Lee Smith: Right Handed Closer
Smith passed Jeff Reardon as the all-time saves leader in 1993. He was the active leader until he retired in 1997 and held the MLB record until it was broken by Trevor Hoffman in 2007. He is currently third on the all-time list behind Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Rivera is a future Hall of Famer and Hoffman was close in his first season of eligibility this year with 67.4 percent of the vote.
Smith was a seven-time all-star that three times led the league in saves. His first and last times as the season saves leader came 11 years apart. He led the National League in 1983 with the Cubs and in 1994 with Baltimore.
He toiled mostly on bad teams. In 18 major league seasons, Smith appeared in only two postseasons, 1984 with the Cubs and 1988 with Boston.
Smith wasn’t as dominating as Hoffman or Rivera, not as intimidating as Rich Gossage, but for 19 Major League seasons, he was the most consistent and reliable closer in the game. For that, he belongs in Cooperstown.
Next: Lefty Reliever