Read the open letter Tim Raines wrote after learning he'd been inducted into the Hall of Fame

Tim Raines had waited a long, long time for this. After his iconic 23-year career ended in 2002, Rock waited the standard five years to see his name on the Hall of Fame ballot, then another nine years after that, as he inched closer and closer to the 75 percent of the vote necessary for enshrinement.
Then, on Wednesday, after 15 years of waiting and a life dedicated to baseball, Raines -- in his final year of eligibility -- finally got the call: He'd been voted into Cooperstown. Naturally, it was an emotional moment for the Expos legend, not to mention everyone who'd become invested in his cause over the past decade (read: basically the entire Internet). And if you don't believe us, just read the open letter Raines posted to Twitter after learning the news and try to keep it together:

Thank you. pic.twitter.com/BNSymKRWoL

— Tim Raines (@TimRaines30) January 18, 2017

Hello all,<br><br>
I am extremely honored and humbled to have received the call today that I will be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It's the perfect way to cap my 23-year career. When I began playing professional baseball, I just wanted to be one of the best at my position. I wasn't thinking of Cooperstown. But now that I will be inducted next summer, I am overcome with a wave of emotion and I am so excited to share this honor with my family. I would like to thank everyone who helped me become who I was on the baseball field, including my family and teammates. I would like to thank everyone in the media who advocated for my Hall of Fame candidacy. I can't tell you how much it means to me that this honor was so important to you as well. Lastly, I want to thank the fans from all of the cities that I played in. You gave me strength and support to do things I did on the field. And merci Montreal. See you all in Cooperstown this summer.<br><br>
- Rock

Congratulations, Tim, and we'll see you this summer.