George Will, the longtime Washington Post columnist and baseball writer, listed the three most important things to happen in baseball since World War II: Jackie Robinson's debut in 1947, free agency in 1975, and the opening of Orioles Park at Camden Yards in 1992. The last one is thanks to Janet Marie Smith.
In his 2014 book, "A Nice Little Place on the North Side," Will credits Smith, "a willowy woman from Mississippi" for bringing Camden Yards to life.
The ballpark's success in connecting baseball's past to the present has spawned a revolution in how fans experience a Major League Baseball game. Over the past three decades, Smith has overseen the preservation of Boston's Fenway Park, helped turn Atlanta's Olympic Stadium into Turner Field, and brought Dodger Stadium into the 21st century.
Smith, 66, majored in architecture in college and earned a master's degree in urban planning. In her 20s, she worked on development projects such as Battery Park City in New York and plans to revitalize a large public park in Los Angeles.
While attending a conference in Philadelphia in 1988, she took a train to Baltimore to see a game between the Orioles and Atlanta Braves at Memorial Stadium.
"I had never been to a game there," she recalled. "I was keeping score, yapping with fans. One of them said, 'They're planning to build a new park downtown.'"
Intrigued, Smith sought to learn more. Back home in Los Angeles, she went to the Central Library and read the Baltimore Sun.
"In those days, newspapers were on a stick," she said. "And the most recent Sun was four days late." But she gathered enough information to act.
She wrote a letter to the head of the Maryland Stadium Authority to express interest in working on the new ballpark. He replied that she'd be a good fit but needed to contact the Orioles directly.
"So I rewrote my letter and addressed it to (Orioles President) Larry Lucchino," she said. After receiving her letter, he invited her to Baltimore for a job interview.
Janet Marie Smith Aces A High-Stakes Job Interview
As part of the interview, Lucchino asked Smith to review the master plan and drawings for the new ballpark. She says she took "an hour or two" to analyze the material before reconvening with Lucchino.
"I had some thoughts. I was diplomatic," she said. And "I felt the master plan was solid, but the drawings didn't yet reflect the spirit of (their goal)."
Her lack of a sports background worked to her advantage. Lucchino welcomed her fresh perspective — and she signed on. It helped that Smith and Lucchino hit it off from the start.
After spending five years with the Orioles during the design and construction of Camden Yards, she joined the Atlanta Braves. Smith's stature rose along with the success of her projects.
Just as her decision to write a cold letter to a Major League Baseball team changed her life, she has returned the favor. Since 2012, she has worked as an executive for the Los Angeles Dodgers overseeing planning and development.
When the Dodgers announced they would solicit ideas for a sculpture of Jackie Robinson, many artists submitted suggestions. But rather than select a well-known sculptor who specializes in sports, Smith replied to a message through the "Fan Comments" portal on the Dodgers website.
"It was a humble request from one Branly Cadet asking if he might be considered for the commission," she said. He lacked experience sculpting sports stars, but he was classically trained with public art in his portfolio.
He got the job. And his statue of Jackie Robinson at Dodger Stadium was so well received in 2017 that the Dodgers hired him again to create a bronze rendition of Sandy Koufax in 2022.
Janet Marie Smith Loves A Deadline
After working with the Braves, Smith eventually rejoined Lucchino at the Boston Red Sox to modernize Fenway Park. Again, Smith helped lead a hugely successful project.
Leading multidisciplinary teams through complex and costly renovation projects can be stressful. The Dodgers, for example, spent $100 million over five months on design and construction to modernize its stadium. But Smith thrives under pressure.
"I love a deadline," she said. "With sports, you have one every year. You have to be ready for the season to begin."
As a result, Smith seeks to make decisive decisions. She resists the trap of getting mired in analysis paralysis.
"A deadline forces you to trust your instincts rather than study an issue to death," she said. "Sometimes you have to go with what you've got and polish the rough edges as you go along."
Her genial personality helps.
"She's a pretty calm person," said Brenda A. Levin, president and founder of Levin & Associates Architects, the Los Angeles-based firm that worked with Smith on the Dodger Stadium renovations. "She's a great leader. She fosters and supports talent and makes you want to achieve and be successful. You want to perform well for her."
Levin admired how Smith led design and planning meetings. Rather than bark orders and impose her will, Smith would lace her ideas and opinions into a free-flowing discussion.
"It was more of a brainstorm," Levin recalled. "She had a point of view. But she wouldn't dictate. Instead, she'd ask, 'What can we do to make it better?' She honors talent and encourages everyone to bring ideas and opportunities to the table."
Janet Marie Smith: A Keen Observer Of Crowds At Leisure
Like many leaders, Smith radiates authenticity. She will not resort to bluster or threats to get her way.
"I'm not a good poker player," she said. "I can't pretend" by relying on ploys or standoffish posturing.
She contrasts an unproductive approach ("We'll walk away if we don't get what we want") with her preferred strategy ("Let's find out where our interests align and soar across the finish line so everyone feels good about it.")
"She's an iron fist in a velvet glove," said Stan Kasten, the Dodgers president and chief executive. "She's able to weave her way through differences that stakeholders may have" and bring everyone together.
Kasten marvels at Smith's work ethic. When he was president of the Atlanta Braves, he worked with Smith on the transformation of Olympic Stadium into Turner Field.
He recalls how Smith kept working, taking calls and managing projects, while she was in labor. In the weeks before giving birth, she didn't slow down. "She's relentless," he said. "She's nonstop."
To generate ideas, Smith likes to observe how crowds behave in public spaces. Then she applies what she sees to baseball fans.
"I'll bring a yellow pad to anyplace people spend their leisure time: museums, parks, a car show," she said. "What are they getting out of their experience? What is it about that setting that makes people want to go there?"
But she doesn't stop there. One of her favorite questions is, "Even if everyone is happy in the same place, how can they take away something more from the experience?"
In 2023, she co-founded Canopy with Fran Weld, a former San Francisco Giants executive, to manage design and planning on the building of sports projects.
Janet Marie Smith's Keys:
- Pioneering visionary who has led the renaissance of urban sports around the U.S., starting in 1992 with Camden Yards ballpark.
- Overcame: Letting her lack of a sports background stop her from applying for the Camden Yards job.
- "I love a deadline. A deadline forces you to trust your instincts rather than study an issue to death."
