DATE: Jun 1983 ORIGINAL or REPRINT: Type 1 Original - Printed from the original negative within about 2 years of when it was shot TEAM: Montreal Expos SUBJECTS: Tim Raines Sr, Jason D Thompson APPROXIMATE SIZE: 8-1/2"x6-1/2" NUMBER OF PHOTOS: 1 COMMENTS / CONDITION: This is one of a large accumulation of vintage sports photographs, slides and negatives that we will be listing over the coming months. Wear on these, if any, is mostly confined to minor corner and edge wear, but see scans for further details including condition. We do not deal in stock images or modern reprints, and all scans shown are of the actual vintage photograph, slide or negative being sold. If you have any questions about a particular piece, please ask before the auction ends. BIO: Timothy Raines Sr. (Rock) was born in 1959 in Sanford, FL. He played major league baseball from 1979 to 2002 as outfielder for the Montreal Expos, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and the Florida Marlins, appeared in the 1996 World Series, was selected 7 times as an All-Star, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. He fell to a .277 batting average in 1982, although he stole 78 bases, a mediocre performance that was one of the reasons why the Expos blew what was probably their best opportunity to win a division title during his tenure. It was later revealed that he had fallen victim to a cocaine addiction that season, and had acquired nasty habits: in a famous incident, he missed the start of an afternoon game because he was sleeping off the previous night's excess partying, and he later confessed to sliding head first in order not to break cocaine vials he carried in his back pocket. It took an intervention by teammate Andre Dawson for him to enter rehabilitation after the season. When Raines' second son was born the following July, he named him "Andre Darrell Raines", in honor of The Hawk. However, once he kicked the habit, he never relapsed, conducting clinics for youths on staying drug-free and generally being a role model for everyone from that point on. His final season as a player was with the Florida Marlins in 2002, but by then he had little left in the tank, and retired after hitting .191 in 98 games, having become a four-decade player, and one of only two players, with Ted Williams, to steal a base in four different decades. He was also the last player in MLB history to wear a batting helmet that did not have ear flaps (see [here). His jersey number 30 was retired by the Montreal Expos during their last season in 2004. He was the manager of their Class A affiliate the Brevard County Manatees that season, and was asked to spend the last month of the season with the big league team as an additional coach, a gesture meant to honor one of the franchise's all-time greats. Tim Raines went on to join the Chicago White Sox as first base coach in 2005 on the world champion team. After the 2006 season, Raines was let go by the Sox, but was named a coach for the Harrisburg Senators in 2007. He was then named manager of the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League for 2009. He briefly went by the name "Rock" Raines, explaining that he had been known as Rock while a child. However, the fans and sportswriters didn't take to the name, so he went back to using "Tim". In addition to his son Tim Jr. playing in the majors, Raines' brother, Ned Raines, was a minor league outfielder from 1978 to 1980. Jason Dolph Thompson was born in 1954 in Hollywood, CA and went to college at California State University Northridge. He played major league baseball from 1976 to 1986 as 1st baseman for the Detroit Tigers, California Angels, Pittsburgh Pirates and the Montreal Expos, and was selected 3 times as an All-Star. Twice, Thompson hit the ball over the far, distant right field roof at Tiger Stadium, which earned him his nickname "Roof-Top." SKU: SPP01414
Item: SPP01414
|