Tim Raines

Infobox MLB retired
name=Tim Raines
position=Left fielder
bats=Both
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1959|9|16
city-state|Sanford|Florida
debutdate=September 11
debutyear=by|1979
debutteam=Montreal Expos
finaldate=September 29
finalyear=by|2002
finalteam=Florida Marlins
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.294
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=2,605
stat3label=Stolen bases
stat3value=808
teams=
* Montreal Expos (by|1979–by|1990, by|2001)
* Chicago White Sox (by|1991–by|1995)
* New York Yankees (by|1996–by|1998)
* Oakland Athletics (by|1999)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|2001)
* Florida Marlins (by|2002)
highlights=
* 7x All-Star selection (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987)
* 2x World Series champion (1996, 1998)
* Silver Slugger Award winner (1986)
* 1987 MLB All-Star Game MVP
* Montreal Expos #30 retired
* Other accomplishments

Timothy Raines (born September 16 1959 in Sanford, Florida), nicknamed "Rock",Raines received this nickname at an Expo rookie camp when he was seventeen, based on his physique. Citation
last = Abel
first = Allen
title = Raines defies Doubleday
newspaper = The Globe and Mail
pages = p.55
year = 1981
date = 1981-05-28 ] is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos. Regarded as one of the top leadoff hittersIn 2001, Bill James ranked Raines as the second greatest leadoff player in MLB history. cite book
last = James
first = Bill
title = New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, The
publisher = Simon & Shuster
date = 2001
location = New York
pages = 684–685
isbn = 0-684-80697-5 ] cite web
last = McLaughlin
first = Dan
title = The path to Cooperstown: Tim Raines and the Tablesetters
publisher = HardballTimes.com
date = 2007-12-27
url = http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/printarticle/the-path-to-cooperstown-tim-raines-and-the-tablesetters/
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-30 ] cite web
last = Stark
first = Jayson
coauthors = Peter Gammons
title = Debate: Is Tim Raines a Hall of Famer?
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2007-12-29
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof08/news/story?id=3169953
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-30 ] and baserunners in the sport's history, Raines stole at least 70 bases in each of his first six full seasons (1981–1986), leading the National League in stolen bases each season from 1981 to 1984, with a career high of 90 steals in by|1983. Raines also led the NL in runs scored twice (1983 and 1987), and in by|1986 became the third switch hitter to win the NL batting title, with a .334 average.

With 808 steals in his career, Raines has the fourth-highest total in major league history, behind Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock and Ty Cobb. [Some sources also place Raines behind Billy Hamilton, who recorded over 900 steals from 1888 to 1901; however, nearly 800 of these were achieved prior to 1898, when the definition of a steal was altered, and these early steals are not officially recognized.] Until 2008, [Carlos Beltran passed 300 steal attempts in 2008 and as of September, 20, 2008, has a higher stolen base percentage.] his career stolen base percentage (84.7%) was the highest in MLB history for players with 300 or more attempts [Caught stealing data is incomplete prior to the 1951 season.] and he was successful on 40 consecutive steal attempts between July 1993 and August 1995, setting an American League record at the time (the record was broken by Ichiro Suzuki in May by|2007, when he completed 45 consecutive steals).

Among switch hitters, Raines ranks sixth in career hits (2,605), fourth in runs (1,571), walks (1,330) and times on base (3,977), fifth in plate appearances (10,359), seventh in singles (1,892), doubles (430), total bases (3,771) and at bats (8,872), eighth in triples (113) and tenth in extra base hits (713). He holds Expos/Washington Nationals franchise records for career runs (947), steals (635), singles (1,163), triples (82) and walks (793), and was the seventh player whose career began after 1945 to retire with over 1,500 runs and 100 triples. [The previous six were Willie Mays, Lou Brock, Pete Rose, George Brett, Robin Yount and Paul Molitor.] His 1,966 games in left field ranked seventh in major league history when he retired.

Raines served as the hitting coach for the minor-league Harrisburg Senators in 2007,cite press release
title = Nationals announce 2007 minor league managers and coaching assignments
publisher = Washington Nationals
date = 2006-12-12
url = http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20061212&content_id=1759967&vkey=pr_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was
accessdate = 2008-05-13 ] but he did not return for the 2008 season.cite press release
title = SENATORS NAME 2008 COACHING STAFF
publisher = Harrisburg Senators Baseball Club
date = 2007-12-17
url = http://www.senatorsbaseball.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1197917518
accessdate = 2008-05-13 ]

Career

Montreal Expos

The Montreal Expos selected Raines in the 5th round of the 1977 amateur draft. After debuting with six games as a pinch runner in by|1979, he played briefly as a second baseman for the Expos in by|1980, but soon switched to playing the outfield, and rapidly became a fan favorite due to his aggressiveness on the basepaths. In his strike-interrupted by|1981 rookie season, he batted .304 and stole 71 bases – then the second most ever by a rookie, behind only Benny Kauff's 75 for the by|1914 Indianapolis Hoosiers in the Federal League. Raines was caught stealing for the first time in 1981, after having begun his career with a major league record 27 consecutive successful stolen bases. Raines was the runner-up for the NL's Rookie of the Year Award in 1981, which was won by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.

Raines performance dipped in 1982,cite web
last = Fimrite
first = Ron
title = Don't Knock the Rock
publisher = Sports Illustrated
date = 1984-06-25
url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/features/expos/flashback/the_rock/
accessdate = 2008-05-04 ] as he hit .277 with a .353 on base percentage.baseball-reference|id=r/raineti01] At the end of the season, Raines entered treatment for substance abuse, having spent an estimated $40,000 that year on cocaine. To avoid leaving the drug in his locker, Raines carried it in his hip pocket, and slid headfirst when running the bases.cite news
last = Vecsey
first = George
title = SPORTS OF THE TIMES; To Test or not to Test?
publisher = The New York Times
date = 1985-08-21
accessdate = 2008-05-04 ] He used cocaine before games, in his car, after games, and on some occasions, between innings in the clubhouse.Citation
last = Farber
first = Michael
contribution = Raines beats $1,000-a-week habit
year = 2004
title = The Way it Looks From Here
editor-last = Brunt
editor-first = Stephen
publisher = Alfred A. KnopfOriginally published in The Gazette on 1982-12-11.] Raines would later testify at the infamous Pittsburgh drug trials, in September, 1985.

In 1983, Raines resumed his exciting play, stealing a career high of 90 bases. In each season from 1981 to 1986, Raines stole at least 70 bases. He had a career-high .334 batting average in 1986, winning the National League batting title. Raines maintained a consistently high on base percentage during this period and a rising slugging percentage, reaching a career peak of .429 in 1987. Although he never won a Gold Glove Award, Raines was an excellent defensive player who led the NL with 21 assists in 1983 and, with 4 double plays, tied for the league lead in double plays by an outfielder in 1985.

Raines became a free agent on November 12, by|1986, but in spite of his league-leading play, no team made a serious attempt to sign him.cite news
last = Anderson
first = Dave
title = SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Nobody Wanted Raines
publisher = The New York Times
date = 1987-05-05
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE2DE1030F936A35756C0A961948260
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] (During this period, the Major League Baseball owners were acting together to keep salaries down — see "Baseball collusion".) On May 1, by|1987, hours after being permitted to negotiate again with Montreal, Raines signed a new deal with the Expos for $5,000,000 over three years, and a $900,000 signing bonus. In his first game back on May 2, facing the Mets, although Raines had not participated in spring training or any other competitive preparation for the season, he hit the first pitch he saw off the right-field wall for a triple. Raines finished the game with four hits in five at-bats, three runs, one walk, a stolen base, and a game-winning grand slam in the 10^th inning.cite web
last = Keri
first = Jonah
title = Raines: 'I played the game with excitement, focus'
publisher = ESPN.com
date=2007-12-29
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof08/news/story?id=3170163
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] cite web
title = Retrosheet Boxscore: Montreal Expos 11, New York Mets 7
publisher = Retrosheet.org
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof08/news/story?id=3170163
language = English
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] In spite of the shortened season, Raines led the Expos in runs, walks, times on base, runs created, and stolen bases, in addition to batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage.cite web
author = baseball-reference.com
title = 1987 Montreal Expos Statistics and Roster
publisher = Sports Reference
url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MON/1987.shtml
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] He also garnered MVP honors in the All-Star Game as he delivered a game-winning triple in the 13^th inning. Raines would, in 1992, be one of dozens of players retroactively awarded collusion damages, receiving over $865,000. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE3D9173EF936A25751C1A964958260 BASEBALL; Big Collusion Winners: Clark, Parrish, Dawson - New York Times ] ]

Raines was traded to the Chicago White Sox on December 20, by|1990, along with Jeff Carter and a player to be named later (Mario Brito would eventually be agreed upon), in exchange for Iván Calderón and Barry Jones.

Post-Expos career

Raines played for five seasons with the White Sox. On December 28, by|1995, he was traded to the New York Yankees. With the Yankees, Raines received two World Series rings in 1996 and 1998. While his playing time was curtailed due to injuries, he contributed to a loose clubhouse atmosphere,cite news
last = Olney
first = Buster
title = WORLD SERIES PREVIEW: YANKEES VS. PADRES -- IN THE CLUBHOUSE; Before the Yankees Take the Field...
publisher = The New York Times
date = 1998-10-16
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E3DB103AF935A25753C1A96E958260
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] cite news
last = El-Bashir
first = Tarik
title = Raines Returns, as Do the Laughs
publisher = The New York Times
date = 1999-08-31
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E6DA1E3BF932A0575BC0A96F958260
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] and was productive when he came up to the plate.

In January 1999, Raines signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics. After a kidney biopsy on July 23, Raines was diagnosed with lupus and spent the rest of the year undergoing treatment and recovery.cite news
last = McKeon
first = Ross
title = Raines diagnosis: Lupus
publisher = SFGate.com
date = 1999-08-07
url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/1999/08/07/SPORTS2728.dtl
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ]

Recovery and return

Raines was signed by the Yankees as a free agent on February 1, by|2000,cite news
last = Olney
first = Buster
title = Raines Gets a Shot At Resuming Career
publisher = The New York Times
date = 2000-02-02
url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7DA153FF931A35751C0A9669C8B63
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] but was released on March 23. On December 21, Raines was signed by the Expos, returning to the team that drafted him. With limited playing time, Raines batted .308, with a .433 on base percentage and a .436 slugging percentage.

Raines underwent surgery on May 31 due to a left shoulder strain, and spent time rehabilitating with the Expos Triple-A club, the Ottawa Lynx. On August 21, by|2001, Raines and his son, Tim Raines, Jr., became the first father-son pair to play against each other in an official professional baseball game, when the Lynx played the Rochester Red Wings (the two had faced each other earlier in the year during spring training).cite web
author = CBC Sports
title = Father-son combos common in baseball
publisher = CBC.ca
url = http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/08/22/father-son010822.html
date = 2001-08-22
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] Raines returned to the major league club on August 22.

On October 3, the Expos traded Raines to the Baltimore Orioles, thereby permitting Raines to play a major league game with his son.cite web
author = CBC Sports
title = Orioles add elder Raines
publisher = CBC.ca
date = 2001-10-03
url = http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2001/10/03/raines010103.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] cite web
author = Associated Press
title = Tim Raines Sr. joins son on Orioles
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2001-10-03
url = http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2001/1003/1258800.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ] On October 4, Raines, Jr. played center field and Raines, Sr. played left field for Baltimore, becoming the second father and son team to play for the same major league team (a feat previously accomplished by Ken Griffey, Sr. and Ken Griffey, Jr.). [cite web
author =
title = Charlton's Baseball Chronology - 2001
publisher = BaseballLibrary.com
url = http://www.baseballlibrary.com/chronology/byyear.php?year=2001
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ]

Raines played his last season in 2002 with the Florida Marlins.

Coaching career

Raines began his coaching career in 2003 as manager of the high class A Brevard County Manatees affiliate of the Expos. He was promoted to the major league team in 2004 and was present for the Expos' final games as a Montreal franchise.

He was a coach for the White Sox from November 2004 until October 2006. [cite web
author = ESPN.com
title = White Sox fire bench coach Raines
publisher = ESPN.com
date=2006-10-14
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2624402
language = English
accessdate = 2006-10-28 ] During the 2005 World Series Championship season, Raines served as first base coach. During the 2006 season, he served as bench coach. He was the hitting coach for the minor-league Harrisburg Senators in 2007, but was not retained by the team in 2008.

Accomplishments

In his 23-year career, Raines hit .294 with 170 home runs, 980 RBI, 1,571 runs, 2,605 hits, 808 stolen bases, 430 doubles, 113 triples and an on base percentage of .385. He hit over .300 in five full seasons, and over .320 in three straight years (1985–1987).

From 1983 to 1987, Total Baseball rated him as one of the NL's five best players each season.Fact|date=January 2008 He is also listed as the 40th greatest non-pitcher in major-league history according to Bill James's win shares formula, one place ahead of Mark McGwire.Fact|date=January 2008

League leading statistics

Reference: Baseball-Reference.com Leader and Record Board Indexcite web
author = baseball-reference.com
title = Baseball-Reference.com Leader and Record Board Index
publisher = Sports Reference
url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ]

* Led the National League in batting average in 1986 (.334), the third switch hitter to win the NL batting title
* Led the National League in on base percentage in 1986 (.413)
* Led the major leagues in stolen bases in 1981 (71) and 1984 (75)
* Led the National League in stolen bases in 1982 (78) and 1983 (90)
* Led the major leagues in runs scored in 1983 (133) and 1987 (123)
* Led the National League for times on base in 1983 (282), 1984 (281), and 1986 (274)
* Led the National League in outfield assists in 1983 (21)
* Tied for the National League lead in double plays by an outfielder in 1985 (4)

Expos/Nationals records

Reference: Washington Nationals Batting Leaders from baseball-reference.comcite web
author = baseball-reference.com
title = Washington Nationals Batting Leaders
publisher = Sports Reference
url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSN/leaders_bat.shtml
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ]

*Single-season record for plate appearances (731 in 1982)
*Single-season record for runs (133 in 1983)
*Career record for runs (947)
*Single-season record for triples (13 in 1985); shared with Rodney Scott and Mitch Webster
*Career record for singles (1,163)
*Career record for triples (82)
*Career record for walks (793)
*Career record for times on base (2,440)
*Career record for stolen bases (635)
*Career record for runs created (1,047)

Personal life

In 1979, Raines married Virginia Hilton, who had attended the same high school that he did. The couple gave birth to two children: Tim, Jr. ("Little Rock"), and André ("Little Hawk").cite web
last = Fimrite
first = Ron
title = Don't Knock the Rock
publisher = CNN/Sports Illustrated
date = 1984-06-25
url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/features/expos/flashback/the_rock/
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-05-13 ] In high school he was a running back and admits to having enjoyed football more than baseball at the time. On the matter between the two he reflects, "in football I was a running back, so in the NFL my career would have probably lasted 6 or 7 years and in baseball I ended up playing 23 years. In baseball you can play a long time so I think it’s better when you think of it in that way."cite web |url=http://wbaisports.com/art57_Rock-Solid.aspx |title=Rock Solid |accessdate=2008-10-01 |last=Benjamin |first=Samori |date=2008-07-21 |publisher=WBAI Sports |quote=As I got older I realized baseball could prolong your career, in football I was a running back, so in the NFL my career would have probably lasted 6 or 7 years and in baseball I ended up playing 23 years. In baseball you can play a long time so I think it’s better when you think of it in that way.]

In 1995, Raines became a resident of Heathrow, Florida. In 2007, he moved to Estrella Mountain Ranch, just outside of Phoenix, Arizona, and married Shannon Watson from Arnprior, Ontario.cite web
last = Elliott
first = Bob
title = Elliott on Baseball
publisher = Canoe Inc
date = 2007-08-11
url = http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Elliott/2007/08/11/4410527-sun.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-05-13 ]

Honors and awards

Raines was a National League All-Star in 7 consecutive seasons (1981–1987), and was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1987 All-Star Game.cite web
author = baseball-reference.com
title = Baseball-Reference All-Star Game Index
publisher = Sports Reference
url = http://www.baseball-reference.com/allstar/
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-01-19 ]

Raines finished in the top 10 in voting for the NL MVP Award three times (1983, 1986, 1987). He won a Silver Slugger Award as an outfielder in 1986 when he led the NL in both batting average and on base percentage.

Baseball Hall of Fame candidacy

Raines was eligible for election to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2008, and various sabermetricians and commentators have supported his induction.cite web
last = Stark
first = Jayson
coauthors = Peter Gammons
title = Debate: Is Tim Raines a Hall of Famer?
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2007-12-29
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hof08/news/story?id=3169953
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] cite web
last = Pearlman
title = "Rock" belongs in Cooperstown
publisher = ESPN.com
date = 2007-06-13
url = http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/070613
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] cite web
last = Sheehan
first = Joe
title = The Daily Prospectus: A Hall of Famer Retires
publisher = Baseball Prospectus
date = 2000-03-24
url = http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=489
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] cite web
last = Jazayerli
first = Rany
title = The Case for Tim Raines: An In-Depth Look
publisher = Baseball Prospectus
date = 2000-03-31
url = http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=503
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] cite web
last = Darowski
first = Mike
title = Hall of Fame Case: Tim Raines
work = The Rule V Baseball Blog
date = 2006-02-17
url = http://www.darowski.com/rulev/?p=10
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-09-19 ] Raines received only 24% of the vote in his first try, far short of the required 75%.

ee also

*Top 500 home run hitters of all time
*List of major league players with 2,000 hits
*List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
*List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
*List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
*List of Major League Baseball players with 500 stolen bases
*Hitting for the cycle
*List of Major League Baseball batting champions
*List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
*List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
*List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
*List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
*Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
*List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases
*Major League Baseball titles leaders

References

External links

*baseballstats |mlb= |espn= |br=r/raineti01 |fangraphs=1406 |cube=R/tim-raines
* [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/ballplayers/player.php?name=Tim_Raines_1959 BaseballLibrary] - biography, career highlights and [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/sabr/tbi/R/Raines_Tim.tbi.stm SABR bibliography]
* [http://www.raines30.com/ Raines30.com] - fan page