December 9, 2018

Part Time Hall

The Today’s Game Committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame voted in closer Lee Smith and designated hitter Harold Baines:


Results of the 16-member Today’s Game Era Committee were announced at the winter meetings. It took 12 votes for election — Smith was unanimous, Baines got 12 and Piniella had 11.
Smith and Baines both debuted in Chicago during the 1980 season. Smith began with the Cubs and went on to post a then-record 478 saves while Baines started out with the White Sox and had 2,866 hits.
George Steinbrenner, Orel Hershiser, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Davey Johnson and Charlie Manuel all received fewer than five votes.
Baines was a .289 hitter with 384 home runs in a 22-year career. He never drew more than 6.1 percent in five elections by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, far from the 75 percent required.
“I wasn’t expecting this day to come,” the six-time All-Star said.

Tha’ts a huge disconnect between the writers and this committee. 
Jerry Reinsdorf was on the committee, and I wonder how much pull he exerted.   Smith would get around 30% of the vote, finishing at 34% his last two years on the ballot.

The writers clearly don’t like relief pitchers that much, nor do they like designated hitters.  I thought Edgar Martinez would be the first DH, and David Oritz the second.  Those two had amazing careers.  This strikes me as one of the poorer committee votes.

Despite that , congratulations to both Smith and Baines on their election!  It’s a happy day for Chicago.

2 thoughts on “Part Time Hall

  1. rbj

    With Baines getting in, there can be no argument against “compilers” any more.
    Smith I can accept as a transition figure between the old “fireman” and today’s closer.

    But how do you leave out George Steinbrenner? He changed baseball financials vis-a-vis free agency and how players get paid — with implications for the other sports as well.
    His campaign financial conviction has since been dwarfed by violations — by both parties (not a partisan issue).

    The Dave Winfield suspension does matter, but George didn’t get in in his lifetime, that’s punishment enough.

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