Lee Smith, Harold Baines Elected to Baseball Hall

Lee Smith and Harold Baines were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday.

The announcement was not part of the annual vote from the Baseball Writers's Association of America, the results of which will be announced in January 22, 2019, but from the Today's Game Era/Modern Era Committee.

From the official announcement from the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Smith pitched for 18 seasons with the Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds and Expos. His 478 saves were the top mark in baseball from 1993 into the 2006 season and still rank third on the all-time list behind Mariano Rivera’s 652 and Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman’s 601. A seven-time All-Star who finished in the Top 5 of his league’s Cy Young Award voting three times, Smith led his league in saves four times and topped the 30-save mark in 10 seasons.

Baines played for 22 seasons for the White Sox, Rangers, Athletics, Orioles and Indians, amassing 2,866 hits, 384 home runs and 1,628 RBI. A six-time All-Star, Baines won the American League top designated hitter award, now called the Edgar Martinez Award, in both 1987 and 1988. He played 1,643 of his 2,830 games as a DH, with 1,042 of his games in right field. In six Postseason series, Baines hit .324 with five homers and 16 RBI in 31 games.

Smith and Baines will joins the Hall of Fame inductees to be announced next month during July's annual induction ceremonies.

The 16-member Today's Game Era was comprised of Hall of Famers like Roberto Alomar, Bert Blyleven, Greg Maddux, Joe Morgan, Ozzie Smith and Joe Torre, and a minimum of 12 votes were required for election.

Smith received the vote of all 16 members, Baines received 12. Lou Piniella got 11, while Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel and George Steinbrenner each received fewer than five votes, the Baseball Hall of Fame said in its release.