#MIDDLEBURY #SPORTS
By Mark Vasto
It really made no sense at all. How could one of the greatest left fielders of all time, one of the great base stealers in history (first all-time in efficiency, fifth all-time base stealer) and a seven-time All-Star be ignored for two decades by the powers that be, those baseball writers who hold the keys to Cooperstown?
But there it was before me in the paper that mid-January morning … Raines had finally been elected and I, who have written about Raines’ merits ad nauseam in this column, was set free. The fact that the Baseball Writers’ Association of America also took two of my other pro bono cases in Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez made things only that much sweeter. Then I had another question: What took them so long?
Bagwell and Rodriguez were painted with the steroid scandal tar brush, and that was the sole reason why they had to wait for induction. Apparently, the unwritten rule for the BBWAA is that admitted or indicted steroid abusers (Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, for instance) are to be banned; those who are suspected or gossiped about will have to wait a ballot or two to think about their sins in what is baseball’s version of purgatory. Now they are spotless, enshrined forever in upstate New York.
Raines, for historical reasons, will more than likely be remembered for two things: cocaine and collusion. The standout superstar high-school athlete out of Sanford, Fla., flush with money for the first time in his life, decided to spend it on drugs … cocaine, specifically. During the infamous Pittsburgh drug trials in 1985, Raines copped to the fact that he played many games high on coke, did coke in the clubhouse during games and even developed his head-first slide in order to protect the eight ball he had in his back pocket.
The next year, he won the batting title, only the third switch hitter in history to do so. He led the league in on-base percentage (.413) and times on base (274). After that season, he was a free agent. The only clubs that showed any interest were … none of them. Instead of the sound of ch-ching, he got the sleepy melody of crickets. Why? Because the owners of the league colluded together in order to keep salaries down.
Raines was re-signed to the Expos, missing out on the lucrative New York Yankee contract everyone thought he had coming his way. Can you imagine that? An outfield consisting of Tim Raines, Rickey Henderson and Dave Winfield? With Billy Martin managing Raines and Henderson to boot? That would have been a sight to see.
But Raines will be best remembered for being one of the premier players of not only his era, but all time. Bill James ranks him as the 40th greatest position player of all time. The record books remember him, too.
He’s remembered for having an uncanny knack to win ballgames with grand slams and triples. One also could point to his victory over drugs and the sportsmanlike conduct he displayed during his career.
Tim Raines, the “Rock” before there was a “Rock,” welcome to the Hall of Fame.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey.
(c) 2017 King Features Synd., Inc.
