Pirates subsidiary will retire number of former Razor Shines at Montreal Expo
Shines, a switch-hitter who was naturally left-handed, was drafted as a catcher by the Expos in the 18th round in 1978. While playing for Double-A Wichita in 1983, he lunged into the stands to catch a foul pop and accidentally knocked a soft drink into a man’s lap. Shines became friends with the man and married his daughter two years later.
Another major life event occurred in 1983, when Shines was called up to the Expos in September. He did not play in his first major league game. On September 9, the Expos were trailing 5-3 against the New York Mets in the bottom of the ninth inning. With Tom Seaver on the mound for the Mets, Expos manager Bill Virdon called up Shines as a pinch hitter. When Mets manager Frank Howard went to his bullpen to bring in left-hander Jesse Orosco, Virdon, apparently gunning for the Party Pooper of the Year award, sent in right-hander Jim Wohlford to replace Shines.
However, Shines was spared from becoming the hitter’s answer to Houston Astros pitcher Larry Yount, who was injured warming up for his only major league appearance. Shines appeared in two more games that year. He appeared in 68 major league games from 1983-1987 and had a career batting average of .185/.239/.198. Razor Shines probably never foresaw the day a team would ever retire his number.
Double-edged razor
Shines, meanwhile, had no chance of becoming the Expos’ catcher as long as they had future Hall of Famer Gary Carter. So Shines became a double-edged razor in Indianapolis as he learned to play first base and the outfield. In 1985, however, Carter was traded to the Mets, where he continued to hit home runs and take advantage of the Shea Stadium crowd for the final whistle. Unfortunately, the position change did not help Shines climb the Expos’ talent-rich ladder. Now he was blocked by stars Andre Dawson, Tim Raines, Andres Galarraga, and briefly, Pete Rose.
Shining on
Then again, perhaps he was popular because of his performance in Indy. In nine seasons there, he hit .274/.358/.416 with 68 home runs and 404 RBI. The home runs and RBIs rank third and fourth, respectively, in Indians history. He was born in the wrong year. Aside from playing in an era when the Expos were loaded with talent, it was also before the analytics era, when his OBP would have made him a coveted commodity. Unfortunately, Shines would retire long before OBP became an important number to the folks in the front office.
Sharp razor
After his playing days, and even before, Shines was respected for his keen baseball mind. On May 16, 2006, he returned to Indianapolis as manager of the Charlotte Knights. In an unusual move for an opposing manager, the Indians hosted a Razor Shines Night. The baseball club gave him a Chevrolet Lumina. He worked as a base coach for the Chicago White Sox and Mets and also managed several futures games. But an opportunity to manage in the major leagues never came, despite glowing recommendations from major league managers Ozzie Guillén and Charlie Manuel.
When you go
Razor Shines Weekend begins this Friday, Sept. 13, at Victory Field. Shines will throw out the ceremonial first pitch all three days and sign autographs on Friday and Sunday. There will be fireworks after the Friday and Saturday games. On Saturday, the Indians will retire his No. 3 in a pregame ceremony honoring Shines. Gifts limited to the first 1,000 fans through the gates include a Legends Baseball Card Set on Friday, a Razor Shines bobblehead on Saturday and a Razor Shines T-shirt on Sunday. Someone in the Indians’ PR department messed up, because there are no razors being given away on any day. Perhaps legal counsel got involved. In any case, please see the Indians’ website for more specific information. Last Word On Sports and I are not responsible if you do not receive an autograph or gift.
