Harold Baines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Harold Baines |
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Baines with the Chicago White Sox in 2011
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| Designated hitter / Right fielder | |||
| Born: March 15, 1959 Easton, Maryland, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 10, 1980, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| Last 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 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2019 | ||
| Vote | 75% | ||
| Election Method | Today's Game Era Committee | ||
Harold Douglas Baines (born March 15, 1959) is a famous American former baseball player. He played as a designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB). Harold played for five different teams in the American League (AL) from 1980 to 2001. He is most known for playing three times with the Chicago White Sox.
Harold was born in Maryland. He also played for his hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles, for seven years. He was the very first player picked in the 1977 Major League Baseball Draft. Harold was also chosen for the All-Star Game six times. He was a very strong and steady hitter throughout his career. He hit over .300 (meaning he got a hit more than 30% of the time) eight times. He was also great in important playoff games.
After he stopped playing, Harold became a coach for the White Sox. He coached from 2004 to 2015. In 2019, Harold Baines was chosen to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a huge honor for baseball players.
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Early Life and Baseball Start
Harold Baines grew up in St. Michaels, Maryland. His father, Linwood, was a stonemason. Harold lived with his father and his three brothers and one sister. He looked up to his father more than anyone else.
A famous baseball team owner, Bill Veeck, started watching Harold play when he was only 12 years old. Harold went to St. Michaels High School. In his last year, he was an amazing player, hitting .532. He was even named a high school All-American.
The Chicago White Sox picked Harold as the very first player in the 1977 draft. He received $32,000 when he signed, which was a low amount for a first pick.
Playing Career Highlights
Harold Baines played his first major league game on April 10, 1980. He started as a right fielder for the Chicago White Sox. In 1982, he hit 25 home runs and had 105 RBIs.
In 1984, a baseball writer named Bill James said Harold was his favorite player to watch. He called Harold "gorgeous" and "absolutely complete." Harold could do everything, from soft bunts to powerful home runs. On May 8, 1984, Harold hit a walk-off home run to end the longest game in MLB history. This game lasted over eight hours and 25 innings! The bat he used is now in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Around 1986, Harold started having problems with his knees. This meant he could no longer play in the outfield. He became a full-time designated hitter. Even with his knee issues, he was still a very strong hitter. In 1988, he got 166 hits.
Harold holds a special record for the most seasons between hitting 100 RBIs. He had 14 seasons between his 113 RBIs in 1985 and 103 RBIs in 1999.
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| Baines's number 3 was retired by the Chicago White Sox in 1989. |
In 1989, Harold was traded from the White Sox to the Texas Rangers. After the trade, the White Sox honored him by retiring his jersey number, #3. This was unusual because he was still playing! His number was "un-retired" each time he came back to play for the White Sox.
Harold later played for the Oakland Athletics in 1990. He helped them reach the World Series, but they lost. In 1992, the Athletics made the playoffs again.
In 1993, Harold was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. He played very well for the Orioles, hitting over .290 for three seasons. He returned to the White Sox in 1996. Then, in 1997, he was traded back to the Orioles. He helped the Orioles reach the playoffs that year.
Harold was an All-Star for the Orioles in 1999. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians later that year. In 2000, he signed with the Orioles again for a third time. He was then traded back to the White Sox for his third time with the team.
Harold's playing career ended after the 2001 season. He finished with 2,866 hits, 384 home runs, and 1,628 RBIs. His RBI total is one of the highest in baseball history.
Coaching Career
Harold Baines started his fourth time with the Chicago White Sox in 2004. He became a bench coach for the team. His former teammate, Ozzie Guillén, was the new manager. Harold even filled in as the team's temporary manager for four games in 2004.
In 2005, Harold was a coach when the White Sox won the 2005 World Series. This meant he earned a World Series ring!
Honors and Hall of Fame
On July 20, 2008, the White Sox put up a bronze statue of Harold Baines. It is at their home stadium, U.S. Cellular Field. This statue honors his great career with the team.
In 2009, the Baltimore Orioles announced that Harold would be added to their Orioles Hall of Fame. He was the 46th person to receive this honor.
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Harold Baines became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. At first, he did not get enough votes from baseball writers. However, on December 9, 2018, Harold was chosen for the Hall of Fame by a special committee. This committee was made up of players, managers, and others who knew the game well.
Many people were excited that Harold was finally in the Hall of Fame. He was inducted on July 21, 2019, along with five other players. A large crowd of 55,000 people watched the ceremony. Harold is one of only four players who were picked first in the MLB draft to be in the Hall of Fame. The others are Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Joe Mauer.
Personal Life
Harold Baines's hometown of St. Michaels, Maryland, has a special day for him. January 9 is known as Harold Baines Day there. He also started the Harold Baines Scholarship Fund. This fund helps students who want to go to college.
Harold is married to Marla Henry. They have four children: Toni, Britni, Harold, Jr., and Courtney. All of his children went to his old high school, St. Michaels Middle/High School.
In May 2021, Harold had to have emergency surgery. He received both heart and liver transplants. These surgeries were needed because of a health condition called amyloidosis, which his father also had. The surgeries were successful, and Harold is doing well.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
