Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

The 16-person committee that elected Baines included Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, one of Baines’ managers (Tony LaRussa) Baines GM in Baltimore (Pat Gillick), and a former teammate (Roberto Alomar). As a bloc, they provided one-third of the dozen votes needed for election on the 16-person committee. All four could have been disqualified from consideration of Baines due to conflicts of interest.