Hall of Fame candidate: Tim Raines

(NOTE: This is the 11th in a series of reviews of the candidacies of selected players listed on this year’s Hall of Fame ballot, leading up to the early-January announcement and July enshrinement of the Class of 2010.)

For a player who was better than anyone in baseball history at timing his jump on the way to a stolen base, Tim Raines had lousy timing.

He had the misfortune of being the best leadoff hitter in the National League during a time when Rickey Henderson was the best leadoff hitter in baseball history.

What do you want out of a leadoff hitter? Well, first you want him to get on base so the middle-of-the-order guys can drive him in. Raines excelled in that department, ranking among the top six in on-base percentage in the NL seven times from 1981-89. He had an OBP of .400 or better five times in his 23-year career and 10 seasons of .390 or better. He led the NL in times on base in three seasons (1983, ‘84 and ‘86, and he was second in 1985). His career OBP of .385 got him on base enough to score 1,571 runs, 50th all time. Of course, Henderson was better, with a career OBP of .401 and 2,295 runs, No. 1 on the all-time list.

You also want your leadoff hitter to be patient at the plate, to work the count so the more powerful hitters behind him get a good look at what the pitcher has to offer. Raines’ patience manifested itself in 1,330 career walks, 34th on the all-time list. Of course, Henderson was better, walking 2,190 times, second in baseball history only to Barry Bonds.

You also want your leadoff guy to be a good hitter, which Raines was. He led the NL with a .334 average in 1986, had six other seasons over .300 and finished with a .294 career average. (Significantly better, by the way, than Henderson’s .279 career mark.)

And, in a perfect world, you want your leadoff hitter to be adept at stealing a base and getting into scoring position.  Raines led the NL in steals four consecutive years (1981-84) and followed that up with two seasons of 70-plus stolen bases that didn’t lead the league (Vince Coleman did). Raines’ 808 career steals rank fifth all-time, behind Hall of Famers Henderson (of course), who had 1,406, Lou Brock (938), 19th-century star Billy Hamilton (912) and Ty Cobb (892).

There’s no doubt that Raines in his prime — the 1980s, essentially — was one of the best leadoff hitters ever. Trouble is, he paled in comparison to Henderson, a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he became eligible last year. Raines wasn’t Henderson, but he was Rickey Lite.

Is being the second-best at your job worthy of a plaque in Cooperstown, N.Y.?

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