Two new members of the HOF were announced today.
Harold Baines and Lee Smith. No, I'm not kidding.
Baines had never got more than 6.1% from BBWAA voters but the Vets only needed one shot to put him in. The guy with a peak of 144 OPS+ over 400+ PA vs non-inductee and fellow ballot mate Albert Belle who had a 144 lifetime OPS+. Baines once led the league in Slugging percentage. 4 times got MVP votes (never finished higher than 9th), one silver slugger award, 6 time all-star somehow. Never hit 30 HR, never had 200 hits, never scored 100 runs, 3 times got to 100 RBI's. Lifetime WAR of 38.7 which is easily among the worst scores for a non-reliever.
Also picked by the vets is Lee Smith.
All-time leader in career saves for 13 years - Hoyt Wilhelm had it for 15 years and I suspect Rivera will have it for longer (up to 8 years now with no one active within 300 of him). Led the league in saves 4 times, 7 all-star games, 4 times got Cy Young votes (as high as 2nd in 1991), 4 times MVP votes (peak of 8th place) ERA+ over 100 in all but his final season (in Montreal). Played for 8 teams but safe to say he is a Cub when he goes in (8 years there). Just 29.4 WAR, better than Hoffman (28), Fingers (25.7), Sutter (24.2) beaten by Gossage (41.4), Wilhelm (47.1), Eckersley (62.4) and soon to be HOF'er Rivera (56.2).
Smith is right in the middle of the HOF relievers section. Better than the 'meh' crowd (just) and well below the big guns. Baines, on the other hand, is way down the list for hitters by any measure especially if you factor in that he was just a DH most of his career.
So, thoughts and opinions?
https://www.battersbox.ca/article.php?story=20181209213905918