That was a big part of his career. Once that happened, I think he felt like he'd done everything he needed to. While Orioles officials were impressed with his first full season, Raines wasn't. He had concerns over batting from the left side, even wondering if he should bag it for fear of losing his job. Those concerns were allayed in an orderly fashion.
Raines just has to play.
And now he's even showing some extra pop from the left side. It even took his dad a little while, and I think the same will be true with Timmy. There's no magic timetable. After announcing his retirement just before the Yankees broke spring training, Tim Raines began following his son the same way son used to follow father. Actually, not quite the same way.