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2019 Hall Of Fame Ballot Harold Baines + Lee Smith elected to HOF,

https://www.mlb.com/news/smith-baines-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame/c-301623296
Lee Smith, Baines earn election to Hall of Fame.
Premier closer (478 saves), six-time All-Star (2,866 hits) get call via Today's Game ballot.
MLB.com

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2018/1...harold-baines-lee-smith-todays-game-committee
Harold Baines, Lee Smith elected to Baseball Hall of Fame for reasons.
Before you get angry, Lou Whitaker wasn’t on the ballot.
BYBTB

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25497076/examining-surprising-hall-calls-harold-baines-lee-smith
Examining surprising Hall calls for Harold Baines, Lee Smith.
espn

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/12/harold-baines-lee-smith-elected-to-baseball-hall-of-fame.html
Harold Baines, Lee Smith Elected To Baseball Hall Of Fame.
MLBTR
 
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It's disturbing imo that someone with over 2800 hits can't get more than 6% on the regular ballot. On the other hand Lou not on the ballot is ridiculous.
 
Here's a good summary from a redditor on the baseball sub

https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/c...has_been_elected_to_the_baseball_hof/ebgyu6n/

Congrats to Harold Baines. In honor of his somewhat perplexing election, here's a list of things Harold Baines never did on a baseball diamond:

get 200 hits in a season
hit 40 doubles in a season
hit 30 home runs in a season
steal more than 10 bases in a season
score 90 runs in a season
finish higher than 9th in MVP voting
have a season of 5.0 or higher WAR (r or f) or better than 3.5 WARP (that's Baseball Prospectus for the uninitiated)

This is a really strange pick by the Modern Game Committee. No disrespect to Harold, but he played 22 seasons without hitting any of the traditional counting stat metrics (didn't hit 500 doubles, even 400 home runs, less than 50 stolen bases) and he was good-but-not-great in his triple-slash numbers (.289/.356/.465). He had a career OPS+ of 121 (mostly as a designated hitter), on par with Jason Bay, Cecil Cooper, Jorge Posada, and Mike Greenwell. He led his league in slugging percentage once, but here's a list of statistical categories in which Baines never led his league, not even once, in 22 years:

hits
doubles
triples
home runs
RBI
runs
stolen bases
walks
total bases
hit by pitch
intentional walks
batting average
on-base percentage
OPS
OPS+

It feels like we're watching Frankie Frisch's crew elect their friends all over again.
Click to expand...
 
I think longevity should matter. No different than someone who dominated 5 seasons but was otherwise worthless. He always hit. Just my take on it.
 
The argument between rate stats versus counting stats. Cal Ripken benefited from counting stats. His rate stats were pedestrian at best. Meaning without longevity, he would have went down as a good, not great player. But doing it consistently for a long period should also be credited, no? Too many, like Don Mattingly, were great for a short period of time.


Now that Harold Baines made it, it should actually give more credence for Lou Whitaker to make it. If not, then there is no justice.
 
Mitchrapp said:
I think longevity should matter. No different than someone who dominated 5 seasons but was otherwise worthless. He always hit. Just my take on it.
Click to expand...

Maybe it?s just personal opinion on HoF worthiness. I think it should be reserved for feats of greatness and/or periods of dominance. Being a serviceable hitter (and someone who was only a hitter) for a long time is nothing special in my opinion and I worry about the precedence it sets going forward. Players from the DH era are trickling in now and I think the statistical bar should be set even higher for those guys.
 
grandy said:
Maybe it?s just personal opinion on HoF worthiness. I think it should be reserved for feats of greatness and/or periods of dominance. Being a serviceable hitter (and someone who was only a hitter) for a long time is nothing special in my opinion and I worry about the precedence it sets going forward. Players from the DH era are trickling in now and I think the statistical bar should be set even higher for those guys.
Click to expand...


I thought the same at one point. But my opinion has changed do to the people who vote on the regular ballot. They give Ozzie Smith 90% plus vote and Trammel much much lower and hardly a nod to Lou. There are many who won't vote on the first ballot regardless how good they are.. so I'm like "screw them." It's more of a spite kind of opinion now. Lol.

Reb made a good point on Ripken. He played short but he was a horrible shortstop regardless the fielding %. He was the Jeter of the 80's when it came to defense. His range was terrible.
 
1982-1991 (10 years)



R. Yount (6553 PA) .298 BAVG .367 OBP .466 SLG .833 OPS 129 wRC+

C. Ripken (7052 PA) .280 BAVG .350 OBP .469 SLG .819 OPS 125 wRC+

A. Trammel (5849 PA) .290 BAVG .356 OBP .440 SLG .796 OPS 120 wRC+



O. Smith (6173 PA) .270 BAVG .353 OBP .344 SLG .697 OPS 99 wRC+



3 of the 4 were first vote HoFer. The one had to get in under "special" voting.



Also of note, Ripken only stolen 28 bases in those 10 years. Yount 145 SB, Trammell 168, O. Smith 352. Add speed and defense into the conversation.


R. Yount 1 GG, 3 AS

C. Ripken 1 GG, 9 AS
A. Trammell 2 GG, 5 AS
 
Trammell got robbed. If only he had a flip.
 
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