Smith, a 1977 graduate of Powell Valley High School, has joined the Claiborne Progress as a Sports Columnist.
After many successful years in the financial services industry he was fortunate to become a scout for the Atlanta Braves. Now entering his sixth year with the Braves, Smith is “slowing down” somewhat and is hoping to spend more time in Claiborne County, where his mother, Lokie Smith, still lives and an area he and his family are investing in.
Smith has purchased 27 acres on Norris Lake, part of which will be for a home for him and his wife and their twin 16-year-old daughters.
“My family and I will be spending a lot of time here and we’ll eventually retire here,” he said, adding that they live in Knoxville during the school year.
His daughters told him he couldn’t retire from scouting until they are out of school — and for good reason.
“They tell boys that if they’ll carry their books or help them out, that they’ll get Dad to look at them for baseball,” he laughed. “So it may go past high school.”
Scouting, although his second career, is obviously Smith’s passion. His eyes light up as he tells stories of his days as a scout.
“I’ve met a lot of really good people, and I enjoy the friendships I’ve made,” he said, explaining that even if a player doesn’t make it to the “Big Leagues,” sometimes it’s enough to just be able to say that “a Major League scout looked at me.”
“Sometimes that’s all someone needs to gain that confidence to be successful,” he said, sharing one story about one man who arrived at a tryout camp with his wife and babies in tow.
“He said, ‘I just wanted to see what I had,’ and he was good, no doubt,” Smith said. “I told him that 10 or 15 years ago, we’d have had a serious discussion. He told me that’s all he needed to hear, and left the camp happy.”
“Those kinds of friendships are priceless,” Smith said with a smile.
Although his scouting job takes him away from home quite a bit, Smith’s family has been very supportive — and he prides himself on not having been away much at all during the school year.
“I love taking the girls to school,” he said, adding that his family travels with him when possible.
It’s evident that Smith also loves making dreams come true for young men who want to play in the Major League. Things have changed quite a bit for scouts and those players dreaming of making it — “No kids fall through the cracks now,” Smith said, adding that it was sometimes hard years ago to know when there was a good player from a small area such as Claiborne County.
“I enjoy going to the rural areas; that’s the way I grew up,” he said. “I like to give kids hope, and encourage them to keep trying if they’re not quite ready.”
Regardless of whether the player makes it into the Major League, Smith likes to keep up with as many as he can.
“It means a lot when they’re successful, whether it’s baseball or not,” he said.
While not busy recruiting for the Braves, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading and “driving my wife’s convertible and letting her buy the gas,” he said. He also enjoys public speaking, especially talking to youth. He’s currently working on a book about perseverance.
“Never give up. Believe in yourself,” he said. “If a guy like me can make it, anyone can.”
Smith plans to talk in future columns about scouting players — what’s expected of them, what they need to do to catch a scout’s eye. He will also talk about some of the well-known players he’s recruited and the “nuts and bolts” of baseball. Smith welcomes questions and comments, which can be sent to: johnnysmithscout @claiborneprogress.net.
He looks forward to reuniting with many of his friends and family in the area — both in Claiborne County and Bell County, Ky., where he played softball in the Middlesboro City Park.
“Bottom line? Johnny Smith is looking forward to coming home,” he said.
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