A self described “fair player with a decent bat,” Laurie "Smitty" Smith played third base and catcher during a career that included roster spots on such Rockford park district teams as First National Bank, Ace of Diamonds, Bolender Jewelers, Diamond Bar and Valley Furnace Flames.

When her playing career ended in 1982, her body left softball behind, but her heart couldn’t. Like so many others, the love of our great sport led her to seek out other ways to stay involved with the game. That has led to serve our game in every way from scorekeeping to announcing to singing the national anthem.

“I wanted to stay involved with the game and be around my friends,” said. Smith. Happily, by 1982 her former coach, Brenda Paulson, was USSSA Illinois Director, and running numerous tournaments around Rockford. Smith began keeping score, running the scoreboard, and announcing the games.

“I was being called the ‘Harriet Carey of Forest Hills,’’ she said.

As time went by, Paulson entrusted Smith with more and more responsibilities. She became Diamond Director for State and Qualifying tournaments, as well as handling the checking in of teams and players, as well as collecting those often elusive team rosters.

“As strenuous and exhausting as it was, I enjoyed almost every moment,” said Smith. “And when the day was over, as players and umpires were leaving the park and going to the nearest bar for cocktails. I was faxing in the day’s scores to the newspaper, cleaning up the score booth, and locking up.”

She would then go home, put her feet up, and fall immediately asleep.

Smith probably wished she was home sleeping the day she was calling a Men’s tournament at Forest Hills. With the stands filled with fans, Smith was at the microphone when a batter stroked a single down the first base line.

“It’s a base shit!” Smith blurted out. Blushing beet red and sliding away from the front of the booth, she hid in the recesses of the booth for a few seconds, then gathered the courage to peek out over the window ledge at the crowd. No one was laughing at her gaffe. “Thank the Lord!” she breathed, and went on with her announcing duties, but taking greater care to e-nun-ci-ate her words a bit better.

Smith knew she was being fully accepted around the ball park when she found herself with male players regularly in her face and “yelling at me as though I were Brenda.”

“Of course, their problems were self induced most of the time, but I tried to keep my cool as best I could.”

She has, she said, enjoyed it all.

“My years in softball have been the best years of my life,” said Smith. “This is where I met my best and dearest friend, Brenda Paulson, along with my many other cherished friends. I want to say ‘Thank you, I love you, and God Bless.’”