Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by Popeye_Card »

jagtrader wrote:BBWAA, who put in Hoffman and gave 37 percent to Vizquel, should probably pipe down about this one.
They at least have arguments. You can debate the relative value of closers, but Hoffman was clearly one of the best for a long time. It wasn't just racking up the counting stat (saves) for him, he was excellent for many years. I don't think Vizquel is a HoFer, but at least he had a defensive reputation at SS second only to Ozzie (deserved or not). The argument for him is that he was "just like Ozzie", but he wasn't even close.

Baines--I have no idea what they were thinking. Good not great hitter for a long time, and a horrible defensive player. Was never considered among the best players in the game at any point during his career. I don't know what the voters were thinking.

I don't think the bar should be lowered to him. He should stick out like the sore thumb that he is. That said, it should at least open arguments for (IMO) deserving players like Larry Walker and Jim Edmonds when the veterans committee ponders their fate.

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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by jagtrader »

You can't put in Hoffman and gripe about Lee Smith.

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Radbird
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

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Popeye_Card
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by Popeye_Card »

jagtrader wrote:You can't put in Hoffman and gripe about Lee Smith.
They're pretty similar. I don't have an issue with Smith getting in. I don't think he was quite as good as Hoffman, but he arguably has a better HoF case than Bruce Sutter.

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Fat_Bulldog
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by Fat_Bulldog »

Harold Baines is not a HOFer.

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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by cardsfantx »

i'm wondering if they were thinking of someone else when reading Baines? maybe they were thinking of Raines (sounds similar), and didn't realize he finally got in last year?

have no idea how he got in, but somehow Simmons continues to get overlooked...hell; edmonds should get selected when it comes time for them to vote, if Baines can get in.

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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by heyzeus »

Is Baines getting in because of his work as an announcer (which is just meh)? Because as a player, he was good but never great. In a 22 year career, he only led his league in any offensive category once. The counting stats, the WAR, the OPS+. Heck, even something as arbitrary as all star appearances (6) and MVP voting (never higher than 9th). He was good. That's all.

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dan_yall
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by dan_yall »

I wonder if Yadi gets in this way.

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sighyoung
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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by sighyoung »

The Baines Election: Robert Ludlum's long lost thriller about baseball.

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Re: Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to HOF

Post by cardsfantx »

dan_yall wrote:I wonder if Yadi gets in this way.
I fully expect he'll get in the normal way/writers vote...may not be first ballot, but he'll get in

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