Harold Baines

MLB.com has a story on Appleton Baseball Hall of Famer Harold Baines and how some are lobbying to get him in the the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Baines had a knack for the big hit
Left-handed DH makes strong case for the position

The first quotes in the story are from two other members of the Appleton Baseball Hall of Fame.

"Oh, absolutely," said White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, when asked if Baines was one of the best clutch hitters he ever witnessed. "When the game was on the line, Harold was awesome."

"Personally, I've never seen a more clutch player," added White Sox general manager Ken Williams. "There may have been guys who have hit more home runs, whether it was against left-handed pitchers or right-handed pitchers, or guys who have driven in more runs or played more games. But I'm talking for my money, there never has been a more clutch player than Harold Baines. Not during my time."
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A candidate must get 75 percent of the vote to gain election. Results of the 2007 BBWAA Hall of Fame election will be announced on Jan. 9, and the induction ceremony will take place on July 29 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Along with Baines' tremendous RBI total [1,628], placing him 23rd all-time, the left-handed slugger finished with a .289 average, 384 home runs, 488 doubles, 1,299 runs scored, 1,062 walks against just 1,441 strikeouts and a most impressive 2,830 games played. Baines also checks in at 2,866 career hits, which ranks 39th, but also leaves him 134 short of what has been considered the magic number for enshrinement.

This particular number bothers Reinsdorf more so than Baines. The White Sox chairman, who counts Baines as one of his favorite people, feels somewhat personally responsible for Baines coming up short of 3,000.

"What really has bothered me for a long time is that if we hadn't traded him, he would have his 3,000 hits, and he would be a lock for the Hall of Fame," said Reinsdorf, who oversaw Baines' trade to Texas on July 29, 1989, and to Baltimore on July 29, 1997.

"We traded him twice -- and into bad situations where he was a platoon player.

"If he stayed with us, he would have gone over 3,000 hits. If he doesn't get in, it would really bug me. I talk to him about it, and he just shrugs it off."

How does Baines shrug it off?

"I was fortunate to play for 22 years," Baines added. "If I happen to get elected in my lifetime, I would be very grateful. If not, I still had a great career."

Quick Harold Baines story.

He was at Fox Cities Stadium for his induction ceremony a few years ago. He was just hanging out in the conference room of the main office watching the end of an interleague game between the Cubs and White Sox.

The Burlington Bees were in town and Randy Wehofer, the Bees radio announcer, needed to go back and make some copies -- the copier is in the conference room. I said something like, "Hey, wanna go meet Harold Baines?"

"Sure."

We go back there and I introduce Randy to Harold Baines. Randy said something along the lines of, "Great to meet you. I grew up in Chicago and always enjoyed watching you play."

Harold responds with, "Thank you. Are you a Cub fan or a Sox fan?"

"Cub fan," was Randy's reply.

"Your team just lost." Then, he laughed and so did everyone else in the room.