White Sox announce plan to celebrate ‘Tim Raines Day’

The White Sox plan to honor former outfielder and Hall-of-Famer Tim Raines with his own day at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The South Side team announced Tuesday that it will honor Raines, nicknamed the “Rock,” with Tim Raines Day on Sept. 9 when the White Sox host the San Francisco Giants.

Raines will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and the first 20,000 fans will receive a commemorative statue of Tim Raines swinging a bat in a White Sox uniform.

“We were thrilled when we learned that Tim had been elected into the Hall of Fame and wanted to create an opportunity for the entire White Sox family – from our front office to our fans – to show how proud we are of Tim’s incredible baseball career,” said Brooks Boyer, White Sox senior vice president of sales and marketing. “White Sox fans remember well the important role he played on the 1993 division championship team, as well as his contributions as a member of the coaching staff during the 2005 World Series season.”

Raines, 57, is regarded as one of the best leadoff hitters and baserunners in baseball history. He batted .283 (697-2,461) with 50 home runs, 277 RBI, 440 runs scored and 142 stolen bases in 648 games with the White Sox. He’s ranked second in the White Sox organization with runs scored, stolen bases and triples (28), and third in doubles (98).

The seven-time National League All-Star and 1986 Silver Slugger Award recipient spent four of his 23 seasons in the Major League on Chicago’s south side.

After spending more than two decades in the Major Leagues, Raines decided to return to the dugout as a coach. He spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons as a member of the White Sox coaching staff, serving as the first-base coach for the 2005 World Series Championship team.

Raines was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America this winter, receiving 86 percent of the vote. He’ll be inducted at the end of this month in Cooperstown, New York with other members of the Class of 2017.

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