Life was as hard as the ground from which the Smith family scratched a living, and in the early 1900s poverty was an accepted way of life on Tol Road in the Antioch community of Darlington County, SC. But there were dreams. Looking up through the peeled tin roof at night, young Charlie saw the stars and dreamed of being a baseball player. There was an occasional meteor streaking across the sky, drawing a rare smile from the boy.

They called the man “Chino” because his eyes slanted, and he played in New York, the biggest baseball stage of all. He crossed paths with the greats of the game, black and white. Cannonball Dick Redding, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Pop Lloyd, Dolf Luque, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig all respected this dynamite wrapped up in a small package.

He was a bona fide superstar, instantly recognizable and seldom loved. He was also one of those meteors, streaking across the baseball sky, dazzling all who beheld his incredible talent, and dying young. Welcome to the world of Charlie “Chino” Smith, the best baseball player you never heard of. And if perchance you’ve heard of him, much of that is wrong.

Negro League legend Buck O’Neil said, “There’s a lot of people who need to know about Chino Smith. Tell the story.“ Come and enjoy exploring this most interesting life with us.