One of the most durable, consistent, and respected hitters of his era, Baines batted over .300 eight times and hit .324 in 31 career postseason games, topping .350 in five separate series.

[10] On April 10, 1980, Baines made his major league debut on Opening Day, starting in right field and going 0-for-4 in a 5–3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

[1] In 1984, baseball writer Bill James called Baines his favorite opposing player to watch, saying, "He is gorgeous, absolutely complete.

"[12] Baines ended the longest game in major league history (eight hours and six minutes over 25 innings on successive evenings) with a walk-off home run against the Milwaukee Brewers' Chuck Porter on May 8, 1984;[13] the bat he used is currently kept at the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1986, a succession of knee problems began which gradually ended his fielding career, forcing him to become a regular designated hitter.

[14] Midway through the 1989 season, the Texas Rangers acquired Baines, along with Fred Manrique, from the White Sox in a much-derided trade which sent Wilson Álvarez, Scott Fletcher and Sammy Sosa to Chicago.

[16] On August 29, 1990, Baines was traded to the Oakland Athletics for minor league pitchers Scott Chiamparino and Joe Bitker,[17][18][19] and he helped them reach the postseason only to be swept by the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.

[20] On January 14, 1993, Baines was traded by the A's to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league pitchers Bobby Chouinard and Allen Plaster.

[27] He was traded back to the White Sox with catcher Charles Johnson in exchange for Miguel Felix, Juan Figueroa, Brook Fordyce and Jason Lakman on July 29, 2000.

[36] On December 9, 2018, Baines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2019 via the Today's Game Era ballot, a voting panel of 16 consisting of six players, one manager, six executives, and three journalists.

[37] His election drew criticism from baseball writers and fans due to his low Wins Above Replacement numbers, poor performance in MVP voting, and lack of defensive playing time.

[38][39] Specific criticism was leveled at Tony La Russa,[40] Jerry Reinsdorf,[38] and Pat Gillick[39] for their close personal relationships with Baines, (La Russa managed him for seven seasons in Chicago and three more with the Oakland A's, Reinsdorf owned the White Sox when Baines played, and Gillick acquired him for the Orioles during his time as the team's General Manager).

[41][42] As of 2024, Baines is one of only four former first-overall MLB draft picks to be elected to the Hall of Fame, along with Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones, and Joe Mauer.