Lee Smith's Cap

[The Commissioner]

Okay, now here's an interesting one. If Lee Smith makes it to Cooperstown which cap should he be donning on his plaque?

[The Dude]

He broke the record in St. Louis, and he had his 3 best seasons (no to mention his only 40+ save seasons) there. He should go in as a cardinal. Either that, or no isignia because he played for so many teams.

[Etheridge2]

He is remembered best as a Cub but played his best as a Card so it's between those two or NO insignia (I voted none...he did play for a LOT OF TEAMS!!!)

[J W]

No insignia is precedented in the Hall, so why not. Same for Rickey Henderson .

If not... probably the Cubs, but the Cards have a good case.

[Etheridge2]

Originally posted by J W
No insignia is precedented in the Hall, so why not. Same for Rickey Henderson .

If not... probably the Cubs, but the Cards have a good case.

Rickey should be an A aside from the Yankees his stints with other teams were short lived and he had 4 stops in Oakland He will always be remembered as an A

[J W]

Rickey will get in as an A. But I for one remember him more as a vagabond who happened to have four stints with one particular team. I think it would be fitting, and funny, if Rickey had no team on his cap. For some strange reason, it seems like something he'd do... like, perhaps he can't decide which cap looks best on him when he gets up in the morning.

Maybe he goes in as an Angel if they pay him room & board for three months .

If he goes in with a blank cap, it certainly would add to his legend... who was the last guy to be voted in without a team?

I'm beginning to like this idea a lot. If yer readin', Rickey, don't bring a cap!

[Fuzzy Bear]

It's pretty presumptuous to think that Lee Smith will go into the HOF.

Personally, I would not vote for him. I certainly believe that Gossage rates before Smith. I would also rate Quisenberry ahead of Smith.

Sutter's election (a surprise to me, and something I did not agree with) increases the possibility that Smith will be inducted someday, so I vote no insignia, if he's inducted. He played for a lot of teams, and while I think of him primarily as a Cub, if he gets into the HOF it will be because of his longevity and because other teams kept him on their roster, accumulating saves. He was a good reliever, but IMO, he's no Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera, and he's certainly no Goose Gossage.

[soberdennis]

No insignia is precedented in the Hall, so why not. Same for Rickey Henderson .

If not... probably the Cubs, but the Cards have a good case.

Rickey will wear an Athletics' hat.
I voted Cubs because that's how I remember him.

[JimAbbott]

I say Cubbies cause that's the hat he had on his rook card, LOL

[hudsonharden]

I'd say a cubs/cardinals hybrid, but maybe that's blasphemy in the midwest

[KCGHOST]

Probably whatever cap he wants to wear.

[hubkittel]

It's pretty presumptuous to think that Lee Smith will go into the HOF.

Personally, I would not vote for him. I certainly believe that Gossage rates before Smith. I would also rate Quisenberry ahead of Smith.

Sutter's election (a surprise to me, and something I did not agree with) increases the possibility that Smith will be inducted someday...He was a good reliever, but IMO, he's no Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera, and he's certainly no Goose Gossage.

first, i voted for a cubbie hat, because (even during his stint with the cards) i've always thought of him as a cub.

second, Fuzzy, i read another post of yours over in that silly koufax, greenburg, sutter, carter thread that you didn't think too many relievers should go into the hall. i would really like to hear your reasoning on that. i personally think that all the best relievers of the past thirty years should go into the hall (gossage, quis, hoffman, rivera, smith, nenn, henke, reardon, etc) just the same as the great players from any other position should go in.

i think that we as fans, as well as the baseball writers association/electors, have to come to some sort of discision about how to evaluate closers when it comes to the hall. i personally think that they should be treated just like any other player. if the player was one of the best players at his position in the history of baseball, you have to put him in. it doesn't matter that the position is a modern invention. closers, 2B, OF, starter-doesn't matter. great is great and deserves to be recognized. i know everyone doesn't agree with that (and i wouldn't necessarily apply that logic to a DH) but i think it's fair.

[Food]

I remember and Old-Timers' Game where Gaylord Perry wore a jersey that had the logos of all eight teams he played for on it. There ya go!

[honus14]

I'd say a cubs/cardinals hybrid, but maybe that's blasphemy in the midwest

Yes. Yes it is.

Much as it pains me to do so, I voted Cardinals.

Smitty was in town a couple of weeks ago for the grand opening of a Menards. I wish I could have gone, but it didn't work out.

[Brooklyn]

Right away, throw out NYY, BAL, CIN, MTl. He played 1 season or part of 1 season for those four teams. And throw out CAL, too, he only played 1 1/2 season there. And when you start looking at Boston, it isn't too impressive, either, which leaves Cards or Cubs

Cubs

458 games pitched
681 innings
40-51 record
180 saves
2.92 ERA
2 time all-star
9th in Cy young voting in 1983
Best season - 36 saves
2 post-season games, 2 ER in 2 innings

Cardinals
245 games pitched
267 innings
15-20 record
160 saves
2.90 ERA
3 time all-star
2nd in Cy Young voting in 1991
4th in Cy Young voting in 1992
only top-10 MVP voting in 1991
Best season - 47 saves - topped 40 three times

He clearly has the quantity in Chicago, but his stint in St. Louis was more impressive, as he has almost as many saves in St. Louis as in Chicago with half as many appearances. That said, parts of 4 seasons in a city aren't really enough - that would like having Clemens where a Toronto cap because he won a Cy every year he was there. So I voted for Chicago.

All that said, I don't think he belongs. The more I look at his numbers, the worse he looks.