There are currently 12 members of the Baseball Hall of Fame who played or managed in Memphis during their illustrious careers. Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci makes the case for a 13th: Tim (Rock) Raines. On the ballot for the first time next month, Raines starred for the 1979 Memphis Chicks (.290 batting average, 104 runs, 59 stolen bases).
Writes Verducci: “Why wait to appreciate Raines? Shouldn’t we know by now that Hall of Fame greatness doesn’t always have to be about MVP awards and the big, round numbers? Even without the fancy hardware, Raines, for an extended prime, was one of the most dominant players in baseball (especially as a leadoff hitter), which is as good of a beginning as any when you start defining Hall of Fame players.”
Read Verducci’s pitch here.