A gangly 6’8″ sinkerballer, Smithson led the AL in games started in 1984 and 1985, winning 15 games each year for the Twins, but was released after a 4-7, 5.94 season in 1987. He then signed with the Red Sox as a free agent (he had spent his first six pro seasons in Boston’s minor league chain), and was 9-6 as an occasional starter for the 1988 AL East champs.
