Tim Raines, former Montreal Expos outfielder and current outfield/baserunning coordinator in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on Wednesday in his 10th and final year of eligibility.
Here are some notable reactions to his upcoming induction to Cooperstown from around the world of baseball.
``On behalf of the entire Toronto Blue Jays organization, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate Tim Raines on his election today into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a justly deserved recognition for an outstanding career. As one of the greatest leadoff hitters to ever play the game we are proud to have Tim teaching our young Blue Jays the finer points of our great game. Within our organization he is widely recognized for his passion and love of the game and his dedication to developing our players. Congratulations!''
Mark Shapiro, president and CEO, Toronto Blue Jays
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``I was very happy today to hear that Tim Raines was elected to the Hall of Fame. For many years I respected his game from across the diamond but now, with us both working for the Blue Jays, I am fortunate to know the man as well. Congratulations to Tim and the other inductees today and welcome to the club!''
Roberto Alomar, former Blue Jays second baseman and Hall of Fame member
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``About time. Should have been in awhile ago. Shout my guy @TimRaines30! #HOF @BlueJays
Marcus Stroman, current Blue Jays pitcher, from his Twitter account
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``Tim came up as a kid with the nickname 'Rock' and he played as hard as the nickname. He, Andre Dawson and Warren Cromartie were inseparable. They would laugh and laugh and that was all we heard until the game started. Then, Rock would take off, turning singles into doubles. And if he hit one in the gap? Watch him fly. He was such a dynamic player that he would have the defence feeling like 'Uh-oh, here comes Rock.' It was so great to watch.''
Nationals bench coach Chris Speier, Raines's Expos teammate from 1979-84
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``Tim Raines was a star. A great player, and very deserving of being enshrined in Cooperstown. He was one of the best leadoff hitters in the game and a tremendous base stealer. I want to congratulate him on a terrific career and being elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.''
Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, one of Raines' Expos GMs
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``Tim was one of the most beloved teammates I've ever had the pleasure of being around. His personality immediately impacted the clubhouse and his play on the field, in my opinion, was Hall of Fame calibre long ago. People talk today about using all the tools, 'Rock' could beat you with his legs and his bat on any given day.''
Indians manager Terry Francona, Raines's Expos teammate 1981-1985
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``What I remember most about Tim was first that he was a good guy, and second, that unbelievable lightning speed and a really high on-base percentage. He caused a lot of problems for pitchers. When you were playing against Tim Raines, with him at the top of the order, he was usually on base and the pitcher would have to pay a lot of attention to him. There was no telling when Tim was going to run, and when he ran he was usually safe.''
Former Montreal Expos GM Bill Stoneman
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``The moment that I knew Tim Raines was a Hall of Fame player was his first at-bat back in Montreal. It was the loudest and most excited I ever saw those fans in Montreal. That's when I realized he was a Hall-of-Famer, and that he was worthy of being a Hall-of-Famer just based off the excitement that he brought. I didn't really realize until that moment that he was everything that I thought he was as a kid growing up. When you think of great players you think of consistency and what I loved about him, what made me feel like, in my heart, he was a Hall of Famer was how consistent he was on and off the field. He brought energy when he played, and energy in the clubhouse and the dugout. The word that I think described him the most, it's kind of odd, was rapture _ that feeling of being carried away by overwhelming emotion. I know 'rapture' you think biblical terms, but I looked it up and it was dead on. It was intense. Being with him on a daily basis was intense in so many great, fun ways. It never seemed like Tim Raines would have a bad day, even at the end of his career when he wasn't playing as much, he still had the energy of that leadoff hitter, that impact player. When you look at the players who benefited, and ended up having Hall of Fame careers because he was their leadoff hitter, that's a trademark. How many runs did he score, and how many RBI did Andre Dawson and Gary Carter have because he was their leadoff hitter? He was a huge catalyst for those guys success as well.''
Michael Barrett, Nationals catching coordinator and Raines's teammate with Montreal during his second stint, in 2001
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``Tim Raines came in to the league and was one of the most exciting, dynamic, rookies in that era. He loved to play baseball. He was a great dude, and I respected him as one of the guys on the other side, but man he could wreak havoc on a game for the opposition.''
Nationals manager Dusty Bake