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I am OK with Lee Smith, he was one of the pioneers for the closer role and still ranks 3rd in saves in MLB history. He also routinely pitched 80-100 IP in that role - something unheard of now. If you compare him to the current active leader (Craig Kimbrel), you would see that they both averaged 68 games per 162 game average. Kimbrel, however, pitches just 67 IP in those 68 games, while Lee Smith averaged 85 IP in the 68 games. There weren't many 1-2 out saves in Smith's time, so he had a lot more wear and tear on his arm.
As for Baines, his election is just crazy. He averaged .289, 22 HR and 93 RBI over his career (while playing DH). His career totals are 2800 hits and 384 HR. His best year was .304-29-94 with a WAR of 4.3. Last year alone, 40 guys had a WAR of 4.4 or better including such HOF shoe-ins as Aaron Hicks, Jed Lowrie, Mitch Haniger and Andrelton Simmons. It's a joke we have a baseball Hall of Fame with Harold Baines, but no McGwire, Bonds or Clemens. Heck, Carlos Delgado had 473 total HRs, an average season of .280-38-120 and five seasons with WAR values between 4.5 and 7.3. I don't think of him as a Hall of Famer and his numbers destroy Baines.
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