GRANEY: Lee Smith’s exclusion from Hall of Fame puzzling

Same with The Canadian Beadles...but that’s just me.

Smith pitched 18 seasons and retired in 1997 with 478 saves, then the most in history. He was among the top five in Cy Young Award voting three times and owned the major league career saves record for a 13-year span. He also has been on the Hall of Fame ballot since 2003 and annually receives between 35 percent and 45 percent of the necessary votes for inclusion.

The guy is Peter O’Toole nominated for an Academy Award, up to this point a sure bet not to hear his name called.

“I think one thing that hurts Smith is that he is not associated with any one club,” said Tim Sullivan, a sports columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune and Hall of Fame voter from 1991 to 2005. “He played for eight teams. To some extent, he is a victim of not being identified with one club like Rivera with the Yankees and Hoffman when with the Padres. I think that helps you gain a base of support from people in those towns and works to your advantage.”

Hard to believe: Smith spent his first eight seasons with the Cubs but pitched in St. Louis only for four. It seemed twice that long. It also seemed Farrah Fawcett was on “Charlie’s Angels” for a decade instead of one season. Go figure.

But not being recognized as wearing one uniform for most of his career shouldn’t exclude a player with otherwise deserving numbers. Jeff Reardon is another closer not in the Hall of Fame. The subjective joke continues.