A song by Will Smith, the performer, echoed around the ballpark as a pitch from Will Smith, the closer, spun into the dirt. Will Smith, the batter, swung hard.
His hack, however, waved harmlessly through the air.
If ever there was a time for the latter Smith, the Dodgers' rookie sensation and new primary catcher, to experience an identity crisis, this was it. Two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the tying run on base, a full count and an awkward off-balance swing that sealed the team's loss Friday to the San Francisco Giants and extended his first slump.
It's still unclear exactly what kind of hitter Smith is going to be.
This summer, his big league career got off to a charmed start that belied the cumbrous path he took to get there. Never a consistent power hitter, he hit 12 home runs in his first 100 Dodgers plate appearances. On a team with two veteran catchers, he became manager Dave Roberts' preferred catching option less than two months after making his debut.
Even his new "Fresh Prince" nickname, coined from his shared name with the singer-actor and hammered home by the playing of the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" television show theme song before his at-bats in Dodger Stadium, felt out of character compared with his humble background.
"I think 'Smitty' is more an actual nickname," he said. "The 'Fresh Prince' one kind of grew when I got here in L.A. and started playing well."
Except that since the initial hot streak that helped him earn a starting role, Smith has cooled off. After hitting .318 with a 1.210 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in his first 28 games, Smith is seven for his last 41 (.171) at-bats with one extra-base hit and 17 strikeouts.
His strikeout Friday against Will Smith, the Giants closer, represented a new low point.
"Just not good ABs," Smith said. "That's what it comes down to."
Nonetheless, his spot in the lineup isn't in danger. Even with Austin Barnes and Russell Martin on the Dodgers' expanded September roster, Smith has continued to catch the majority of the games.
"He's got a lot of leash," Roberts said. "I expect him to keep catching."
At some point, the Dodgers are banking on Smith to turn it around at the plate. They watched him overcome every dip in his minor league career. And they can see how, even in the midst of his first real slide, he approaches each game with confidence.
"If you're in the box not confident," Smith said, showing the mind-set that has carried him through his career, "you're already beat."
