Smith's Hall support stagnates

		2005 Hall of Fame   voting results
	The complete vote (516 ballots, 387 to gain election, 26 to remain on ballot):  Player  Votes   %  Wade Boggs  474  91.9%  Ryne Sandberg  393  76.2%  Bruce Sutter  344  66.7%  Jim Rice  307  59.5%  "Goose" Gossage  285  55.2%  Andre Dawson  270  52.3%  Bert Blyleven  211  40.9%  Lee Smith  200  38.8%  Jack Morris  172  33.3%  Tommy John  123  23.8%  Steve Garvey  106  20.5%  Alan Trammell   87  16.9%  Dave Parker   65  12.6%  Don Mattingly   59  11.4%  Dave Concepcion   55  10.7%  Dale Murphy   54  10.5%  Willie McGee   26   5.0%  Jim Abbott   13   2.5%  Darryl Strawberry    6   1.2%  Jack McDowell    4   0.8%  Chili Davis    3   0.6%  Tom Candiotti    2   0.4%  Jeff Montgomery    2   0.4%  Tony Phillips    1   0.2%  Terry Steinbach    1   0.2%  Mark Langston    0   0.0%  Otis Nixon    0   0.0%   Election coverage: • Wade, Ryno are Hall choices • No doubts about Class of 2005 • Boggs hits his way to the Hall • Ryno charges into Hall of Fame • Red Sox lavish praise on Boggs • Rays react to Boggs Hall call • From Beantown to Bronx to Hall • Sutter closing in on Hall of Fame • Boggs is fans' favorite to make Hall   Sights and sounds: • Boggs photo gallery • Boggs highlights: 56K | 350K • Boggs conference call • Sandberg photo gallery • Sandberg highlights: 56K | 350K • Sandberg conference call • Official announcement: 56K | 350K • HOF president Dale Petroskey   announces Class of 2005

While Bruce Sutter and Rich "Goose" Gossage continue their momentum toward Hall of Fame induction, Lee Smith is having a hard time gaining any traction. The all-time saves leader received 38.8 percent of the vote in Hall of Fame balloting announced on Tuesday.

Smith received exactly 200 votes out of a possible 516, good for the eighth-highest total among eligible candidates. His percentage is a bounce back from his 36.6 percent showing in 2004, but still below his first- year mark of 42.3 percent from 2003. Only three relief pitchers are currently in the Hall of Fame: Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers and Dennis Eckersley, the latter of whom was inducted in 2004.

Smith's case for enshrinement is based on sustained quality rather than a dominant peak. In addition to the saves record (he tallied 478), he ranks fifth on the all-time games pitched list. He tallied at least 25 saves in 13 different seasons and won three Rolaids Relief Awards, though he never won a Cy Young award.

Smith pitched for the Cubs from his 1980 debut through 1987. He made a stop in Boston, and then was sent to St. Louis. The big right-hander thrived as a Cardinal, enjoying one of his best seasons in 1991. That year, the imposing flame-thrower racked up 47 saves and posted a sparkling 2.34 ERA. He finished as the runner-up to Tom Glavine in National League Cy Young balloting.

Smith tallied 133 saves with the Cardinals before a 1993 trade sent him to the Yankees, and he also had brief stints with Baltimore, the Angels and the Expos. He retired in 1997.