Baines and Smith finally get Hall call

Harold Baines was given a save as big as any Lee Smith ever posted.

In a vote sure to spark renewed cries of cronyism at Cooperstown, Baines surprisingly was picked for the baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday after never coming close in any previous election. “Very shocked,” Baines said on a conference call. Smith, who held the record for saves when he retired, was an easy pick when the Today’s Game Era Committee met at the winter meetings.

It took 12 votes for election by the 16-member panel — Smith was unanimous, Baines got 12 and former outfielder and manager Lou Piniella got 11.

Orel Hershiser, George Steinbrenner, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Davey Johnson and Charlie Manuel all received fewer than five votes.

Smith and Baines both debuted in Chicago in 1980. Smith began with the Cubs and went on to record 478 saves while Baines started out with the White Sox and had 2,866 hits.

Baines was a .289 hitter with 384 home runs and 1,628 RBIs in a 22-year career — good numbers, but not stacking up against the greats of his day. A sixtime All-Star, he never drew more than 6.1% in five elections by the Baseball Writers’ Assn. of America, far from the 75% required. “I wasn’t expecting this,” Baines, 59, said. The Hall board-appointed panel included longtime White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf and former White Sox manager Tony La Russa.

Smith’s fastball helped him become a seven-time All-Star in an 18-year career. He owned the saves record when he retired in the 1997 season. Trevor Hoffman and then Mariano Rivera reset the mark.

Smith never reached 51% in 15 BBWAA elections. Still, he kept believing his day would come.

“I’m pretty patient, though, and I think I waited long enough. But it’s sweeter,” Smith, 61, said on a conference call.

Both closers and designated hitters could see their numbers increase again very shortly. Rivera is eligible for the first time and big-hitting DH Edgar Martinez will be back on the ballot when results of the next BBWAA election are announced Jan. 22.

Induction ceremonies are scheduled for July 21 at Cooperstown, N.Y.

ESPN plans to move up the starting time of Sunday night’s nationally televised MLB game by one hour to 4 p.m. PDT, according to reports.