Last Updated: June 17th, 2026 by Michael Griffin
Look, I’m going to admit it: As a Mets fan, I truly hated to see Tim Raines come to the plate whenever the Expos played the Mets. He seemed to do something every game, whether it was a hit, a stolen base, or even a homer. “Rock” was anything but slow on the field, and it took the Hall far too long to recognize him. Here are 10 times when he made his case.
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Seven Straight All-Star Selections: Raines’ Streak of Summer Stardom
From 1981 to 1987, Tim Raines made seven straight All-Star team, which proved that he was among the league’s elite. None of these were pity votes either. The man was a superstar, bar none.
808 Stolen Bases—Fifth All-Time
808 stolen bases—fifth-most in MLB history. Raines should have been in the Hall much earlier, just based on this statistic alone. He was a menace on the basepaths, and there’s going to be more about that in a bit.
1986 Batting Title: The Year Tim Out-Hit the Game
In 1986, Raines hit .334 to claim the National League batting title. He was far from a one-dimensional player, not just relying on his speed. His .294 lifetime average is a testament to that, too.
Silver Slugger Award Winner: 1986’s Best NL Outfielder
That same magical year, Raines brought home the Silver Slugger Award for NL outfielders. This was especially impressive given that he played in the same outfield as Andre Dawson.
Leading MLB in Runs Scored: Raines’ 1983 Offensive Explosion
In 1983, Raines led Major League Baseball with 133 runs scored. He was the spark plug at the top of the order and made life easier for other hitters like Andre Dawson and Gary Carter.
1,330 Career Walks: Patience at the Plate, Panic for Pitchers
Raines drew 1,330 career walks—proof he understood the strike zone very well. Then, if he spotted a weakness in the pitcher’s pickoff move… he was off to try to swipe second.
Crossing 2,600 Career Hits—A Club for the Consistently Great
While he never broke the 200-hit mark in a season, Raines was still steady as a Rock. He collected 2,605 career hits, and each of them was well-earned.
World Series Champion: That 1996 Yankees Run
The 1996 Yankees was a unique collection of players. Older warhorses like Wade Boggs, Charlie Hayes, and Raines finally hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy. After all this time, Rock got to call himself Champion.
Most Stolen Bases in the 1980s—The Decade’s True Speed King
Raines started running as soon as he got regular playing time. He swiped 71 bases that year and then had a streak of six seasons with at least 70 steals. Now, the game is more power-oriented, but he makes people recall when speed ruled.
Hall of Fame Induction: The 2017 Call That Took Too Long
It mystifies me that it took 10 ballots to get Cooperstown to finally call him in 2017. Part of it might have been his being in Rickey Henderson’s shadow. Some of the writers might have wanted to punish him for his part in the 1982 Pittsburgh drug trials. Whatever the case, he showed up at the induction with his usual warm smile and delivered an incredible speech. You might say he stole the show.