Lee Smith and Harold Baines Elected to Hall of Fame

Well, the Today's Game Hall of Fame election occurred Sunday and shockingly, two players were elected.

LEE SMITH

I kind of expected that Lee Smith was going to be elected and I have been hoping for that for some time.  He is not a slam-dunk Hall of Famer, but I think he was one of the best closers in the game for a significant period of time and he did hold the all-time saves record for quite awhile.  I am okay with his election.  Plus, he pitched for the Red Sox from 1988 into the 1990 season.  I am good with this election.  I expect Smith to wear a Cubs cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, with maybe the Cardinals as a dark horse selection.  His time in Boston was good, but did not last very long and he was mostly overshadowed by Dennis Eckersley among others.  I will do my Red Sox in Cooperstown post soon after he is officially sworn in.  Smith also played with the Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds, and Expos.

HAROLD BAINES

This one, I did not understand.  I forgot he was even on the ballot.  He was a very good hitter for a long period of time, but I am not sure he was ever an elite hitter.  I never considered him to be a Hall of Famer.  I even liked the guy quite a bit, but I never saw him as a future Hall of Famer.  I was genuinely shocked when I was watching the election results and heard them talking about him being elected.  I do not know if this is a travesty, but it is surely going to be one of the most controversial selections ever.  I expect Baines to wear a White Sox cap on his Hall of Fame plaque, with absolutely no question.  Baines also played for the Rangers, Athletics, Orioles, and Indians.

With Baines winning election, here is a list of eligible Red Sox favorites who I think have a better Hall of Fame case than Baines:

Wally Schang

Wes Ferrell

Vern Stephens

Reggie Smith

Dwight Evans

Luis Tiant

Roger Clemens

Nomar Garciaparra

Curt Schilling

I think cases can be even be made for Johnny Pesky, Dom DiMaggio, George Scott, Fred Lynn, and Johnny Damon.  I do think Clemens and Schilling will eventually be voted in, but Evans and Tiant are guys I really wish would get more consideration.  Evans in particular, as he racked up nearly twice the WAR than Baines in a similar amount of time and was an excellent hitter, if a late bloomer.

Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, Lou Piniella, and George Steinbrenner were also on the ballot.  Of them, I would expect only Piniella and Steinbrenner to eventually make it in, but now that Baines is in, all bets are off. 

Congratulations to both Lee Smith and Harold Baines.