From: Donald Irving
Jo Jo, do you or Cleve know this guy from your CC days?

This is what I blogged at the end of below Miami Herald article:

In doing extensive research on original black high schools in Miami Dade County, I was informed by historian Shelly from Miami Carol City Sr. class of 1968 (North Dade Jr./Sr High), that Alex Smith was the ONLY African American at the time on Carol City's baseball team.

This guy seems to be humble but should be highly saluted!!!! I'm pretty certain that he was the 1st African American baseball player in the history of the school. He has seen it all here in Miami Dade County when it comes to high school sports.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/10/2581979/carol-city-coach-smith-set-to.html#storylink=cpy



After three decades coaching the Carol City baseball, Alex Smith announced his retirement Monday.
Smith finished with over 300 victories for his career.
COURTESY OF CAROL CITY HIGH
BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
a1fernandez@MiamiHerald.com

Alex Smith has mentored hundreds of young athletes at his alma mater for nearly three decades. But the longtime Carol City baseball coach announced Monday he is retiring from coaching. Smith spent the past 29 seasons coaching the Chiefs baseball team, including the past two decades as its head coach. Smith retired and over that span 100 of his players were signed by colleges and more than 25 were drafted by Major League Baseball teams.
“I hope I was the glue that held the program together,” Smith said. “I wish I didn’t have to go, but it’s time. I’m going to miss the kids and all the great people I’ve worked with over the years.” Smith, who graduated from Carol City in the late 1960s, joined the program as an assistant coach in the early 1980s. Carol City won a state championship in 1982 under then-coach Pete Hertler, who is currently the athletic director at Killian.

Smith, a Printing Technology teacher at Carol City, spent over 37 years in the Miami-Dade Public School system. In 1995 and 2002, Smith was named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s District 19-6A Baseball Coach of the Year, and in 2002 and 2003 served as FACA District 19-6A State All-Star’s South Team coach. During his stint as All-Star team coach, Smith had a chance to coach future major leaguers such as Prince Fielder and Gaby Sanchez. He also served as an assistant football coach at Carol City, and has played an integral part in promoting inner-city baseball in Miami and helping to keep the Chiefs’ program at a competitive level for many years.

Smith remains very involved with the baseball community in the Miami Gardens area. Smith said he hopes to help start a baseball academy to help promote the sport among the youth in Miami Gardens.
“I won’t be the coach, but you’ll still see me around,” Smith said. “I’ve been fortunate to see many great players move on and start careers in and out of baseball. I hope I was able to be a friend and a father figure to them.”