Bizarre-Lonnie Smith Planned 2 Kill Jon Schuerholz

[AHF]

From a South Carolina paper article:

Quote:

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A PLAN TO MURDER

Smith took satisfying drags on a marijuana cigarette and thought about the past. Baseball was all he had known. His agent had told him earlier that week that no team wanted him; word had circulated that Smith was a malcontent with a penchant for noticeable — and contagious — mistakes.

His history was well documented, but he thought his troubles were behind him.

Smith sunk deeper into the chair at 185 Ridgewood Drive in Inman, staring into the fireplace and taking long pulls from his joint. He thought about the future.

Smith considered driving back to the housing project and becoming a drug dealer, a profession that never would match the $400,000 he earned playing for the Royals in 1987. Two years earlier, when the Royals won the World Series, Smith made $1 million.

He wanted revenge. He configured a plan to kill Schuerholz, a man he believed stole two years from his life.

Smith entered the pawnshop, a few blocks from the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, and asked to see a Beretta. He wanted a pistol that would fire more than six rounds — in case he missed or needed to finish the job.

“I figured if I got close enough to him, it didn’t matter,” Smith says. “I didn’t think I really wanted to do it, but at the same time, I really did. To have something that you love and have somebody take it from you, it will drive you to do anything.”

The clerk told him he was out of Berettas, but the Taurus 9-millimeter was compact, easier to use than the Beretta, and its magazine held 15 rounds. Smith took it home and fired a bullet into his backyard.

A few days later, Smith’s phone rang. The voice on the other end was Cox, who admitted he had heard rumors Smith was an agitator and was considered a clubhouse cancer while he played for the Royals.

Cox told Smith he would give him one chance, a tryout that hung on the thinnest of threads. One mistake would send him back to Spartanburg with nothing on his schedule but more time to think.

Smith hung up the phone and ran into his living room. He retrieved the bag of marijuana, about half of which remained, and threw it into the fireplace. Smith signed a minor-league contract with the Braves on March 12, 1988.

He found out 19 months later that his time with Schuerholz was not finished.

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The article doesn't mention him screwing us with his terrible baserunning error but is worth a read for the insanity.

[terrynoonan]

My friend just told me about this. Only he thought it was coke. Crazy! Reminds me of the Keith Mitchell story, only a lot lamer. Is Lonnie blaming his troubles on Marijuana? How Pathetic!

[joannes3000]

Bizarre is a perfect way to sum that up. Certainly glad for both Smith's and Schuerholtz' sake that Smith made the right choice.

[DJlaysitup]

Is this from a book or (more likely) from a more in-depth series of articles? It sounds pretty bizarre.

I'd like to forward it to my brother (a lifelong STL Cards fan)...but I thought maybe I should be careful that it's from something verifiable...not questioning your post AHF...just curious.

[AHF]

Quote:

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Is this from a book or (more likely) from a more in-depth series of articles? It sounds pretty bizarre.

I'd like to forward it to my brother (a lifelong STL Cards fan)...but I thought maybe I should be careful that it's from something verifiable...not questioning your post AHF...just curious.

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I copied some of the text, went to HS and then was too lazy to find the article again to link to it. Here it is - from a South Carolina paper:

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/15932659.htm

[terrynoonan]

I think maybe I was high last night. I meant to say Kevin Mitchell. Not our beloved one time Brave and cousin of the aforementioned Mitchell. I read it in a SI. It was an excerpt from a book on the 86 Mets. He held Doc Gooden hostage with some girl for like 8 hours and barrackaded the doors. Doc said he thought he was going to die!

[ecc423]

whats the big deal??...i still want to kill Lonnie Simth.

[terrynoonan]

He got deked. Knobs made a great play. Let it go. As Braves fans, there are so many more recent, more deserving goats.

[AHF]

Quote:

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He got deked. Knobs made a great play. Let it go. As Braves fans, there are so many more recent, more deserving goats.

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But none of them blew a single play that would have directly led to winning a world series. I will never forgive Lonnie Smith for that one. Not that I want him killed or anything.

[DJlaysitup]

Quote:

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... Not that I want him killed or anything.

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Yeah AHF...as someone who grew up learning sportsmanship from little league baseball and small school H.S. sports...something like this story sure brings present day reality home.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Money (or maybe the lack thereof - or greed for more) is the root of all evil. Lonnie Smith was an oddball though (IMO)...the decent people still well outnumber guys like him. (plus - half of the stuff in that article was probably B.S. )