It's Rock's first year up for election in 2008, and I think he should get in, although he probably won't.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/raineti01.shtml

 

 

84% SB success rate (better than Brock and Henderson)

.294 avg, .385 obp

4 stolen base crowns, 1 batting title, 1 obp title

4th all-time in stolen bases

.400+ obp 4 times

good defensive outfielder

 

Next to Henderson he was the best leadoff man of his era. Yes he doesn't have 3,000 hits (ala Lou Brock), but Rock's career obp is about 40 points higher than Brock's.

How good are the voters' memories? He was an all-star from 1981 to 1987 with Montreal, then never again.

I think Rock may well be one of those guys who puts up low numbers his first year, but then as time goes on winds up with more and more people lobbying for him and telling other sportswriters to look at his numbers, like we saw with Sutter a year ago or so & like we've seen with some other guys. There are already a lot of the stathead people out there who see this guy's numbers and say "Yeah, that's HOF worthy" and over time I think they'll add up.

I think Rock may well be one of those guys who puts up low numbers his first year, but then as time goes on winds up with more and more people lobbying for him and telling other sportswriters to look at his numbers, like we saw with Sutter a year ago or so & like we've seen with some other guys. There are already a lot of the stathead people out there who see this guy's numbers and say "Yeah, that's HOF worthy" and over time I think they'll add up.

 

This year would be a good year for him(no slam dunk HOFer) but it's his first year on the ballot. It would be cool to see him go in with Henderson next year.

Next year's class is pretty weak; Raines does have a good chance of getting in on the first ballot.

If Andre Dawson can't get in, I doubt that Rock will have much of a chance.

 

Cheat posted this in the catch-all thread:

 

Keltner HOF Test

stat heads love raines and most think he should be a HOFer....not sure whether the voters will take notice, but i believe eventually he will get in as more and more writers look at things with a more sabrmetric mind

Yeah, Andre Dawson won 8 consecutive gold gloves, had 440 HR, damn near 2800 hits, over 300 SB, and he made the all star team 8 times. I know that he never learned to draw a walk, hence the .323 lifetime OBP, but overall, he was still one of the best players in baseball throughout the 80s.

 

He can't get into the HOF, though, and I doubt that Rock will.

Edited August 17, 200718 yr by hammerhead johnson

Yeah, Andre Dawson won 8 consecutive gold gloves, had 440 HR, damn near 2800 hits, over 300 SB, and he made the all star team 8 times. I know that he never learned to draw a walk, hence the .323 lifetime OBP, but overall, he was still one of the best players in baseball throughout the 80s.

 

He can't get into the HOF, though, and I doubt that Rock will.

This might be his year with the weak class. And comparing the overall numbers, he looks like more of a HOFer than Mark McGwire.

I'd like to see Dawson and Blyleven both get in this coming year. But Raines is tempting too.

 

808

Raines should be a first ballot HOFer. He was just incredible for about a 10 year stretch, and the 800 plus steals are the big stat that everyone can point to, like they would 300 wins or 500 homers.