Raines set to become ninth inducted into both Canadian ball hall and Cooperstown

Courtesy of Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

With his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, Montreal Expos legend Tim Raines will become the ninth member of an exclusive group of players, managers and executives to be inducted into both the Cooperstown-based shrine and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont.

Here's a rundown of the nine members of this exclusive club:

Fergie Jenkins

Born in Chatham, Ont., the 6-foot-5 right-hander was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. During his 19-year big league career, which extended from 1965 to 1983, Jenkins recorded a Canadian-record 284 wins for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox. His resume boasts six consecutive 20-win seasons (1967 to 1972), three All-Star selections and the 1971 National League Cy Young Award. The durable Canadian also registered 3,192 strikeouts. while walking just 997 batters to become the first major league pitcher to finish their career with more than 3,000 strikeouts and less than 1,000 walks. Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling have since joined him in that exclusive club.

Jackie Robinson

Born in Cairo, Ga., this trailblazing legend was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Prior to breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier in 1947, Robinson starred at second base for the Montreal Royals, a Brooklyn Dodgers triple-A farm team, in 1946. It’s widely believed that Dodgers GM Branch Rickey stationed Robinson in Montreal to ease his young prospect into integrated baseball. Playing his home games in a city with a reputation for racial tolerance would provide Robinson with relative tranquility for half the schedule. On the field, Robinson excelled, leading the International League in batting average (.349), walks (92) and runs (113), and spurring the Royals to their first Junior World Series triumph. After graduating to the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robinson would be selected to play in six All-Star games, be named the 1949 National League MVP and win a World Series ring in 1955.

Pat Gillick

Born in Chico, Calif., Gillick was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. The savvy talent evaluator became the Toronto Blue Jays’ vice president of player personnel in 1976, before being named general manager and vice president of baseball operations the ensuing year. In his 18 years in Toronto, he transformed an expansion club into World Champions. With Gillick as GM, the Blue Jays recorded 11 consecutive winning seasons (1983 to 1993), captured five division titles (1985, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993) and won two World Championships (1992, 1993). After leaving the Blue Jays, Gillick led three more franchises to post-season appearances: Baltimore (1996, 1997), Seattle (2000, 2001) and Philadelphia (2007, 2008). This makes him the only GM to guide four different clubs to the playoffs. When the Phillies won the World Series in 2008, Gillick added a third championship to his resume..

Gary Carter

Born in Culver City, Calif., Carter was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. Signed out of high school by the Montreal Expos in 1972, Carter spent 17 years with the franchise, including three seasons in the minors, 11 in the majors and three as a broadcaster. Nicknamed “Kid” for his boyish enthusiasm for the game, Carter belted 220 home runs as an Expo (third on the Expos all-time list) in 1,502 games with the club (second on the Expos all-time list), and was named the team’s Player of the Year four times. In all, in his 19-year big league career that also included stops with the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers, the popular catcher participated in 11 All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves and five Silver Slugger Awards.The two-time All-Star Game MVP (1981, 1984) also holds the National League record for most games caught (2,056) and was a member of the 1986 World Series-winning Mets.

Andre Dawson

Born in Miami, Fla., Dawson was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. Selected by the Montreal Expos in the 11th round of the 1975 amateur draft, Dawson batted .282 and belted 19 home runs to earn National League Rookie of the Year honours in 1977. Over his next nine seasons with the Expos, the five-tool outfielder evolved into one of the best all-around players in franchise history. While with Montreal, Dawson was selected to three All-Star teams, won three Silver Slugger Awards and captured six Gold Gloves. The quiet Expos leader was also named The Sporting News Player of the Year in 1981. In his 11 seasons in Montreal, Dawson accumulated 225 home runs, 838 RBI and 2,679 total bases  – all numbers that rank second in franchise history. After leaving the Expos, Dawson enjoyed an MVP season with the Chicago Cubs in 1987 and spent five more seasons at Wrigley, earning four more All-Star nods, before splitting his final four seasons between the Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins. In all, in parts of 21 big league campaigns, Dawson recorded 2,774 hits, 438 home runs and 314 stolen bases.

Tommy Lasorda

Born in Norristown, Pa., Lasorda was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. Best known as the colourful and beloved manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Lasorda spent the bulk of his professional playing career in Canada. Starting in 1950, Lasorda pitched a record nine seasons (1950 to 1955, 1958 to 1960) with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' triple-A affiliate. He would retire as the team's all-time leader in wins (107), games pitched (251) and innings pitched (1,461). The ebullient baseball icon would, of course, maintain his association with the Dodgers and eventually serve 21 seasons (1976 to 1996) as field boss with the club. During his reign, Lasorda’s teams captured eight division crowns, four National League pennants and two World Series titles.

Sparky Anderson

Born in Bridgewater, South Dakota, Anderson was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. Signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1953, Anderson was a heady infielder who played six of his 10 minor league seasons with the International League's Montreal Royals (1956, 1958) and Toronto Maple Leafs (1960 to 1963). During that time, he was voted the International League’s Smartest Player five times. In 1964, Anderson accepted his first professional managerial post with the Toronto Maple Leafs and after compiling an 80-72 record, he made his way up the managerial ladder to become one of the most successful skippers in big league history. After being named field boss of the Cincinnati Reds in 1970, the Big Red Machine won National League pennants in 1970, 1972 and 1973 and World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. The four-time manager of the year would join the Detroit Tigers in 1979 and lead the club to a Fall Classic title in 1984 to become the first manager to win a World Series in both the National and American Leagues.

Roberto Alomar

Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Alomar was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011. During his 17-year big league career, the sure-handed second baseman batted an even .300, recorded 2,724 hits and swiped 474 bases in 2,379 games with the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks. But it was in Toronto that he'd become a superstar. Alomar was an all-star and a Gold Glove Award winner in each of five seasons with the Blue Jays and was a key contributor to three division-winning squads (1991 to 1993) and two World Series champion clubs (1992, 1993). In total during his major league career, Alomar was selected to 12 All-Star games, won 10 Gold Gloves and captured four Silver Slugger Awards.

Tim Raines

Born in Sanford, Fla., Raines was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2013 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2017. In his 23-year big league career,  Raines was a seven-time all-star who suited up for 2,502 contests with the Montreal Expos, Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Baltimore Orioles and Florida Marlins. In his 13 seasons with the Expos (1979 to 1990, 2001), Raines set franchise records in runs (947), stolen bases (635), triples (82), walks (793), and singles (1,163). He also ranks second in Expos history in batting average (.301) and hits (1,622). From 1981 to 1987, the fleet-footed outfielder was selected to play in seven consecutive All-Star games and was named the MVP of the 1987 Midsummer Classic. During that same period, he also won a National League batting title in 1986 and topped the Senior Circuit in runs twice (1983, 1987) and in stolen bases four times (1981 to 1984). He finished his career with 808 stolen bases, which ranks fifth in major league history.