Tim Raines facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tim Raines |
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Raines in 2018
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| Left fielder | |||
| Born: September 16, 1959 Sanford, Florida, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 11, 1979, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 2002, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .294 | ||
| Hits | 2,605 | ||
| Home runs | 170 | ||
| Runs batted in | 980 | ||
| Stolen bases | 808 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2017 | ||
| Vote | 86.0% (tenth ballot) | ||
Timothy Raines Sr. (born September 16, 1959), known as "Rock", is an American professional baseball coach and former player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) for six teams from 1979 to 2002. He is most famous for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos.
Tim Raines was a 7-time All-Star. He led the league in stolen bases four times and was a National League batting champion. Many people think Raines is one of the best leadoff hitters and baserunners ever in baseball. In 2013, Raines started working for the Toronto Blue Jays as a coach. In 2017, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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Tim Raines: Early Life
Tim Raines was born on September 16, 1959, in Sanford, Florida. His parents were Ned and Florence Raines. He grew up with six brothers and sisters. Two of his brothers, Levi and Ned III, also played baseball in the minor leagues.
Raines went to Seminole High School in Sanford. As a baseball player there, he was amazing at stealing bases, even stealing home plate ten times! He was also a talented football player, rushing for over 1,000 yards in just eight games. He even set two school records in track and field that lasted for many years. Raines reportedly received over 100 scholarship offers to play college football.
Tim Raines' Amazing Baseball Career
Starting Strong with the Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos picked Tim Raines in the fifth round of the 1977 Major League Baseball draft. He first played in MLB in 1979 as a pinch runner. In 1980, he briefly played second baseman for the Expos. Soon after, he became an outfielder. Fans quickly loved him because of his exciting and aggressive style on the bases.
In his rookie season in 1981, which was shorter due to a strike, he batted .304. He also set a new MLB rookie record with 71 stolen bases. This broke the old record of 56 steals set by Gene Richards in 1977. Raines was caught stealing for the first time in 1981. Before that, he had a major league record of 27 successful stolen bases in a row! He finished second for the National League's Rookie of the Year Award in 1981.
In 1983, Raines stole a career-high 90 bases. This was the second-highest total in Expos history. He also scored 133 runs, which is still a franchise record. He was named Expos Player of the Year in 1983, 1985, and 1986. From 1981 to 1986, Raines stole at least 70 bases every season.
He had his best batting average in 1986, hitting .334, and won the National League Batting Championship. Raines was also a great defensive player. He led the National League with 21 assists in 1983. In 1985, he tied for the league lead in double plays by an outfielder with 4.
Raines became a free agent in November 1986. Even though he was playing at a very high level, no team tried hard to sign him. This was during a time when MLB team owners worked together to keep player salaries down. On May 1, 1987, Raines signed a new deal with the Expos for $5 million over three years. He also got a $900,000 signing bonus.
In his first game back on May 2, 1987, Raines had not even been to spring training. But he hit the first pitch he saw for a triple! He ended that game with four hits, three runs, a walk, a stolen base, and a game-winning grand slam in the 10th inning. Even missing April, Raines led the Expos in many important stats. He also won the MVP award in the All-Star Game that year.
Playing for Other Teams
The Expos traded Raines to the Chicago White Sox on December 20, 1990. Raines later said he left Montreal because he wanted to win a World Series. He felt the Expos were not ready to win one.
In his first season in the American League, Raines batted .268. He was second on the White Sox in runs scored. In 1993, he missed about six weeks because of a thumb injury he got while stealing a base. Despite this, he hit .306 with 16 home runs. The White Sox won the American League Western Division title that year. In the 1993 American League Championship Series, Raines batted an amazing .444.
On December 28, 1995, the White Sox traded Raines to the New York Yankees. With the Yankees, Raines won two World Series rings in 1996 and 1998. Even though injuries limited his playing time, he was a valuable player. He stole his 800th base on June 10, 1998, while with the Yankees.
In January 1999, Raines signed with the Oakland Athletics. On July 23, he was diagnosed with lupus, a medical condition. He spent the rest of that year getting treatment and recovering.
Overcoming Challenges and Returning to Play
Raines signed with the Yankees again in February 2000, but was released in March. On December 21, he signed with the Expos once more. At the Expos' home opener in 2001, Raines received a huge standing ovation. He said it was the longest and loudest of his career! He batted .308 in limited playing time that year. In 2001, he was also inducted into the Expos' Hall of Fame.
Raines had shoulder surgery in May 2001. He spent time recovering with the Expos' Triple-A team, the Ottawa Lynx. On August 21, 2001, Raines and his son, Tim Raines Jr., made history. They became the first father-son pair to play against each other in an official professional baseball game. This happened when the Lynx played the Rochester Red Wings.
On October 3, the Expos traded Raines to the Baltimore Orioles. This allowed Raines to play in a major league game with his son! On October 4, Raines Jr. played center field and Raines Sr. played left field for Baltimore. They became the second father and son team to play for the same major league team. Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were the first.
Raines played his last season in 2002 with the Florida Marlins. He is one of only 29 players in baseball history to have played in MLB games in four different decades. He was also the last MLB batter to wear a batting helmet with no ear flap.
Tim Raines' Impressive Stats
In his 23-year career, Tim Raines played in 2,502 games. He had 2,605 hits in 8,872 at bats, giving him a .294 career batting average. He also hit 170 home runs and had 980 runs batted in. His on-base percentage was .385 and his slugging percentage was .425. He finished his career with a .987 fielding percentage.
Raines stole at least 70 bases in each of his first six full seasons (1981–1986). He led the National League in stolen bases every season from 1981 to 1984. His career high was 90 steals in 1983. Raines also led the National League in runs scored twice (1983 and 1987). He batted over .300 in five full seasons. From 1985 to 1987, he batted over .320, winning the 1986 National League batting title with a .334 average.
With 808 steals, Raines has the fourth-highest total in major league history. Only Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, and Ty Cobb have more. Raines' career stolen base percentage (84.7%) was the highest in major league history for players with 300 or more attempts for a long time. He set an American League record of 40 successful steal attempts in a row between July 1993 and August 1995.
Among players who can bat from both sides of the plate (switch hitters), Raines ranks very high in many career stats. He is sixth in hits (2,605), fourth in runs (1,571), and fourth in walks (1,330). He holds many Expos/Washington Nationals franchise records. These include career steals (635), singles (1,163), triples (82), and walks (793).
Leading the League
- Led the National League in batting average in 1986 (.334). He was the third switch hitter to win the NL batting title.
- Led the National League in on-base percentage in 1986 (.413).
- Led all of Major League Baseball in stolen bases in 1981 (71) and 1984 (75).
- Led the National League in stolen bases in 1982 (78) and 1983 (90).
- Led all of Major League Baseball in runs scored in 1983 (133) and 1987 (123).
- Led the National League in outfield assists in 1983 (21).
Setting Records for the Expos
- Single-season record for runs (133 in 1983).
- Career record for runs (947).
- Career record for singles (1,163).
- Career record for triples (82).
- Career record for walks (793).
- Career record for stolen bases (635).
Awards and Hall of Fame Honors
Tim Raines was a National League All-Star for 7 years in a row (1981–1987). He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1987 All-Star Game.
In 1981, The Sporting News named Raines the National League Rookie of the Year. He also won a Silver Slugger Award as an outfielder in 1986. That year, he led the National League in both batting average and on-base percentage.
In 2013, Raines was elected into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Becoming a Hall of Famer
On January 18, 2017, Tim Raines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He was officially inducted on July 30, 2017. His plaque in the Hall of Fame shows him wearing an Expos cap.
The baseball complex at Seminole High School in Sanford, Florida, Raines' old school, is now called Tim Raines Athletic Park. His number 22 jersey has been retired at the school. In March 2019, Raines also received a special key to the city of Sanford. The Sanford Historical Museum has an exhibit dedicated to him, filled with items from his career.
Coaching After Playing
Raines started his coaching career in 2003. He managed the Class A-Advanced Brevard County Manatees, a team linked to the Expos. In 2004, he was promoted to the major league Expos team. He was there for the team's last games as the Montreal Expos.
He coached for the White Sox from November 2004 to October 2006. During the 2005 World Series Championship season, Raines was the first base coach. In 2006, he was the bench coach. In 2013, the Toronto Blue Jays hired Raines as a minor league coach. He taught players about baserunning and outfield play.
Tim Raines: Off the Field
In 1979, Tim Raines married Virginia Hilton, who was a classmate at Seminole High School. They have two sons: Tim Jr. (nicknamed "Little Rock") and André ("Little Hawk").
In high school, Tim Raines was a talented running back in football. He chose to play professional baseball instead. He explained that a football career might only last six or seven years in the NFL. But in baseball, he ended up playing for 23 years, which was a much longer career.
In 2007, he moved to Estrella Mountain Ranch, near Phoenix, Arizona. He married Shannon Watson. In 2017, Raines published his autobiography, Rock Solid: My Life in Baseball's Fast Lane.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
- List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual stolen base leaders
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
