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NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONYJuly 30, 2017Tim RainesCooperstown, New York JANE FORBES CLARK: Commissioner, if you would join me for our final presentation, and if I could call your attention to the video monitor for presentation about our final 2017 inductee, Tim Raines. (Video shown.) As chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, it is my honor, Tim, to welcome you into the Hall of Fame family and to ask Commissioner Manfred to read the inscription on your plaque. ROB MANFRED: Timothy Raines, Sr. "Rock." Montreal NL 1979 through 1990 and 2001; Chicago AL 1991-95; New York AL 1996-1998; Oakland AL 1999; Baltimore AL 2001; Florida NL 2002. A switch-hitting lead-off man whose speed, extra-base power and plate discipline were the perfect table-setting tools to fuel the 1980s Expos. Burst on to the scene in 1981, the start of a dominant 10-year stretch with more hits, runs scored, and times reaching base than any other National Leaguer. The only player with six straight years of 70 or more steals, led the NL four times. Totaled 808 stolen bases with a remarkable success rate of 84.7 percent. An All-Star outfielder in each of his seven full seasons, won the 1986 NL battle title, won two World Series rings with the Yankees. JANE FORBES CLARK: Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Raines. TIM RAINES: Wow. Thank you so much. Thank you, Jane, Jeff, Jon and Whitney for being such great hosts for me and my family. It's been a great six months, when we first got that call. We've been waiting for a long time for this call, and that day has come. First I'm going to apologize to the French Canadians. I've been trying for over 25 years to speak your language. I still haven't gotten there yet. I want to thank the sports writers. I've been asked that question for the past 10 years, what is the reason why you hadn't got in. Thank God I don't have to answer that question anymore. First I want to thank the people that are the reasons that I'm here today, my parents, Ned and Florence. Without them, obviously I wouldn't be here, but to my dad, you know, he was a great player in his own right. He didn't get the opportunity to play professional baseball. I got an opportunity to see him play, and I was a proud little three- or four-year-old kid watching my dad roam in center field at some of the back playgrounds in Sanford, Florida. At the time, I didn't realize that this was going to be the sport that I ended up playing, but he showed me baseball for the first time. I mean, I had four brothers, two sisters, one sister who's no longer here, and I know she's looking down on my right now congratulating me for this feat. I'm trying not to break up here. I actually have cold. That's why I'm kind of sniffing a little bit, if you believe that. But dad, I mean, he worked eight to ten hours a day on his job, and there were days where he felt like -- we would go out in the backyard and say we want to race, and my dad was a pretty fast runner back in his day, and Tommy, Levi, Ned Jr. and myself and Sam, we used to go out on the side of the house, and we would commence to race to see who could beat Pops. It took us a while. Well, it took them a while. Finally that one day came. I had my mind made up that he wasn't going to beat me today, and sure enough, we took off, and I was able to finally beat my dad in a race. That was the last time he raced us. He taught me to compete, and you know, what I mean by competing, we went out there and we competed against our dad, you know, Levi and Ned played professional baseball themselves. Unfortunately they didn't get the opportunity to play in the Big Leagues, but they got an opportunity. He taught us hard work. He taught us that we had to work for what we wanted to get. Nothing was ever going to be given to you. And then on the other side, my mom, he taught us the hard work. Mom made us do the hard work. I'll never forget my mom was -- I think everybody in Stanford, Florida, knows who Sue Raines is, even before I became a Major League player. She used to come in each and every ballgame I ever played, whether it be fastball, it can basketball, it can baseball, it with running track. Sue Raines was always there, and I knew it. You know, and she pushed me not in a way by saying do this or do that, but she always made me smile, and that smile made me go on and do the things that I was able to do. Thank you, Sue and Ned. Thank you so much. As you know, I'm not looking at these notes because I had to change them around a little bit because we are at the end of the day. I'm surely not used to batting fifth. Although I feel like I had the power and speed to do it. I also want to talk about my kids, my two boys. Little Rock, you know, the year Little Rock was born, four or five days later, I was called up to the Big Leagues. I was in my second full season in the Minor Leagues. I didn't get a chance to see Little Rock until the season was over, so he had to be about a month, month and a half old, and when I finally came back to see him, he had no clue who the heck I was. But luckily at the end of the season I had a few months for him to try to figure that out. And also Andre, really the reason why my second son was named Andre is because of Andre Dawson. He actually forced me to name him Andre. No, just kidding. You know, those two guys were the reason why I actually went out each and every day and played my heart out, you know, because they are my family. They kept me going day in and day out, and I wanted them to see what it was like to play the game the way I played the game, and I wanted them to be proud of their dad. And I also want to thank my lovely wife Shannon. She has been through this with me the past 13 years. You know, she has been the one that made me keep my faith that this was going to happen, and baby, it happened. Thank you so much for being there for me. I love you so much for that. And also, my two little angels, Amelie and Ava. Each and every year I looked at the votes, and when I knew I wasn't going to get in, I knew that all I had to do was look at my two little girls, and they were going to take me in the back and play all day long and made me forget about what had happened. Thank you, two little girls. I love you so much. And also, I want to thank my in-laws who weren't able to come here today because my mother-in-law was going to have surgery, eye surgery, and she couldn't make the trip here today. Peter and Debbie, even though you're not here, you're here in my heart. Thank you. There's a few guys I want to talk about before I get into my career, but the one guy I want to talk about who was inspirational for me, especially in the past three or four years in my candidacy into the Hall of Fame, and that guy is Jonah Keri. This was a kid that grew up watching Tim Raines play. I remember seeing a picture of us. I think he had to be about six or seven, and I was in my Montreal uniform, and he told me, this was me. I mean, Jonah is about 30 something now. I said, No way. He said, Yeah, this is me back in the day. You were my favorite player. He said, I watched your every move as a player, and today I want to thank him so very much for his support and for him getting me -- getting that name out there. You know, there's a lot of things that I was able to do that I didn't even know myself. This guy told me about stats that, I'm like, did I do that? Not only that, you know, we've become really great friends, you know, and again, thank you, Dana. I also want to talk about a couple of guys when I first got started. There was two guys that came into my life and into my career early in my career: Tom Rich and Adam Katz, the two guys that were my agents over the course of my 20 something year career. Thank you, guys, for believing in me, and thank you for always being there for me. Obviously during the time that we played the game, you know, it's obviously not the same as it is today, but thank you for fighting for me for each and every penny that I got, because it was very tough in those days trying to get some money for being a Major League Baseball player. But I think in our day, or in my day, I didn't really play for the money. I played for my teammates. I played for my organization, and I played to try to win world championships. It took me a while. It took me 10 years in Montreal. Things didn't work out there. Ended up going to Chicago to play with the Chicago White Sox. You know, and that was the first time I got an opportunity to meet Frank Thomas, the Big Hurt. He was young. He was a great hitter. He wasn't the greatest first baseman. He worked hard at it, though. I remember playing left field, and Frank was playing first base. Every time we picked off the first base, I'd start running in towards second base because I knew if the guy took off, Frank had to make a throw to second base, it would come out to me in left field. Thank you, Frank, for helping me be aware of everything that was going on in the games. But I want to talk about when it first started. I want to mention the two guys, my high school coaches, Jerry Mays and Bobby Lundquist. Thank you, guys, so much for being my high school coaches. Jerry had me for one year and turned me over to Bobby Lundquist. I don't know, it might have been the best thing that ever happened to Bobby or the worst thing that ever happened to Bobby. We had a great time. I mean, Bobby was a great college player at the University of Florida, pitcher and -- I forget if you played any positions, but I know you were a decent pitcher. But today he still thinks he struck me out when I was in high school. It never happened. But thank you, guys, for being there for me, getting me prepared to go to the next level. And I remember my senior year at Seminole High School, at the end of the year we went to a Spring Training game in Daytona beach. I didn't really know that much about the Montreal Expos, but in Orlando, Florida, there used to be the Minnesota Twins, and that was the closest team to Sanford, so if we ever went to a Spring Training game, we would probably go to Orlando to see a Spring Training game, but that day we ended up going to Daytona beach in 1977. It was Andre Dawson's rookie season. Like I said early, I didn't know anything about the Expos. I just knew they had a team. So we go there. We watched the game. Dawson is playing. Carter is playing. Ellis Valentine, Warren Cromartie. Just a 17-year-old kid before I was even drafted. I went up to Andre Dawson and asked him for an autograph. He denied it. Not knowing that two years later we were going to be teammates. So I get drafted by the Expos in the fifth round. Again, still, I don't really know that much about the Expos. They drafted me. I still didn't really know that much about the Expos. I spent that half season in rookie ball. The next two years I spent in A-Ball and Double-A. I was called up to the Big Leagues at the end of my second full season. The first time I put on my Expos uniform, we were in Wrigley Field. I swear to God, that was the most nervous I've ever been in my life. Wrigley Field, first time in the Big Leagues, 19 years old, just turning 20, from Sanford, Florida. Wow. That day was a day that I felt like I couldn't even catch a fly ball in the outfield during batting practice. I didn't get an opportunity to play in the game. I think I might have pinch ran, but at the end of that year all I did was a pinch runner. The next year, I go up -- I was playing in Triple-A, a shortstop got hurt, I was a second baseman. They called me up for two weeks. The first pitcher I faced in the Major Leagues was Nolan Ryan. I'm sure you don't remember that day, but I do. They called me up. I was the second baseman that was the lead-off guy. They put me in the third spot. Obviously Nolan don't know anything about me, but if you're batting third in the lineup in a Major League team, you're supposed to be probably the best player on the team, best hitter on the team. Nolan didn't know that I wasn't that kind of hitter, so my first at-bat, I go up to the plate, Nolan is throwing 90 something plus. I'm fouling balls off into our dugout, down the third base side. I knew I didn't have a chance. But I worked the count. I fouled a few balls off, I worked the count, 3-2. I'm looking for the fast ball. He throws a 3-2 curveball. I felt it was a ball. Umpire rung me up. I started running down to first base like he was going to give me the walk. He rang me up. I turned around, looked at the umpire, said, ball was in the dirt. He goes, "Sit down, Rook. That's Nolan Ryan out there." I learned my lesson that day. I want to mention a couple of guys that were very -- played a real big part in my career, in my growth in baseball. From Sanford, Florida, Gary Taylor and Wes Rinker. I don't think anyone knew who those guys are. They're no longer here now, but I know they're looking down from up there, congratulating me for getting to this point because those two guys believed in me more than anybody, and I was a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old kid. And now I want to talk about the guys that were the most influential in my career. Obviously Andre Dawson, Gary Carter, Warren Cromartie, and Ellis valentine, Tim Wallach. He's a guy that we started in Double-A together and went up to the Big Leagues together. I spent 10 years in the Big Leagues with Tim. When I eventually left, Tim stayed in Montreal. But thank you, Tim, for being with me all those years, through the Minor Leagues and all the way up through the Major Leagues. He's not here today because he's probably working with the Florida Marlins, but thank you, Tim, for being not only my teammate but a great friend. Gary Carter, God bless him. I know he's looking down, as well, saying, "You did it, kid." He taught me how to play the game. He taught me how to be prepared each and every day. He was a catcher, but this guy played the game the way it was supposed to be played, and thank you, Gary, because you taught me that about this game. Steve Rogers, even though he was a pitcher, you know, most everyday players don't hang out with pitchers, but this guy, when I first came up to Montreal, he was one of the best pitchers in the league. We ended up playing a lot of years together. But he's another guy that taught me not so much about pitching but getting prepared to play each and every ballgame. I know I played around a lot just like Andre said. I played around a lot. I mean, I liked to have fun. For me, baseball was just like a playground for me. Unfortunately I was doing it at the Major League level. And I had my fun, and I kidded around, and sometimes I kidded around with some people, like Andre, who would like knock me out from time to time, literally. But all in fun. I mean, Andre really didn't know how strong he was. Sometimes he would hit me and he would knock me out, but I would kind of play like it didn't really hurt, but it did, and I think he knew it, too. But all joking aside, without Andre Dawson, seriously, I think there's no telling what would have happened in my career. There was a point in my career that I felt like I needed someone to guide me in the right direction, and that guy was Andre Dawson. You know, when I first met Andre -- he's not the type of guy that you can just walk up to and start a conversation. He has that look about him, that, you know, you'd better come correct if you're coming to say something to Andre, and I wasn't the kind of guy that would mind up going to him, but he had that frown about him. I was a little afraid. But finally, there was one time I said, forget this, this guy is probably one of the best players that ever played the game, and he's my teammate. I want to kind of be like you. And he finally accepted, and I followed. Thank you so much, Andre Dawson, for making me the player that I became. I wish I had his arms. I think he wishes he had my legs. But together, me and him played the game, I'll tell you, the six, seven years we played together, there wasn't a dull day, regardless of win, lose or draw. I was just happy to have him on my side. Thank you so much, Andre. I want to talk about New York. You know, after my days in Chicago, I went to New York, still searching for a world championship, 17 years at the Major League level, still searching for a world championship. I got the opportunity to go play for Joe Torre. I wasn't quite sure if I was ready for the big lights of New York, but I took a chance. And thank God I did. My first year, 1996, you're obviously playing with some great players. Wade Boggs was on that team. He's here in the Hall of Fame. There were some other guys that will be here shortly. But just the opportunity not only just to play in New York but just to play with the guys that I was able to play with. I really don't have enough time to go through them all, but they know who they are. The first year in New York, '96, you know, playing in the World Series against the Braves, the Braves winning their first two games in New York. We go to Atlanta, they had already had the champagne ready. We knew that. George Steinbrenner came out to say, you guys don't have a chance. You're not going to win. I don't know if he really meant that, but it worked if he didn't. Jimmy Leyritz hit a home run late in the game to tie the game for us to go to extra innings, and we ended up winning that game in extra innings, and from that point it was over. I'll never forget the last out that was made hit to Charlie Hayes, pop fly down the foul line on third base, him catching the ball and raising his hand. I was finally a world champion. I'll never forget that day, either. We ended up having a chance the next two years I played in New York. We ended up winning it in '98. Another great feeling. The best feeling, I think, in the world for us ballplayers is winning a world championship, until today. Getting the opportunity to be a part of this team. You know, my favorite player is here, Joe Morgan. He's the reason why I became a ballplayer. First time I got a chance to meet him, I think he came to Montreal, and he was with the Reds, and I walked up to him like I was a little kid and asked him for an autograph in the middle of batting practice, but he took the time to shake me hand and say thank you. Thank you, Joe, for doing that for me. There's one other guy I'm going to talk about and then I'm going to end this up because I know you guys have had a long day. George Brett. You know, I was a big fan of George, his hitting style made me realize that that guy is a great player, one, but I want to hit like him. I wasn't sure if it was going to work because it was certainly different from anything else, but I dove right in. I was all in. I bought the book, "The Art of Hitting .300." The guy that was illustrated in that book with George Brett. I didn't get an opportunity to meet him for a long time after that, but from that point on, my offensive abilities turned around. I was no longer that guy that got up to the plate and was waiting for a walk. I was that guy that got up to the plate, and regardless of how big or small or short I was, I could take it out of the ballpark, too. I could go deep on both sides. I didn't have as much power as Rickey, though. Rickey had a little more power than me, but I admired him a lot. I mean, our careers kind of paralleled each other, but I never really tried to compete with Rickey, but I really loved the way he played the game. I watched him all the time when I had the opportunity. I wasn't really concerned about what he was doing, I just enjoyed the way he played the game. He ran. He hit. He hit for power. Everybody tried to compare us because he was in the American League and I was in the National League. I thought that was very unfair because he was a hell of a lot better than I was at that time. But the comparison -- I had to answer the questions all the time, and I tried to stay away from it, but Rickey Henderson to me is the greatest lead-off guy that ever played the game. I don't know if I'm a close second, but it's hard to find anyone between us, the way we played the game. I want to thank these guys, Jeff, Pudge, Bud and John. Like you guys say, we're going to be forever linked, 2017. Thank you, guys, for being a part of this year with me, and I want to thank all the guys that are behind me for being a part of this with us, and thank all of you for sharing this with us. Thank you so much. And guys, I hope you have a lovely evening. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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