A. Ray Smith (May 1, 1915 – June 28, 1999, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States) was a long-time baseball executive, best known for his ownership of the minor-league Tulsa Oilers franchise, which he later moved to Louisville, Kentucky, where the team set minor league attendance records."Ex-baseball owner Smith dies"
'' Tulsa World'', June 29, 1999.

Biography

Born in Dugger, Indiana, he played football at, and received a

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

degree from, Indiana University. With

Clint Murchison Clinton Williams Murchison Jr. (September 12, 1923 – March 30, 1987) was a businessman and founder of the Dallas Cowboys football team. A son of Clint Murchison Sr., who made his first fortune in oil exploration and became notorious for exploi ...

, he co-founded Tecon Industries, a construction company predecessor of Standard Industries. He supervised the company's role in major construction projects around the world, including the

St. Lawrence Seaway The St. Lawrence Seaway (french: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of locks, canals, and channels in Canada and the United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes of North Americ ...

and the widening of the Panama Canal. During World War II, he was a colonel in the 8th Air Force Corps of Engineers. He moved to Tulsa in 1958, and bought out Murchison's interest in Standard Industries in 1961. In February of that same year, he got wind that Tulsa Oilers owner Grayle Howlett was about to move the team to Albuquerque. Smith persuaded Howlett to sell him a stake in the team for $25,000. A few months later, in July 1961, he bought out Howlett's interest and became sole owner. The Oilers moved from the AA Texas League to the AAA

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

in 1966. He contributed to the revival of the American Association in 1969 and moved the Oilers to that league. From 1963 to 1966, he also owned one-tenth of the Cleveland Indians, a Major League Baseball team. During Smith's ownership, the Oilers won five league titles (two Texas League, one PCL, two AA), but struggled with the deteriorating condition of their aging stadium, Oiler Park. Smith had poured significant resources into Oiler Park at something approaching AAA standards, but it was apparent that the 43-year-old facility was nearing the end of its useful life. Unable to secure public support in Tulsa to replace or rebuild the ballpark, Smith ultimately moved the Oilers to New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1977, renaming the team the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...

, and then to

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

, in 1978 as the

Springfield Redbirds The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the winged mammal and baseball ...

. After the 1981 season, he again moved the team, to Louisville, Kentucky, where they became the Louisville Redbirds (later the Louisville RiverBats and now the

Louisville Bats The Louisville Bats are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Louisville, Kentucky, and are named in dual reference to the bat, win ...

). The team was a great success in Louisville, setting minor league attendance records. Smith was named Executive of the Year by '' The Sporting News'' in 1983. In 1985, he bid on the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, however he was outbid by Marge Schott. After the 1986 season, Smith sold the Redbirds. He then attempted to bring baseball to St. Petersburg, Florida, but was unable to bring that goal to fruition. He also served on the board of the Anaheim Angels for seven years.

Honors

* Minor League Executive of the Year, 1982 & 1983

Family

His daughter, Emily Smith Miller-Mundy (1943-2013), was a prominent figure in the Tulsa Sound music scene, and the inspiration for

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

's song "Sweet Emily".Tim Stanley
"Tulsa Sound figure 'Sweet Emily' Smith dies at 69"
'' Tulsa World'', January 13, 2013 (pay site).

References

External links

A. Ray Smith
at Baseball-reference.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, A. Ray 1915 births 1999 deaths Minor league baseball executives Louisville Redbirds owners