Phenomenal Smith (original) (raw)

John Francis "Phenomenal" Smith (December 12, 1864 – April 3, 1952), born as John Francis Gammon, was an American professional baseball player and player-manager from 1884 to 1905. He played eight seasons in Major League Baseball, principally as a pitcher, for six different clubs. Smith later served as a player-manager in the minor leagues from the early 1890s through 1905. He was credited with discovering Christy Mathewson in 1899 and developing him into an outstanding pitcher during the 1900 season.