Harold Baines

Who is Harold Baines?

Harold Douglas Baines is a former right fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for five American League teams from 1980 to 2001. He is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox, the team on which he now serves as coach. He ranked 7th in AL history in games played and 10th in runs batted in upon his retirement. Noted as well for his power hitting in clutch situations, he is tied for 7th in AL history in grand slams, 4th in 3-home run games, and tied for 7th in major league history in walk-off home runs. Baines batted over .300 eight times and hit .324 in 31 career postseason games, topping the .350 mark in five separate series. A six-time All-Star, he led the AL in slugging average in 1984. He held the White Sox team record for career home runs from 1987 until Carlton Fisk passed him in 1990; his eventual total of 221 remains the club record for left-handed hitters, as do his 981 RBI and 585 extra base hits with the team. His 1,652 games as a designated hitter are a major league record, and he held the mark for career home runs as a DH until Edgar Martínez passed him in 2004. He also led the Major Leagues in Hits as a DH until the mark was surpassed by David Ortiz on July 10th, 2013. With 1,628 RBI, Baines has the most RBI of any player eligible for the Hall of Fame not currently inducted.