46th Annual Desjardins Sports Celebrity Dinner

SPEAKER PROFILE: TIM “ROCK” RAINES, MONTREAL EXPOS

When fans watched the Montreal Expos in the early 1980s, it was sometimes hard for them to determine if they were at a baseball game or a track meet. Players like Rodney Scott, Andre Dawson, and Jerry White ran roughshod over National League catchers. But no Expo player turned the tools of ignorance into tools of frustration more than this man. He stole 70 or more bases six times and as of 2016 was fifth in career steals with 808, behind only Ricky Henderson, Lou Brock, Billy Hamilton, and Ty Cobb, all Major League Hall of Famers.

In 1979, he had his first taste of life in “The Show,” during which he appeared in six games for the Expos as a pinch-runner and stole two bases without getting thrown out. He returned to Triple-A the following season to further refine his craft, and was named The Sporting News’ 1980 Minor League Player of the Year.

He launched his major-league career with the Expos in 1981. Coming out with a bang, he stole 20 bases in his first 19 games before finally getting thrown out in a game against the Dodgers on May 2. As Jim Kaplan wrote in Sports Illustrated:

“There was rejoicing in the National League last Saturday. Baseball’s Raines of Terror had ended. After stealing 27 consecutive bases over three seasons, just 11 short of the major league record, Montreal’s Tim Raines was thrown out by Los Angeles Catcher Mike Scioscia trying to steal third at Olympic Stadium. From New York to San Diego pitchers and catchers embraced, second basemen and shortstops cried for joy and managers began to breathe again, albeit nervously.”

Tim “Rock” Raines – who earned his nickname for having just 7.8% body fat – finished his big league career as the most successful base stealer – ranked by percentage – in MLB history. Raines earned All- Star Game selections in each of his first seven full seasons. He finished in the top 10 in MVP voting three times and won a Silver Slugger and a batting title in 1986 with a .334 average. He led the league in stolen bases from 1981-1984 and in runs scored in 1983 and 1987.

In January 2017, Tim Raines joined baseball’s most exclusive club: The one percent of big leaguers who have been elected to the Hall of Fame.