New Uniform, New Look Suits Smith Just Fine

Lee Smith is a happy camper, really.

He has a pair of pants he can squeeze into and, on the other end, peace of mind.

The Cincinnati Reds are wonderful, despite owner Marge Schott. True, he’s not the team’s closer. But how important is that in the grand scheme of things?

So don’t be bothering him about the Angels. Don’t be talking with him about the Great Closer Controversy.

Smith, 38, has a fresh start. He has even complied with team rules by shaving his beard, making him a oddity--an employee who shaved facial hair after leaving Disney.

So don’t rock the boat, OK?

“If you want to talk to me, talk to me about the Cincinnati Reds,” Smith said Friday to reporters at Dodger Stadium. “If not, I’ll pass. That ain’t working. It’s over with.”

So on to new business.

Smith, baseball’s all-time saves leader with 471, again finds himself handing over save opportunities. He is setup man to Red closer Jeff Brantley (13 saves), the same role he had with . . . uh, that other team.

The Reds haven’t had much call to use him even in that capacity. He has made four appearances for Cincinnati--including Friday night at Dodger Stadium when he was wholeheartedly booed when he entered in the eighth inning--but has yet to get his first save. Not the numbers normally associated with the King of Saves during his 16-year career.

But this is a totally different situation than when he was with that Anaheim team.

“[Red Manager Ray Knight] told me what I was going to be doing when I came here,” Smith said. “I would still like to close again someday. If it happens, fine. If not, I’m so tired of all the [stuff].”

Translation: Smith will trade a little glory for a little easier pace.

That last month in Anaheim was anything but a slow ride. First he was the closer, then he was injured. Then Manager Marcel Lachemann said the job was Smith’s when he was ready, then General Manager Bill Bavasi said it wasn’t.

By the time Smith was traded on May 28, to clear the way for Troy Percival to be the only closer, he had worn out his welcome. The Angels took journeyman reliever Chuck McElroy and agreed to cover the gaping difference between the two salaries.

On Smith’s end, he was so relieved he went to Knight to say, “Thank you for rescuing me.”

Never mind that the Reds had trouble finding a pair of pants that fit Smith’s 6-foot-6, 269-pound frame. In fact, it was even fun wrestling with Eduardo Perez, another formerly disgruntled former Angel, for the one pair that fit them both.

“I told him he could wear them for seven innings, then I needed them,” Smith.

So why look back? There are no hard feelings, no harsh words.

“You can talk to [Angel General Manager] Bill Bavasi about that,” Smith said, not so reluctantly. “All I wanted to do was close and I wasn’t getting the opportunity. That’s the only gripe I have about that organization. I’ll let Billy work that out. It’s not my job.”

But who wants to go into that?

“Me and Lach never had bad feelings,” Smith said. “I knew what was going on and to this day I think Marcel wanted me to close. I think there was pressure put on him to use Percival as the closer as opposed to the chemistry that he wanted to use.”

But that’s all behind Smith.

Ahead? Well, he’s not quite sure. This is the last year of a two-year, $4.2-million contract and seeking greener pastures seems to work out OK.

“If I get a chance close [with the Reds], fine enough,” Smith said. “If I don’t, then I’ll get chance to pick my own friends in October.”