Smith becomes Braves' 'big' man 1988 spring training before he was sent to Single A Burlington, Iowa. It was while he was there he began to put weight back on and Smith said he could tell the difference. 11. "The second half of the season I was RBI SB BA - 7 .378 throwing good quality strikes with my fast- 16 .311 ball, changeup and breaking ball," said 2 .300 24 12 .291 Smith, who had a 2-5 record and 4.67 ERA at .283 Burlington. Sat.261 Smith's improvement from last season car- 2 .223 ried over into this season. He is averaging al- 8 :221 .214 most seven innings a start and his only loss 13 .211 a 1-0 decision. was .167 of did have the motivation of Fay..138 Smith course sec2 .077 a challenge. 138 56 .245 "When I came to spring training this year Atlanta told me this is the year they wanted to find out if Chad Smith could pitch or not. W-L S ERA 3-2 2.10 They wanted to see if I was going to be the 0-1 7 2.11 Chad they drafted out of high school or the 2.41 Chad they see now. I'm trying to finally show 3.00 them that I can get the job done and give 1-3 3.62 3-2 4.46 them six innings fifth day." Thomor seven every 1-1 4.57 Ned has not Sumter manager Yost said he 2-3 4.65 win1-1 5.12 been surprised by success. "I thought sinSmith's 2-1 6.68 he would do all right here," Yost said. "He's 0-2 7.27 0-1 0 8.68 been a leader on the mound, he throws Ran17-19 12 4.08 strikes and he's not scared to go after the hit- sacriters. He's been our most consistent starter. "I think he got it in his mind that he's got sinmy fastball. I something to prove and he's going out to looked great prove it," Yost added. "He's going after hit- care of them- ters instead of knit-picking with his pitches. It takes some longer to learn that than others." Things didn't take care of themselves though. Smith struggled in Pulaski, Va., home While Smith is pleased with his perforof another Atlanta rookie league team. He mance, he admits he is disappointed with the had a 3-6 record with a whopping 6.82 ERA, way he was treated by the Atlanta organizaIf the bad numbers weren't enough for tion in regards to having him lose weight. Smith to bear, he began to g get negative feed"When they saw I pitched better at the back from Atlanta. heavier weight they said that's great, but they "They began to reverse the situation on never blamed themselves for what hapme and asked me what was wrong," Smith pened," he said. "Instead "they blamed me said. "I told them it had been since the and I really felt bad about that. I was blamed eighth grade or my freshman year of high for an experiment they tried to do that didn't school that I had been below 210 pounds. I work." wanted to pitch at the weight I was comfortIf Smith continues at the pace he has set able with. They told me, 'You look good,' and for himself this season, the two sides will said, 'That's great, but I still can't throw." soon be arguing over who should receive the Smith was at the same weight during the credit. By DENNIS BRUNSON ITEM Sports Writer Chad Smith went to West Palm Beach, Fla., in late February for the Atlanta Braves' spring training and received an ultimatum from the Atlanta front office: prove you can pitch at the professional level. Smith, a third-round draft pick in the June 1986 draft, had not come close to fulfilling expectations in any of his three prior professional seasons. This year, however, he is coming through on the mound for Sumter in a "big" way. SMITH Smith is off to a 4-1 start with a 3.00 earned run average and he credits the fast start in what the Braves termed as "a year he had to prove himself" to carrying more weight than the better part of the last two years. "Right now I'm weighing between 230 and 235 pounds," the 6-5 Smith said. "I'm throwing the ball good and I feel like I can pitch really well here in Sumter." There was a time 30 pounds lighter than wasn't when he was North High School in just a big kid, weighing pounds," he said. He was sent to team in Bradenton, Fla., only 2-8, Smith posted earned run average. wanted Smith to drop pounds. Smith followed spring training in 1987 But he thought something "When I came to spring I couldn't pitch," the if I tried to punch them. I knew I couldn't no control of my pitches. BRAVES STATS Batting Through games of May G AB R H 2B 3B HR Winston Relaford 14 45 12 17 3 0 0 Scott Goselin 31 103 12 32 4 Lamar Hall 19 70 10 21 1 2 0 Randy Simmons 36 127 19 37. 7 3 3 Glen Gardner 27 106 19 30 Steve Lopez 30 111 16 29 Robert Minaya 29 112 10 25 2 Paulo Reis 36 136 19 30 6 2 Calvain Cuiberson 34 112 17 24 Eduardo Perez 27 95 13 20 6 0 2 Mike Urman 00 Thomas Rizzo 18 Greg Harper 7 2 0. Totals 36 1175 163 288 42 10 11 Pitching G IP H R ER SO BB Judd Johnson 11 25.2 20 7 6 25 7 Rodney Richey 14 21.1 11 5 10 31 Johnny Maldonado 10 18.2 16 5 5 15 12 Chad Smith 48.0 39 20 16 25 19 Roberto Deleon 32.1 39 19 13 16 16 Scott Grove 38.1 43 21 19 26 20 Jeff Meier 10 21.2 21 11. 11 12 Marcos Vazquez 38.2 .41 26 20 25 18 Glenn Mitchell 10 19.1 21 13 11 12 15 Mark Wohlers 7 32.1 36 27 24 22 33 Robert Duncan 3 8.2 11 . 8 7 6 3. Dave Dickman 6 9.1 9 11 9 22 Totals 36 319.2 307 172 145 220 181. 10 and 12 miles per hour off told Atlanta that but they said I and that things would take selves." when Smith was close tr now, although it drafted out of Sullivan Kingsport, Tenn. "I was between 235 and 240 Atlanta's rookie league and although he was a respectable 3.53 After the season, Atlanta his weight down to 210 orders, reporting to weighing 208 pounds. was wrong. training I felt like left-hander said. "I felt someone I couldn't hurt I throw hard and I had I had lost between