Harold Baines will be on the ballot for possible induction into the HOF by the "Today's Game Era Committee" along with Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Mark McGwire, Lou Piniella, John Schuerholz, Bud Selig and George Steinbrenner.

 

Probably won't get in and I've always viewed him as a little shy of being deserving but as a Sox fan I would like to see it happen. There are definitely worse players in the HOF.

 

http://baseballhall.org/hof/2017-todays-game-era-ballot

Edited October 3, 20169 yr by lasttriptotulsa

Harold Baines will be on the ballot for possible induction into the HOF by the "Game Era Committee" along with Albert Belle, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Mark McGwire, Lou Piniella, John Schuerholz, Bud Selig and George Steinbrenner.

 

Probably won't get in and I've always viewed him as a little shy of being deserving but as a Sox fan I would like to see it happen. There are definitely worse players in the HOF.

 

http://baseballhall.org/hof/2017-todays-game-era-ballot

Just 16 home runs and 134 hits separates him from being just shy and a near shoe-in. The combo of the 16 homers and 134 hits would have put him in a very exclusive club of guys who had 3,000 hits AND 400 home runs. If you check the records, I believe there are fewer than ten who have accomplished both feats (admitting I haven't looked at this stat in a while). I thought back in 2001 when Frank Thomas went down with a season-ending injury and they plugged Baines into the DH slot that he would get there. But he was 41 at the time and had just flat run out of gas, and they ended up releasing him in June of that year, if I recall correctly. So close, yet so far, unfortunately.

Case For Inducation:

 

His 2866 hits and 1628 RBIs are the most of any eligible player, without PED suspicion that is not in the HOF.

 

.289/.356/.465 - 121 OPS+

384 HRs (65th all time)

1628 RBIs (32nd all time)

2866 Hits (45th all time)

4604 Total Bases (41st all time)

1606 Runs Created (69th all time)

6X All Star

1X Silver Slugger

2X Top 10 MVP voting

2X Edgar Martinez Award winnger

 

Case Against Induction:

 

38.4 fWAR - far short of the 60 that Bill James has used as a standard to talk HOF

DH factor - 1643 games as DH, just 1061 in the OF

Classic Compiler

 

Case For Inducation:

 

His 2866 hits and 1628 RBIs are the most of any eligible player, without PED suspicion that is not in the HOF.

 

.289/.356/.465 - 121 OPS+

384 HRs (65th all time)

1628 RBIs (32nd all time)

2866 Hits (45th all time)

4604 Total Bases (41st all time)

1606 Runs Created (69th all time)

6X All Star

1X Silver Slugger

2X Top 10 MVP voting

2X Edgar Martinez Award winnger

 

Case Against Induction:

 

38.4 fWAR - far short of the 60 that Bill James has used as a standard to talk HOF

DH factor - 1643 games as DH, just 1061 in the OF

Classic Compiler

 

He was a pretty good OF before the leg problems. Not a HOFer in my mind. Defintely a could have been.

 

Just 16 home runs and 134 hits separates him from being just shy and a near shoe-in. The combo of the 16 homers and 134 hits would have put him in a very exclusive club of guys who had 3,000 hits AND 400 home runs. If you check the records, I believe there are fewer than ten who have accomplished both feats (admitting I haven't looked at this stat in a while). I thought back in 2001 when Frank Thomas went down with a season-ending injury and they plugged Baines into the DH slot that he would get there. But he was 41 at the time and had just flat run out of gas, and they ended up releasing him in June of that year, if I recall correctly. So close, yet so far, unfortunately.

 

The '94 strike might have cost him the 400 homers but I don't think that would help his case that much. Being short of 3000 hits really cost him. If he gets that, he's in. I was always hoping he would get there and with the resurgence he had at age 40 I thought he had a shot but then he just completely hit a wall the next year and faded pretty quick.

He was a pretty good OF before the leg problems. Not a HOFer in my mind. Defintely a could have been.

 

Yep. Agreed. I view him pretty much the same way I view Ventura. Hall of Fame talent whose career fell a little short of being Hall of Fame worthy. With the increasing acceptance of advanced statistics I do think Ventura will get a closer look if he makes it onto a Today's Game Era ballot than he did on the original ballot. His 56.7 career fWAR is pretty damn good.

Harold was one of my favorite players back in the day, but I agree that his numbers don't merit a spot in Cooperstown.

 

Harold was one of my favorite players back in the day, but I agree that his numbers don't merit a spot in Cooperstown.

 

This. I love the dude, but not a HOF.

Great career, but compiler makes sense. Only hit 30 doubles twice. Never hit more than 25 homers. Only stole as many as 10 bases once. Never walked 75 times. Consistent as can be. A huge weapon in the line up, but if he's a HOFer, they need to open up several more wings. And I don't hold being primarily a DH against him. The voters have to come to grips with the fact that the DH has been a position for over 40 years.

Edited October 3, 20169 yr by Dick Allen

Harold Baines is my favorite Sox player of all time, but I agree he is a notch shy of HOF. He was one of the best clutch hitters ever to wear a Sox Jersey, shame his knees went bad so early in career.

Just 16 home runs and 134 hits separates him from being just shy and a near shoe-in. The combo of the 16 homers and 134 hits would have put him in a very exclusive club of guys who had 3,000 hits AND 400 home runs. If you check the records, I believe there are fewer than ten who have accomplished both feats (admitting I haven't looked at this stat in a while). I thought back in 2001 when Frank Thomas went down with a season-ending injury and they plugged Baines into the DH slot that he would get there. But he was 41 at the time and had just flat run out of gas, and they ended up releasing him in June of that year, if I recall correctly. So close, yet so far, unfortunately.

 

And the 1981+1994 strikes very well could be the reason he doesn't just have them.

 

I do agree that he's probably one of the very best of the Hall of Very Good players, but still, he has a better argument than some others in the Hall.

And the 1981+1994 strikes very well could be the reason he doesn't just have them.

 

I do agree that he's probably one of the very best of the Hall of Very Good players, but still, he has a better argument than some others in the Hall.

 

I think he is the hitting version of Tommy John.

DH factor - 1643 games as DH, just 1061 in the OF

 

If he would've played OF his entire career, he'd probably be in already.

Harold Baines is my favorite Sox player of all time, but I agree he is a notch shy of HOF. He was one of the best clutch hitters ever to wear a Sox Jersey, shame his knees went bad so early in career.

I would say THE best clutch hitter, so much so that for my money, if there are two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run at third base, and Harold Baines and Frank Thomas are on the bench, I go with Bainesy every single time. He was that good in the clutch IMO.

I would say THE best clutch hitter, so much so that for my money, if there are two outs in the bottom of the ninth with the tying run at third base, and Harold Baines and Frank Thomas are on the bench, I go with Bainesy every single time. He was that good in the clutch IMO.

 

Just for s***s and giggles I looked at some splits in certain clutch situations for comparison sake:

 

Runner on 3rd, 2 out (your scenario):

Baines - .236/.349/.362

Thomas - .298/.464/.599

 

RISP:

Baines - .291/.379/.460

Thomas - .312/.447/.569

 

RISP, 2 out:

Baines - .280/.392/.448

Thomas - .291/.453/.565

 

Late & Close:

Baines - .284/.360/.474

Thomas - .275/.412/.482

 

 

 

 

 

Just for s***s and giggles I looked at some splits in certain clutch situations for comparison sake:

 

Runner on 3rd, 2 out (your scenario):

Baines - .236/.349/.362

Thomas - .298/.464/.599

 

RISP:

Baines - .291/.379/.460

Thomas - .312/.447/.569

 

RISP, 2 out:

Baines - .280/.392/.448

Thomas - .291/.453/.565

 

Late & Close:

Baines - .284/.360/.474

Thomas - .275/.412/.482

 

Crazy that folks have already forgotten how monstrous Frank was.