Smith was born in
Greenwood, South Carolina, and played for the semipro
Philadelphia Giants in 1924. He worked at New York City's
Penn Station and played in 1925 for their baseball team, the
Pennsylvania Red Caps of New York, playing for them as a
second baseman alongside
shortstop Dick Seay. Smith broke into the professional
Brooklyn Royal Giants later that year. He recorded
batting averages of .341 in 1925 and .439 in 1927. In 1929, he joined the
New York Lincoln Giants of the new
American Negro League, and batted .464, collecting 118 hits in only 67 games, with 23
home runs and 24
doubles, all of which paced the league. The league was not a stable one, however, and it folded the next year, with the Lincoln Giants continuing on as an independent team. They battled the
Homestead Grays for the eastern title, only to lose out at the end of the season. During this season he hit opposing pitchers at a .468 clip. In 1930, Smith played in the first game involving a black team at
Yankee Stadium; he hit a triple and two home runs. The incomplete records of the time show that Smith had a .423 career batting average in Negro league competition. He hit .335 in Cuban winter ball and .405 (or .423 depending upon sources) against white major leaguers. Smith's nickname of "Chino" is thought to have originated from his Asian-like appearance. Fellow Negro leaguer
Cool Papa Bell said, "He'd go out there, say 'I guess I'll get me three hits,' and go out there and hit that ball. I don't care who pitched, he could do everything." == Illness and death ==