Cito Smith Falls Short of Hall of Fame Election

I had high hopes that Cito Gaston would be inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight. However, considering some of the other managers on the ballot, it seemed like a long shot.

Jim Leyland was chosen by the group that is now known as the Veteran’s Committee. He managed for 22 years in the majors, led teams to the World Series three times, won one World Series ring (with the Marlins), and held a 1769-1728 record.

Lou Pinella fell one vote short of making it to the Hall. He managed for 23 seasons, won one World Series, and had a 1835-1713 record. Not to mention, he played for 18 seasons, hitting .291/.333/.409 with 102 home runs and a 12.4 bWAR.

Cito managed for 12 seasons, winning two World Series rings. He held a record of 894-837. Additionally, he played 11 seasons in the MLB, hitting .256/.298/.397 with 91 home runs and a -0.8 bWAR.

Regrettably, Cito didn’t have the opportunity to amass the impressive numbers that appeal to voters. I know he felt snubbed for not getting more chances to manage. He stopped going for interviews for manager jobs, feeling he was merely a token candidate, invited to interview so teams could boast about interviewing a minority candidate. He was likely correct, although part of me believes that if you want a job, you have to play the game. However, Cito is far more knowledgeable about racism than I could ever be.

I had expected the Committee to elect more than one person into the Hall, but no such luck.

I’m sorry, Cito, I would have cast my vote for you.

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