Lee Smith is the MLB's third all time saves leader. (Adam Studzinski/WJBC)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – Major League Baseball's third all time saves leader, Lee Smith, headlined Thursday's Normal CornBelters annual Hot Stove Banquet.

Smith said the main message he hoped people take from Thursday is to not make your entire life about baseball.

"The education for me, for the kids, is definitely going to be my first message," said Smith. "You can play 20 years in the big league, but if you don't have that education, and you get hurt in two years, you've got nothing to fall back on."

Podcast: Smith spoke with WJBC's Adam Studzinski before the banquet.

Smith spent the first eight seasons of his 18 year career with the Chicago Cubs, but also spent four years with the St. Louis Cardinals after a brief stop with the Boston Red Sox. Smith said the rivalry between the Cubs and Cardinals is more fun one compared to the Yankees and Red Sox.

"The Yankee-Red Sox thing had a little hatred in there, but the Cub-Cardinal thing, I think, is more bragging rights," he said.

The only two pitchers ahead of Smith on the all time saves list are Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera. Despite this, Smith has yet to be elected to baseball's Hall of Fame. That's something he said has been a struggle.

"One year you get 50 percent, the next year you get 25 percent. I really don't understand that; it doesn't make any sense," said Smith. "I think with the guys that have been on the ballot, probably the last five-six years, I think that's been sort of a strain.

"And I think that one year where that no one went in the Hall of Fame, I thought sort of put a backlash on a lot of things."

It's not Smith's first time in Bloomington-Normal. He said he enjoys the area and described being back as "like coming home."

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].