When Tim Raines last sported a Montreal Expos uniform at Olympic Stadium, in 2001, the venerable outfielder, then 41, was approaching the tail end of a career that, with a bit of luck, many thought, would yield a plaque in Cooperstown.
On Friday night, Raines returned to La Belle Province, and the familiar environs of The Big O, and proudly rocked his Expos jersey as a Hall of Famer.
Back in Montreal for the first time since getting elected to the Hall of Fame - in his final year on the ballot - in January, Raines, in town for the Toronto Blue Jays' two-game exhibition series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, took a few moments before Friday's affair at Olympic Stadium to say merci to the city he called home for 13 years and the halcyon days of his two-plus decades as a big leaguer.
"This is a bit emotional for me," Raines said near the beginning of his speech. "You know I love this town and there was no question, in my mind, when the Hall called, whose hat I was going to wear in the Hall of Fame. There was no question. I really thank you guys for inspiring me to do the things that I was able to do on the field."
Set to be inducted into Cooperstown this summer, along with Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez, after appearing on 86 percent of the BBWAA ballots in January, Raines, 57, received a rousing ovation from the crowd, and, fittingly, ended his speech by meandering over to second base and "stealing" it one last time.
Raines, who spent 23 years in the majors, stole more bases (807) than every player in history except Ty Cobb, Billy Hamilton, Lou Brock, and Rickey Henderson.
"This is where it started for me and this is where it's going to end," Raines later told reporters.
"Thank God, there wasn't a catcher trying to throw me out. I'm happy that they gave me the opportunity to do that. Not only that, but to be able to pick it up and give it to my twin girls. I'm not sure if they're going to be Major League Baseball players, but just having them be a part of this means a lot to me, and hopefully they'll understand one day what this is all about."
