Rice's 14th try could be his best chance at Hall of Fame

AP via Yahoo! ^ | 1/6/2008 | Jimmy Golen

[Bluestateredman]

Rice's 14th try could be his best chance at Hall of Fame

By JIMMY GOLEN, AP Sports Writer January 5, 2008

BOSTON (AP) -- All Jim Rice needed was 18 more home runs to reach 400 -- a milestone that, to many, would have made him a surefire inductee into the baseball Hall of Fame.

Or, he could have smiled a little more.

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The often surly Boston Red Sox slugger, feared by opposing pitchers and unfriendly to the reporters who vote for the sport's highest honor, has fallen short of hall induction for 13 years.

Now, with the rampant use of steroids unveiled as one source of the game's home run inflation, Hall voters have a chance to re-examine Rice's numbers in the context of his era and give him what could be his last, best chance at induction.

"I think if you're the dominant player of your time, you should be in the Hall of Fame," said former Red Sox teammate Rick Miller. "And he was."

A year after Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. were inducted on their first try, the 2008 ballot had no certain inductee. Reliever Rich Gossage and Rice were the top returning vote-getters with 71.2 percent and 63.5 percent last year, respectively; 75 percent is needed for induction.

Rickey Henderson becomes eligible next year -- an obvious first-ballot inductee who could take votes away from candidates lingering from previous years. So this could be Rice's best chance before he's bounced from the ballot and thrown to the whims of the veterans committee.

"It seems like there's been a groundswell of support for him, from what I've been reading. Hopefully there's something to that and he gets in," said former teammate and current Red Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy. "I've been hoping all along, because in my mind he always has been a Hall of Fame player."

Rice was dominant from 1975, when he was the runner-up to teammate Fred Lynn in the AL Rookie of the Year voting, until 1986, when he led the league in 12 offensive categories, including runs, homers, RBIs and slugging percentage. But his numbers fell precipitously after that, and his inability to stretch his career hurt him when his lifetime numbers were compared with those who played during the recent statistical explosion.

Only 25 players hit more homers in baseball's first century or so; in the 18 years since Rice retired, he has been knocked out of the top 50. He was 36th on the career RBIs list; now he is 54th. He was 48th on the career slugging percentage rankings when he retired; now he is 87th.

"Things are not like they used to be; the players are not the same," Rice said. "You have to put guys in different categories and ask, 'What were those guys considered during their time?"'

Rice spoke by telephone from his home in South Carolina this week, after the 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America sent in their Hall of Fame ballots but before Tuesday's announcement of the results. Rice has not campaigned for inclusion, he said, nor was he particularly anxious.

"Hillary (Clinton) and everyone's doing a lot of campaigning. Why should I be out there campaigning?" Rice said. "I never thought I'd play one day in the big leagues, I wound up playing 15 years. That was something I was gifted with."

But Rice needed to play more than that to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer, or even a second-, third- or 13th-ballot selection. In addition to another 18 homers, he was 15 hits -- that's one more per year -- short of being a lifetime .300 batter, dropping to .298 after hitting .234 in his injury-shortened 1989 finale.

He also finished with 2,452 hits and 1,451 RBIs.

"A lot of guys getting into the Hall of Fame, look at the longevity. Fifteen years compared to 21 or 22," Rice said. "Yes, I could hit 18 more home runs if I played 22 years."

That would have made him a better candidate.

But it wouldn't have made him a better player.

"Most guys just got to 3,000 hits playing 20 years. Longevity shouldn't be a reason to be in the Hall of Fame," Miller said. "His stats when he played were as good or better than anybody's. It's just because he didn't play as long."

And, probably, because he played at the wrong time.

Rice led the league in home runs three times -- twice with 39 homers, or a little more than half as many as Barry Bonds hit in the juiced-ball heyday of 2001. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa obliterated the 60-homer barrier in 1998, a year when Rice's league-leading totals from '77 or '83 wouldn't have cracked the top 13.

"There was a day when 40 home runs was a lot of home runs. That's kind of gone by the books," Remy said. "It certainly was a different era.

"Ever since the McGwire and Sosa year -- that was so absurd, nothing ever came close to that. Of course, you're stunned by things like that."

But to Rice, the Steroids Era isn't just about performance-enhancing drugs.

It's an attitude where players are more likely to swing for the fences rather than playing a team-oriented game where everyone -- including the most feared hitters in the game -- would give themselves up to advance a runner. Smaller ballparks and expansion pitching staffs also cheapen home runs.

"You can go back before the steroids, you can go back to Nautilus equipment, weights, more teams, smaller ballparks. There's a lot of things you can go back into," Rice said. The question is, "What kind of hitter was I? Did I do things for the team or more as an individual.

"I could have been more selfish, but when I played it was a team thing," he said. "If you tell a young guy now, you've got to hit 500 home runs to get to the Hall of Fame, he'd have to decide if he wants to do that."

An eight-time All-Star and three-time home run champion, Rice was the AL MVP in 1978, when he also led the league in hits, RBIs, slugging percentage and triples. He had 406 total bases, which at the time was surpassed just 15 times in baseball history.

"He was one of the most feared hitters in the game of baseball in that stretch," Remy said. "He'd hit the big homer, but you'd look in the box score and he'd have three other hits."

Rice also may have delayed his induction by keeping reporters at arm's length -- or worse. Sometimes snarling and usually unapproachable, he alienated many of the electors; however, several of the Boston beat reporters who covered Rice most closely said they have voted for him each year since he became eligible in 1995.

"They didn't have any trouble out of me. The trouble came when you wanted to talk about the team," Rice said. "That was my trouble: Do not come to the ballpark to find out all the negative stuff. I didn't have any trouble per se with the media, I had trouble because I didn't give them scoops.

"The question is, do you want a guy that could play, or do you want a guy that can give you stories?"

In any case, Rice has mellowed since his playing days. In a telephone interview this week he was gracious and eager to help.

Until, that is, it was mentioned that as a postgame commentator for Red Sox TV broadcasts he is a member of the media he once seemed to regard with disdain.

"No, I'm not," he said quickly, but not especially sharply. "We don't go in the clubhouse. I don't have a badge to go in the clubhouse. I'm not the media."

Updated on Saturday, Jan 5, 2008 12:49 pm, EST

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[Bluestateredman]

An Article on the lighter side today. When compared to the juicers of today with their inflated numbers, Jim "Ed" Rice clearly belongs in the HOF. Another case of the media sticking it to someone who wouldn't play their games.

[Onerom99]

Yep. Rice was great. Loved seeing him stick it to the mainstream leeches.

[Mr_Moonlight]

"There was a day when 40 home runs was a lot of home runs."

Yep, that was the standard of a true slugger, and Jim Rice was one of 'em ... he should be in the Hall of Fame.

(and I'm a Yankee fan !)

[Soliton]

Baseball is a game not a sport. They work half of the game and mostly stand around doing nothing. If I was a professional baseball player, I would be ashamed in the presence of a hockey or football player. The hall of fame is worthless because it recognizes freakish talent boosted by drugs and loaded equipment. I respect juglers more. They work harder.

[#1CTYankee]

Jim Rice was a great ball player, his power numbers would have been much higher if the Red Sox batting coach hadn't messed with his swing.

Rice always impressed me by how strong he was, how many batters broke bats on check swings without hitting the ball.

[#1CTYankee]

"Baseball is a game not a sport. They work half of the game and mostly stand around doing nothing. If I was a professional baseball player, I would be ashamed in the presence of a hockey or football player."

I respectively disagree with you in this matter, I've played all three sports over the years and found the extended amount of games in Baseball to be the hardest in the long run.

IMHO

[Soliton]

I respectively disagree with you in this matter, I've played all three sports over the years and found the extended amount of games in Baseball to be the hardest in the long run.

Were you a pitcher who played every 5th game or a catcher who has to work every half of a game. they are the hardest working. I truly believe if baseball was invented today, people would laugh.

[NonValueAdded]

Jim Ed HDP Rice is his full name, IIRC. Just kidding, sort of. Jim Ed gave us some great years and many fond memories. He just stayed on a year or two too long.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

He had 406 total bases, which at the time was surpassed just 15 times in baseball history.

This accomplishment alone should qualify Rice. You look at the 15 prior men to acheive 400 total bases in a season. Besides this, he had great career statistics.

400 Total Bases in a Season

American League
Year	Player	Team	1B	2B	3B	HR	TB
1921	Babe Ruth	NYY	85	44	16	59	457
1927	Lou Gehrig	NYY	101	52	18	47	447
1932	Jimmie Foxx	PHI	113	33	9	58	438
1930	Lou Gehrig	NYY	120	42	17	41	419
1937	Joe DiMaggio	NYY	119	35	15	46	418
1927	Babe Ruth	NYY	95	29	8	60	417
1931	Lou Gehrig	NYY	119	31	15	46	410
1934	Lou Gehrig	NYY	115	40	6	49	409
1978	Jim Rice	BOS	127	25	15	46	406
1936	Hal Trotsky	CLE	120	45	9	42	405
1933	Jimmie Foxx	PHI	110	37	9	48	403
1936	Lou Gehrig	NYY	112	37	7	49	403
National League
Year	Player	Team	1B	2B	3B	HR	TB
1922	Rogers Hornsby	STL	148	46	14	42	450
1930	Chuck Klein	PHI	143	59	8	40	445
1948	Stan Musial	STL	127	46	18	39	429
2001	Sammy Sosa	CHI	86	34	5	64	425
1930	Hack Wilson	CHI	111	35	6	56	423
1932	Chuck Klein	PHI	123	50	15	38	420
2001	Luis Gonzalez	ARI	98	36	7	57	419
1930	Babe Herman	BKN	147	48	11	35	416
1998	Sammy Sosa	CHI	112	20	0	66	416
2001	Barry Bonds	SF	49	32	2	73	411
1929	Rogers Hornsby	CHI	135	47	8	39	409
1997	Larry Walker	COL	109	46	4	49	409
1937	Joe Medwick	STL	140	56	10	31	406
1929	Chuck Klein	PHI	125	45	6	43	405
2000	Todd Helton	COL	113	59	2	42	405
2001	Todd Helton	COL	92	54	2	49	402
1959	Hank Aaron	MIL	131	46	7	39	400

[#1CTYankee]

"Were you a pitcher who played every 5th game or a catcher who has to work every half of a game. they are the hardest working. I truly believe if baseball was invented today, people would laugh."

I pitched and played third base. I played ball until I was 19 years old, we started in April and played into early October.

Oh and having some guy who out weighs you by 100 lbs try to take you out while covering third isn't much fun either.

[KSCITYBOY]

I bet you’re fun at a party!

[Soliton]

In a nine inning game, how many times did you touch the ball in play?

[Soliton]

I was an international class wrestler, played rugby in Europe, was captain of my High School Hockey team as a sophomore, and started halfback both ways on our school football team. I was recruited to play baseball because of my hitting. I refused because it seemed like a pu$$y sport to me.

[#1CTYankee]

So according to you Baseball is a pu$$y sport?

Discussion over.

[SamAdams76]

In 1983 or 1984, I went to a California Angels game in Anaheim when they played the Red Sox. I was in the Marines then. After the game, me and a couple of other Marines hung around the stadium - not in a particular hurry to get back to the base at Camp Pendleton. Suddenly, Jim Rice and Reggie Jackson come out of the ballpark together and Rice hung back by the exit while Reggie went out into the parking lot. As we walked by, we said hello but he was stone cold and didn't even acknowledge our presence. Within a minute, Reggie pulled up in some flashy sports car and Rice jumped in and they burned some rubber going wherever they were going.

All the same, Rice deserves to be in the HOF. I spent many a day at Fenway Park during the late 1970s watching him destroy the baseball. He was as hard a hitter as I ever saw and pitchers feared him. He was strong too. One time he checked his swing and his bat broke.

[MikeD]

No doubt — Jim Rice, Burt Blyleven, Goose Gossage, and Dale Murphy* belong in the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, their numbers are overshadowed by steroids, smaller parks, and smaller called strike zones.

*Yes, I know I’m a broken record on the Murphy thing. However, how can you keep out a guy who was a two-time MVP, seven time All-Star, two time HR champ, two time RBI champ, a 30-30 club member, and a five time Golden Glove winner? Not to mention that he played in over 700 consecutive games, many of them for the horrendous 1980’s Atlanta Braves. He was the player with the most total bases in the 1980s (ahead of HOF members Mike Schmidt and Eddie Murray), and was second in HRs in the 80s to Schmidt, and second in RBI to Murray. Once you factor in his charity work and his impeccable character, it’s a no brainer.