Solid as a "Rock"...

                                      In four days, the Hall of fame inductions will be announced, and while there are many big names on the list, one name that I think should be getting more attention is Tim Raines.  In what I believe is his fourth year of eligibility, "Rock" Raines has been overlooked, mainly due I think to playing most of his career with the Montreal Expos. He has definite Hall of fame numbers; 808 steals (4th all time including a record 40 in a row one season, which has since been broken by Ichuro Suzuki) and over 1,500 runs scored, although oddly, zero gold gloves.


                    During the mid '80s, in the prime of his career, he was one of the players who admitted to using cocaine on a regular basis...it was said that he would always slide head first into bases so he wouldn't break the cocaine vials he kept in his back pocket.  Many people believe that this may be the one thing keeping him out, although I can't see why;While it can keep you awake and give you a brief burst of energy, it's not exactly a "performance enhancing" drug.  He eventually went to play for The Chicago White Sox in the early '90s, and then won two World series with (who else) the New York Yankees in '96 and '98.



      If he gets in, he will most likely go in as an Expo, which would make him only the third player to play at least ten years in Montreal to enter the Hall (The late Gary Carter and Andre Dawson, who chose to go into Cooperstown wearing a Cubs hat for some reason are the other two).  And, when you think about it, he may be the last player in the HOF who could legitimately go in wearing a cap with "MB" on it; Moises Alou is the only other player I can think of, and he played with so many teams, it'd be hard to choose...it's probably moot though, because I don't believe the son of Felipe has a chance...

                So, will the National league version of Rickey Henderson get in the hall this year?...Who knows, but I'm pulling for him, oh, and I just thought of another player who could possibly go in as an Expo; Vladimir Guerrero, who spent half his career with them in the '90s, but actually had his best years with the Anaheim or California or Los Angeles Angels, or whatever the hell they're called.  During this era of steroids, or at least of suspected steroid use, using cocaine seems downright quaint , so I'm pulling for Rock...and yes, I get the irony of a man nicknamed "Rock" who used to do cocaine (although crack would be more appropriate) so don't bother pointing that out...