LAS VEGAS — Harold Baines somehow played 22 years in the big leagues with little attention, which was perfectly fine with him. “Being a superstar,” the former DH once said, “is more of a headache than it is anything else.”
He wasn’t a superstar. Not even close. But the attention he never craved is now his—with the most stunning Hall of Fame selection I have seen. The 16-person Today’s Game Era Committee gave Baines the 12 votes he needed for selection to the Hall on Sunday, with former closer Lee Smith joining him while getting all 16 votes.