No clue why this was announced right before the start of Sunday Night Football, but hey, in case you missed it former Cubs closer Lee Smith has been elected to the Hall Of Fame!
Smith finally got in to the hall thanks to the Today's Game Era Committee that also elected former White Sox player Harold Baines. Smith got a yes from all 16 voters of the committee. At the time of his retirement, Smith led all of MLB in career saves and that lasted for 13 seasons until Trevor Hoffman set the new mark for most career saves. Smith now ranks third all-time in saves, behind Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Smith pitched the first eight years of his career with the Cubs and there's no doubt what team he'll want to represent in the Hall Of Fame.
So, now that Smith will be a Hall Of Famer and will go in as a Cub, does that mean the team will retire his number? The Cubs currently have five numbers retired for six players and they're all for Hall Of Famers. Ernie Banks #14 Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux #31 Ryne Sandberg #23 Ron Santo #10 Billy Williams #26 So, is #46 next to be retired at Wrigley Field?
By the way, Pedro Strop who currently wears #46 for the Cubs, is the only reliever in team history to post six straight years of a sub-3 ERA. Anyway, congrats to Lee Smith!
