NSBB HOF Ballot- Lee Smith

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Here's a blurb on Smith.

 

LEE SMITH: 4th year on the ballot… Pitched 18 seasons… Holds ML career record for most saves (478)… All-time major league leader in games finished (802) and ranks 8th in games pitched (1022)… Ranks 3rd in NL for most career saves (347)… Named NL Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News in 1991… Named AL Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News in 1994… Named NL Co-Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News in 1983 and ‘92… Won the NL Rolaids Relief Award in 1991, ’92 and AL Rolaids Relief Award in ’94… Finished 8th in 1991 NL MVP Award voting… Finished in top 10 in NL Cy Young Award voting three times in 1983 (T9th), ‘91 (2nd), and ‘92 (4th)… Finished in top 10 in AL Cy Young Award balloting in 1994 (5th)… Seven All-Star teams (1983, ’87, ’91-’95); with a 5.40 ERA in five ASG innings… Led NL in saves three times (1983, ’91, ‘92) and AL in saves once (1994)… Thirteen consecutive seasons with 20-plus saves (1983-‘95), 10 seasons with 30-plus saves, and three seasons with 40-plus saves… Holds Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals all-time team records for most saves… Holds NL career record for most consecutive errorless games by a pitcher (546)…. Two League Championship Series (1984, ’88); with one save in 5 1/3 LCS innings.

 

Cast your vote on whether the All-time saves leader belongs in the Hall.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Smith's case depends a lot on how you value closers and the save as a statistic.

 

Smith was one of the best at accumulating them.

 

He led his league in saves four times, finished second four other times, finished third once, and finished twice. In his 18 seasons, he was in the top five in saves over half of those. And he was in the top ten in all but four of them.

 

He holds the record for most career saves and most games finished. His career ERA is 3.03 which is good, but not dominating.

 

His comparables are:

 

Jeff Reardon (896)

John Franco (891)

Doug Jones (858)

Roberto Hernandez (855)

Rollie Fingers (850) *

Trevor Hoffman (837)

Bruce Sutter (832)

Rick Aguilera (828)

Kent Tekulve (825)

Jose Mesa (824)

 

All of those are good closers, but only one HOF which isn't surprising since only two closers are currently in the HOF.

 

I doubt Smith ever makes it...but if you're going to admit a closer to the HOF, it's hard to pass up on Smith.

[imb]

Holds NL career record for most consecutive errorless games by a pitcher (546)

 

 

YES.

 

jk, no

[ConstableRabbit]

no

[UK1679666180]

I barely voted no for Gossage and I rate Gossage ahead of Smith as far as who deserves to go to the HoF.

 

Besides having an amazing ability to make my grandfather swear at the TV, no it is.

[GaryWoods]

Yes.

 

The save may be a meaningless stat, but that's no reason to automatically exclude the all-time saves leader.

 

Lee Smith started his career in the "workhorse" era of the short reliever. Before Tony Larussa (or Dave Duncan, or whoever it was) came up with the stupid micro-defined roles for relief pitchers, teams put their best short reliever in the game when they needed an out right now; they didn't save them to face whoever might be batting in the ninth inning. Smith earned plenty of saves the hard way, by getting out of a tight situation then pitching a couple more innings to finish the game. And there were plenty more times where he'd put out the fire, then leave for a pinch-hitter and let someone like Bill Campbell or Tim Stoddard finish up.

 

It's unfortunate that Smith's career carried over to the era of the closeur. If his career had started and ended 10 years earlier, people would take a much more objective look at him.