Baseball Hall of Fame should include Tim Raines

We're spoiled in the Bay Area because we saw so much of Rickey Henderson. Four different A's stints, in fact. He still wishes it could be five.

When you're playing in the shadow of the grand pooh-bah of leadoff hitters, it's tough to get noticed, and that's Tim Raines' dilemma.

If not for Henderson, the all-time steals and runs leader, Raines would be in the best-leadoff-man-in-history conversation.

Raines stole 808 bases, fifth all time - the top four are Hall of Famers - and his 84.7 percent success rate is tops among thieves with at least 350 attempts. Rickey's 1,406 steals came at an 80.8 percent clip.

When compared with Henderson, Raines' numbers aren't so startling. He reached base 3,977 times (Rickey: 5,343), including 2,605 hits (Rickey: 3,055) and 1,330 walks (Rickey: 2,190). His on-base percentage was .385 to Rickey's .401.

But let's be real. There's just one Rickey.

Hall of Fame leadoff hitter Lou Brock, whose career steals crown was swiped by Henderson, reached base fewer times than Raines (3,833) and had a lower on-base percentage (.343) and lower stolen-base success rate (75.3 percent). In fewer plate appearances, Raines had more homers and RBIs.

The switch-hitting Raines was a seven-time All-Star, won a batting title and hit .294. Teammates spoke of him as they did of Henderson (and Brock), a dynamic table-setter who established the tone of a game with his bat and speed. He did things considered important before the Steroid Era sucker-punched the game, though his well-chronicled cocaine use can't be overlooked when judging his legacy.

The Hall of Fame will announce its 2012 inductees Monday, and Raines won't be named. He received 37.5 percent of the vote last year, his fourth appearance on the ballot. I voted for Raines along with Barry Larkin, who figures to be the only inductee, and Lee Smith, who was Trevor Hoffman before Trevor Hoffman.

The guess here is that Raines in time will be inducted. He's worthy. Cooperstown can never have too many Expos.

This article appeared on page B - 2 of the San?Francisco?Chronicle

Source: http://feeds.sfgate.com/click.phdo?i=2a1632214ac80f16393c7474979fa737

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