 The Cubs ' closer for 1981 , Dick <unk> , had a 3 – 10 season with a 5 @.@ 06 ERA , and as a result , in 1982 Smith , Willie Hernández and Bill Campbell shared closing duties . Smith pitched well and even started five games from mid @-@ June to early July . Significantly , former Cubs star pitcher Ferguson Jenkins returned to the team in 1982 , and became a major influence on the young reliever ; Smith credited Jenkins with simplifying his delivery , introducing him to the slider and forkball , and teaching him how to set up hitters . In what would be the last start of his career , Smith picked up his first major league hit , a home run off eventual Hall of Famer Phil Niekro . Smith managed only two singles for the rest of his career . He saved 17 games during that season and performed as the regular closer for the Cubs , a position he held for the next five years . 
