Hackman reference is yet another proof that legends never die
Thank you “The Sandlot”!