In four seasons of minor league baseball, Tony Smith was 21-10, while batting .263. The pitcher-outfielder retired after the 2015 season.
Upon retirement, Smith became a pitching coach and instructor, including a stint with the Schaumburg Boomers for three seasons. In 2023, Smith joined the Northwestern Wildcats coaching staff.
Smith was not a stranger to the Wildcats. His wife is pitching coach Michelle Gascoigne. I know Gascoigne from her time with the Chicago Bandits.
I like both of them. Gascoigne was always great with interviews and pictures during her time with the Bandits and even the Wildcats. I hadn't really had much interaction with Smith until this season. During a Saturday autograph session, I chatted with Smith a bit. He thanked Tony and me for our support for the team, commenting he saw us there all the time. It was nice that he noticed we were in attendance a lot.
Because the home schedule ended, I won't see either in person again this season. When does Fall Ball start?
