Tim Raines (born September 16, 1959 in Sanford, Florida), nicknamed "Rock", is an American former left fielder in Major League Baseball known for his speed and ability to get on base. The Montreal Expos selected him in the 5th round of the 1977 amateur draft. He started as a second baseman for the Expos in 1979 and rapidly became a fan favorite due to his aggressiveness on the basepaths. He eventually switched to playing the outfield and by the end of his career, Raines entered the very select 800-steal club, becoming the fifth member behind Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, Billy Hamilton, and Ty Cobb. Brock, Hamilton and Cobb are all in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and Henderson surely will be when he becomes eligible. During his career, Raines stole more than 70 bases in a season six years in a row (1981-1986), including a career high 90 in 1983. His stolen base percentage (84.7is the highest in baseball history for players with 300 or more attempts.
"The Rock" was named a National League All-Star in 7 consecutive seasons (1981-1987), and in 1987 he was the MVP of the All-Star game. Raines finished in the top 10 in MVP voting for the National League three times (1983, 1986, 1987). He won the NL batting title in 1986 with a .334 average and hit over .300 in five full-seasons. He also topped the .320 mark in three straight years (1985-1987).
Raines won a Silver Slugger award as an OF in 1986 when he led the NL in both batting average and on-base percentage. He led the NL in runs scored in 1983 and 1987, in doubles in 1984 and in stolen bases in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984. Raines set single-season career highs with a .334 batting average and 194 hits in 1986, 18 HR in 1987, and 71 RBI, 133 runs scored and 90 SB in 1983.
In his 23-year career, Raines hit .294 with 170 HR, 980 RBI, 1571 runs scored, 2605 hits, 808 stolen bases, 430 doubles, 113 triples and an on-base percentage of .385. Those numbers make "The Rock" a borderline Hall of Fame candidate, but his status is still up in the air.
Also likely to hurt his induction chances is his involvement in the cocaine scandal of the 1980s. Raines admitted that he would use the drug to get high during games and that he would famously slide headfirst into bases so as not to break the vials he kept in his back pocket.
His son, Tim Raines, Jr., also became a major league player. In 2001, Raines, at the age of 41, and his son became the second MLB father-and-son combination to play in the same game, both playing for the Baltimore Orioles (the first were Ken Griffey, Sr. and Ken Griffey, Jr.).
Played For: Montreal Expos (1979-1990, 2001), Chicago White Sox (1991-1995), New York Yankees (1996-1998), Oakland Athletics (1999), Baltimore Orioles (2001), Florida Marlins (2002)
Raines currently is a coach for the White Sox.
