| Harold Baines | |
|---|---|
 Baines with the Chicago White Sox in 2011 | |
| Designated hitter / Right fielder | |
| Born: March 15, 1959 Easton, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 10, 1980, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 27, 2001, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .289 |
| Hits | 2,866 |
| Home runs | 384 |
| Runs batted in | 1,628 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2019 |
| Vote | 75% |
| Election method | Today's Game Era Committee |
Harold Douglas Baines (born March 15, 1959) is an American former designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for five American League (AL) teams from 1980 to 2001, and is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox. A Maryland native, he also played seven years with his hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles, over three separate periods.[1] The first overall selection in the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft and a six-time All-Star, Baines led the AL in slugging percentage in 1984. He held the White Sox team record for career home runs from 1987 until Carlton Fisk passed him in 1990; his total of 221 remains the club record for left-handed hitters, as do his 981 runs batted in (RBI) and 585 extra base hits with the team. His 1,688 hits and 1,643 games as a DH stood as major-league records until David Ortiz broke them in 2013 and 2014.[2] He also held the mark for career home runs as a DH (236) until Edgar Martínez passed him in 2004.
One of the most durable, consistent, and respected hitters of his era, Baines batted over .300 eight times and hit .324 in 31 career postseason games, topping .350 in five separate series. Upon his retirement, he ranked seventh in AL history in games played (2,830) and 10th in RBI (1,628). Noted as well for his power hitting in clutch situations, he was tied for seventh in AL history in grand slams (13),[3] fourth in three-home-run games (three),[4] and tied for seventh in major league history in walk-off home runs (10).[3] He served as a coach with the White Sox from 2004 to 2015 before moving into a role of team ambassador and spring training instructor.[5] Baines was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Today's Game Era Committee as part of the class of 2019.[1]
- ^ a b "Harold Baines Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ Randhawa, Manny (February 28, 2018). "Baines left mark with sustained success". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
- ^ a b Spatz, Lyle, ed. (2007). The SABR Baseball List & Record Book. New York: Scribner. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-4165-3245-3.
- ^ Spatz, op. cit., p. 53.
- ^ Kane, Colleen (October 2, 2015). "White Sox will keep manager Robin Ventura for 2016 season". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 10, 2018.