Rock Solid: My Life in Baseball’s Fast Lane

For more than a decade, Tim Raines patrolled left field for the nascent Montreal Expos, igniting the powder keg of what would become one of the most innovative, entertaining, and talented teams of the modern era. Raines, nicknamed Rock, hit and stole his way into the hearts of baseball fans across North America. The seven-time all-star tore through the Expos record books before moving on to the Chicago White Sox, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, and Florida Marlins, ultimately earning three World Series rings. And now Raines sit on the cusp of entering Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. But it wasn’t always easy playing for the upstart Montreal Expos or being Tim Raines. Raines’ performance dipped in 1982, and at the end of the season, Raines entered treatment for substance abuse for cocaine addiction. To avoid leaving the drug in his locker, Raines would carry it in his hip pocket, and would slide headfirst when stealing bases. He used cocaine before games, in his car, after games, and on some occasions between innings in the clubhouse. Raines would later testify at the infamous Pittsburgh drug trials, in September 1985, and would ultimately resume his career at a high level and once again become one of baseball’s brightest stars, on and off the field. This memoir entails the life and playing career of one of the sport’s all-time greatest leaders and personalities, an honest, raw, and compelling tale of triumph and redemption.