Ozzie Smith with Cap

Green background with orange around the top rim, yellow with orange text around the bottom, and color photograph of baseball player Ozzie Smith wearing a red cap in the center

Ozzie Smith, born Osborne Earl Smith, is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop who played for the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals. Nicknamed “The Wizard of Oz,” or simply “The Wizard,” by the Yuma Daily Sun in a March 1981 feature, Smith became renowned for his defensive brilliance, athleticism, and showmanship on the field. He gained national attention not only for his highlight-reel plays at shortstop but also for his signature backflips, which he performed while taking the field and which became a trademark of his career. Over 19 seasons, Smith was selected to 15 All-Star Games, won 13 consecutive Gold Glove Awards, and helped lead the Cardinals to a World Series championship in 1982. After retiring in 1996, his legacy as one of the greatest defensive players in baseball history was cemented with his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.