Lee Smith
Lee Smith
Chicago Cubs: Former Pitcher
Lee Arthur Smith is a retired American right-handed baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eight teams.
Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs (1980-87), with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career. One of the dominant closers in baseball history, Smith held the major league record for career saves from 1993 until 2006, when San Diego Padres relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman passed his final total of 478. He still holds the team records for Career Saves for the Cubs (180).
After the end of his major league career, Smith spent time working as a pitching instructor at the minor-league level with the San Francisco Giants. He then served as the pitching coach for the South Africa national baseball team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and 2009 World Baseball Classic. Lee currently continues his job as a minor-league roving pitching instructor for the Giants.