Zane Smith was a left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for 13 seasons. He was born on December 28, 1960, in Madison, Wisconsin, and attended the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Smith was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the third round of the 1982 MLB draft and made his debut in the majors in 1984.
Smith spent the majority of his career with the Braves, playing for them from 1984 to 1989. He was a reliable starter for the team, posting a 3.68 ERA over 157 games. In 1987, he had his best season, going 16-10 with a 2.93 ERA and finishing fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
In 1989, Smith was traded to the Montreal Expos, where he played for two seasons. He struggled with injuries during his time with the Expos, but still managed to post a 3.96 ERA over 47 games.
After leaving the Expos, Smith played for several teams over the next few years, including the Pittsburgh Pirates, the New York Yankees, and the California Angels. He was primarily used as a reliever during this time, but still managed to be effective, posting a 3.79 ERA over 153 games.
Smith's final season in the majors was in 1996, when he played for the Boston Red Sox. He appeared in 25 games for the team, posting a 5.61 ERA.
Overall, Smith had a solid career in the majors, posting a 3.74 ERA over 442 games. He was known for his control on the mound, walking just 2.4 batters per nine innings over his career. While he was never a dominant pitcher, he was a reliable starter and effective reliever who was able to pitch for over a decade in the majors.
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