Tim Raines
From BR Bullpen
Note: This page links to former major league outfielder Tim Raines, Sr. For his son, Tim, Jr., click here.
Timothy Raines (Rock)
- Bats Both, Throws Right
- Height 5' 8", Weight 178 lb.
- Debut September 11, 1979
- Final Game September 29, 2002
- Born September 16, 1959 in Sanford, FL USA
Contents |
[edit] Biographical Information
"They say that I can't throw like Ellis Valentine or run like Tim Raines or hit with power like Mike Schmidt. Who can?" - Pete Rose, using Tim Raines as the quintessential speedster of his time in the National League
With 808 career stolen bases, Tim Raines is one of the top base stealers in the history of the game. In addition, he typically displayed a high batting average, lots of walks, and decent power. He led the league in batting in 1986, and was third in batting in both 1985 and 1987. Raines was first in the league in doubles in 1984 and was frequently among the leaders in triples. He led the league four times in stolen bases and twice in runs scored. Although usually a lead-off hitter, he hit 170 home runs in his career.
He was a key part of the 1993 and 1994 division-leading Chicago White Sox, as well as being a star with Montreal for many years. Late in his career, he was a productive role player for the World Series winning New York Yankees in 1996 and 1998.
However, he was overshadowed by Rickey Henderson, in roughly the same way that Duke Snider was overshadowed by Willie Mays. Tim's 1571 career runs scored is a total of the sort that usually makes a player a lock for the Hall of Fame. Similarity scores show that the most similar player to Raines is Lou Brock, a Hall of Famer, although it can be easily argued that Raines was the better player. On the career runs scored list, he ranks just behind Rogers Hornsby (1591 runs scored) and ahead of Reggie Jackson (1551 runs scored).
He ranks #31 on the all-time list for career walks, and although players who walk a lot usually give up some hits to pull walks, he is also #68 on the all-time list for career hits.
His lifetime major league Adjusted OPS+ is 123, tying him with Enos Slaughter, Kirk Gibson and others. Adjusted OPS+ is an overall measure of a player's career hitting prowess, and doesn't count the value of his stolen bases.
He briefly went by the name "Rock" Raines, explaining that he had been known as Rock while a child. However, the fans and sportswriters didn't take to the name, so he went back to using "Tim".
While with the 2001 Orioles, became one of two fathers to play with his son in the same major league game (Ken Griffey, Sr. was the other).
Five of the ten most similar players to Raines, according to the similarity scores method, are Hall of Famers. Two of the others are active veteran players, Julio Franco and Kenny Lofton. Raines became eligible to be voted on by the Hall of Fame in 2008, and received 24.3% in his first year of eligibility.
Tim Raines went on to manage one season in the minor leagues before joining the Chicago White Sox as first base coach in 2005 on the world champion team. It was a team on which Scott Podsednik set a pace to reach 100 stolen bases before suffering injuries that caused him to miss over 30 games and, upon his return to the line-up, to slow down his base-stealing. After the 2006 season, Raines was let go by the Sox, but was named a coach for the Harrisburg Senators in 2007.
Raines' brother, Ned Raines, was a minor league outfielder 1978-1980.
[edit] Trivia
- Raines was the last player in MLB history to wear a helmet that did not have ear flaps. See [here]
- Set rookie record with 71 stolen bases in 1981 (since broken by Vince Coleman)
- His jersey number 30 was retired by the Montreal Expos in 2004.
- With an 84.7% success rate, Raines owns the highest lifetime stolen base percentage among players with at least 300 steals.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 1980 Minor League Player of the Year, Denver Bears, American Association
- 1981 Topps All-Star Rookie Team
- 7-time NL All-Star (1981-1987)
- 1987 All-Star Game MVP
- NL Silver Slugger Award Winner (1986)
- NL Batting Average Leader (1986)
- NL On-Base Percentage Leader (1986)
- 2-time NL Runs Scored Leader (1983 & 1987)
- NL Doubles Leader (1984)
- 4-time NL Stolen Bases Leader (1981-1984)
- 100 Runs Scored Seasons: 6 (1983-1985, 1987, 1991 & 1992)
- 50 Stolen Bases Seasons: 8 (1981-1987, 1991 & 1995)
- Won two World Series with the New York Yankees (1996 & 1998; he did not play in the 1998 World Series)
[edit] Further Reading
- Danny Gallagher: "Raines loved hitting more than stealing", in Remembering the Montreal Expos, Scoop Press, Toronto, ON, 2005, pp. 152-157.
