Indianapolis, IN
Razor Shines on Indy Indians retiring jersey: ‘I’m gonna be brought to tears.’
Razor Shines was watching ESPN’s “First Take” in his Orlando living room Wednesday when he got the call. On the other end of the line was Indianapolis Indians CEO Bruce Schumacher, GM Randy Lewandowski and Director of Communications Cheyne Reiter. Shines thought he was getting a call about a 40th-anniversary reunion for the Indians’ American Association pennant.
But the front office members were reaching out to Shines for a more personal announcement. He was going to be the first player in franchise history to get his number retired.
“I was speechless,” Shines said. “I didn’t exactly know what to say. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t clearly say what I was thinking. … I’m not able to grasp what I’m thinking and how I feel.”
On Saturday, Sept. 14, Shines’ No. 3 jersey will be retired at Victory Field. It will be part of a three-day “Razor Shines Weekend” to close out the Indians’ regular season, as Shines will throw out the first pitch and sign autographs on Sept. 13 and Sept. 15.
Shines — born Anthony Razor Shines — played for the Indians for nine years over two stints from 1984-89 and 1991-93. Shines became a fan favorite and an Indy sports hero during his time with the Triple-A baseball club.
With the Colts struggling after their move from Baltimore in 1984 and the Pacers being at the bottom of the NBA pre-Reggie Miller, the Indians were the most successful pro team in town. Shines was a stalwart for the Indians during four consecutive American Association championships (1986-89) and two Triple-A Classic championships in 1988 and 1989.
“We were the dominant sports figure in the city, let me put it that way,” Shines said. “We won on a yearly basis, and we expected to. And I think most fans fall in love with winners, and that’s what we were.”
Shines contributed to 10 total championships for the Indians in the 1980s, the most by any player in franchise history. He ranks top-five in Indians history in home runs (T-3rd, 68), RBIs (4th, 404) and doubles (5th, 138). The Durham, N.C. native started for the Indians in every postseason game during his first tenure with the organization.
Shines became a beloved personality due to his community involvement in Indianapolis. He always sought to set an admirable example for kids who came to Indians games and saw him outside the ballpark.
“If it was clinics that had to be attended by Indians players, speaking engagements by Indians players, I wanted to be the one out front,” Shines said. “I wanted to be the one to set an example for the Indianapolis Indians.”
Whenever Shines returns to Indians games, he’s greeted by spectators who watched him play as children nearly 40 years ago, as they often come to games with their kids.
Shines played 68 games in MLB in short stints with the Montreal Expos from 1983-1987. The Expos drafted Shines in the 18th round of the 1978 MLB draft, and he remained in the organization until his final pro season in 1993.
Shines credits Indians Chairman Emeritus Max Schumacher for his illustrious career in Indianapolis. Schumacher — the former GM, President and Chairman of the Board for the club — developed an everlasting relationship with Shines during his career.
“This man has been more than a general manager to me,” Shines said. “He’s been a father figure to me. I respect him so much. It is unbelievable the respect and love I have for Max Schumacher. It is unmatched in baseball.”
After retiring from playing, Shines spent decades as a coach and manager in the minor leagues and MLB. He now lives in Orlando where his two children and three grandchildren reside. He volunteers with his 7-year-old grandson Riley’s baseball team. Riley shares the “Razor” middle name that began with Shines’ father, Curtis Razor Shines.
Shines will be joined by children and grandchildren when the Indians immortalize his accomplishments in September.
“I’m gonna be brought to tears,” Shines said of the Sept. 14 ceremony. “I say that because even the first time it was mentioned to me, I got weak and I could feel a tear or two running down my face. So I know once I start to thank people that deserve to be thanked, give people credit that deserve that credit, it’s gonna get to me a little bit.”
INDIANAPOLIS — The Colts’ playoff odds are at 10% according to the New York Times, and that seems high. Here is what to know:
The Colts are out of the playoffs if they lose to the Titans
This is pretty straightforward. If the Colts lose, the most games they can win this season is 8. Seven teams — Kansas City, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Houston, Los Angeles and Denver — already have nine wins.
The Colts can make the playoffs if they win out, Chargers lose out
If the Colts win out against the Titans, Giants and Jaguars, they’ll be 9-8. If the Chargers lose to the Raiders and Patriots. The Colts would win the conference record tiebreaker if they are the only two teams with nine wins.
There are multiple-team scenarios involving Los Angeles but the Colts will make the playoffs if these two scenarios happen.
How the Colts can make the playoffs if they win out and the Broncos lose out
If the Broncos lose to Cincinnati and Kansas City and the Colts win out, the Colts make the playoffs if Cincinnati or Miami win out or the Chargers lose out.
The Colts lose the head-to-head tiebreaker to Denver if its just those two teams.
If Los Angeles is also 9-8, it wins the division tiebreaker over the Broncos due to head-to-head and advances to the wild card tiebreaker.
In this scenario, the Colts and Dolphins would have the best conference record at 7-5, eliminating the other possible teams. Indianapolis beat Miami, putting them in the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Colts host the Tennessee Titans in NFL Week 16 action as the Colts try to remain in the AFC playoff race.
The CBS game will be shown in only the Indianapolis and Nashville NFL markets. It will also air in much of Indiana, Illinois and Tennessee, and in parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.
When do the Colts play the Titans in NFL Week 16?
1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis
How to watch Colts vs Titans in NFL Week 16
CBS, with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), and Ross Tucker and Jay Feely (analysis).
How to stream, watch Titans-Colts game for NFL Week 16
The Colts-Broncos matchup will stream on Paramount+ at 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. The app is available in the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Fans can also download NFL+ in the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
Colts 2024 schedule
all times ET
Sept. 8: Texans 29, Colts 27
Sept. 15: Packers 16, Colts 10
Sept. 22: Colts 21, Bears 16
Sept. 29: Colts 27, Steelers 24
Oct. 6: Jaguars 37, Colts 34
Oct. 13: Colts 20, Titans 17
Oct. 20: Colts 16, Dolphins 10
Oct. 27: Texans 23, Colts 20
Nov. 3: Vikings 21, Colts 13
Nov. 10: Bills 30, Colts 20
Nov. 17: Colts 28, Jets 27
Nov. 24: Lions 24, Colts 6
Dec. 1: Colts 25, Patriots 24
Dec. 15: Broncos 31, Colts 13
Dec. 22: vs. Tennessee, 1 p.m., CBS
Dec. 29: at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m., Fox
Jan. 5: vs. Jacksonville, TBD
The Tennessee Titans may be out of the playoff picture, but they find themselves in a big game against their AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts.
The Titans can play spoiler for the Colts, who need to win to hold onto their faint playoff hopes, by eliminating them from playoff contention in a win.
However, CBS Sports writer Pete Prisco doesn’t believe that will end up being the case. He predicts that the Colts will pull out a 24-17 win against the Titans.
“The Colts are alive in the playoff race — barely. The Titans are done and might be making a quarterback change. The Colts did some good things in losing to the Broncos last week in a game they should have won. They bounce back here. Colts take it,” Prisco writes.
The Titans are certainly an underdog considering the fact that they are on the road and have won only three games all year long.
However, we have seen how difficult it can be for divisional opponents to sweep a season series, and the Colts came away with the win when the two teams met in Nashville during Week 6.
The Titans are coming into the game with a massive chip on their shoulder and a new source of energy with Mason Rudolph taking over as the starting quarterback after Will Levis was demoted earlier in the week.
The Titans have the ingredients necessary for a win against the Colts, but they still have to execute their plan in order to leave Indy on a happy flight home to Tennessee.
The Titans and Colts are set to kickoff at 12 noon CT tomorrow inside Lucas Oil Stadium. The game can be watched on CBS or streamed on Paramount+.
Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
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