Roy Smalley

Roy Frederick Smalley III (born October 25, 1952 in Los Angeles, California) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1975 through 1987, Smalley played for the Texas Rangers (1975-1976), Minnesota Twins (1976-1982; 1985-1987), New York Yankees (1982-1984) and Chicago White Sox (1984). He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father Roy Jr. is also a former shortstop who played in the National League (1948-58), and manager Ge... more

Roy Frederick Smalley III (born October 25, 1952 in Los Angeles, California) is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. From 1975 through 1987, Smalley played for the Texas Rangers (1975-1976), Minnesota Twins (1976-1982; 1985-1987), New York Yankees (1982-1984) and Chicago White Sox (1984). He was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. His father Roy Jr. is also a former shortstop who played in the National League (1948-58), and manager Gene Mauch was his uncle. Smalley was the number one overall pick in Major League Baseball's 1974 amateur draft, selected by the Texas Rangers. Under the ownership of Calvin Griffith, the Minnesota Twins franchise made few headlines in the transaction department; however, Roy Smalley's arrival to and departure from the Twins both involved blockbuster trades. On June 1, 1976, Smalley was traded to the Twins by the Texas Rangers along with infielder Mike Cubbage, pitchers Jim Gideon and Bill Singer and cash for Twins' ace Bert Blyleven and... less