Tim Raines
| Birthdate | 09/16/1959 |
| Death Date | |
| Debut Year | 1979 |
| Year of Induction | 2017 |
| Teams | Athletics, Expos, Marlins, Orioles, White Sox, Yankees |
| Positions | Designated Hitter, Left Field |
The 1986 batting champ and 7-time All Star, Tim Raines has the most stolen bases of any switch-hitter in Major League history.
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Starting with his rookie year, Tim Raines made 7 straight all star teams
Starting with his rookie year, Tim Raines made 7 straight all star teams
Tim Raines got to the big leagues with the Montreal Expos to stay in 1981. An All Star in his first season, Raines hit .304 with a league-leading 71 stolen bases. He finished second to the Dodgers’ Fernando Valenzuela for the Rookie of the Year.
Raines soon established himself as the top leadoff man in the National League. During his time in Montreal, Raines hit .301 with a .391 on-base percentage. The switch hitter swiped 793 bags for the Expos.
In December, 1990 the Expos traded Raines away. A hero in Montreal, Raines made 7 straight All Star games starting in 1981. He led the league in steals for four consecutive seasons. His run of 70 or more steals from ’81-’86 remains the longest in MLB history.
By the time he retired, Raines had 2,605 hits, 808 steals, a .385 on-base percentage, and a career WAR of 69.4 He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Shown here are four rookie cards from that season, each autographed by Raines.
Raines was called "the Rickey Henderson of the National League"
Raines was called "the Rickey Henderson of the National League"
Though Tim Raines was lighting up the base paths in the NL, he was overshadowed by the AL’s Rickey Henderson. Widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter of all-time, Henderson was a one-of-a-kind player.
From 1981-1987, the two men were very similar in terms of production. Henderson’s slash line during the run was .290/.401/.453. An All Star in each of those seven seasons, Raines was not far behind at .310/.396/.448.
In those heart-of-the-80s seasons, Henderson snatched 568 bags and was caught 137 times, good for a 80.4% success rate. The 1986 batting champ, Raines success rate of 87.2% in that time was superior as he stole 504 bases and was caught just 74 times.
Raines wrote of the comparison between the two speedsters in his autobiography, Rock Solid: My Life in Baseball’s Fast Lane.
“I heard it said time and time again that I was ‘the Rickey Henderson of the National League.’ That didn’t bother me. Rickey was an outstanding player. But maybe he was ‘the Tim Raines of the American League.'”
Shown here is a payroll check made out to Henderson by the NewYork Yankees dated March 31.
Rickey’s page on this website can be accessed by clicking here.
Tim Raines gained a World Series ring as a member of the 1996 New York Yankees
Tim Raines gained a World Series ring as a member of the 1996 New York Yankees
Tim Raines played for the Yankees from 1996-1998. A useful player off the bench, Raines helped New York play in the postseason each year. In 1996 New York downed Atlanta in the World Series to give Raines a World Series ring.
The following season he put up a .403 on-base percentage in his 318 plate appearances in ’97 for the AL wildcard team. In the collection is a lineup card from Game 2 of the 1997 American League Divisional Series.
Signed at the bottom by manager Joe Torre, this card also features the autograph of a 23-year old Derek Jeter homered, playing in just his second post season of his young career. Raines, Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams, Chad Curtis, and Andy Pettitte also penned their signature next to their names.
Tim Raines is one of three Cooperstown men with an Expos cap on his plaque
Tim Raines is one of three Cooperstown men with an Expos cap on his plaque
The Montreal Expos existed from 1969-2004. They are represented in Cooperstown by three men with the team’s cap on their heads.
Gary Carter was the first elected in 2003. Seven years later Andre Dawson got the Hall call. Tim Raines joined them in 2017.
Shown here is a ticket signed by Raines’ Montreal team from 1979 through ’86, Andre Dawson. The October 5, 1986 contest was the last of their time as teammates. Dawson signed the ticket, adding the description, “Last Game With Expos”.
