[3] During his rookie season, Smith appeared in a career-high 135 games, 113 as a starting catcher, but in 1956, he lost his regular job to Gus Triandos, who had also been traded by the Yankees to the Orioles in that 17-player deal.

With two balls and two strikes, Smith hit a dramatic three-run home run off right-hander Jim Coates to give the Pirates a 9–7 lead.

However, his hit would be overshadowed, as the Yankees then battled back to tie it up in the top of the ninth, leading to Bill Mazeroski's walk-off homer to win the Series in the bottom of the inning.

[5] According to an analysis by Grantland, Smith's hit was the single most important in baseball history, as measured by Championship Probability Added, as it single-handedly boosted Pittsburgh's odds of winning the World Series from 30% to 93%.

Smith was the catcher for the first Major League game in Houston baseball history, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double in an 11–2 rout of the Chicago Cubs on April 10, 1962.

In 1963, rookie John Bateman claimed the starting catcher job and Smith split his season between Houston and the Colt .45s' Oklahoma City 89ers affiliate.