Jim Rice

I told my father today that I would pay a tribute to the baseball player Jim Rice. My father told me that he was lucky enough to get to see this man play in person when Rice was at the top of his game and easily one of the most feared hitters in the American League at that time. It's hard to argue. In the late 70s / early 80s you had guys like Ripken, Murray, Jackson, Brett, and Winfield. Guys already on their way to Hall of Fame status. Then there was Rice, quiet, arrogant, and yet among his teammates the best you can ask for. His delay for the Hall reminds me of someone from another sport that had credentials but overlooked...Art Monk. Rice's stats as a whole (career: .298/382/1451) aren't outstanding to say the least, especially since baseball is marked by how well your numbers are. Many say that he was one of the most feared hitters in baseball at during his prime, that alone has to bypass his career stats for the Hall. Think about these stats before you criticize his induction today:

-He is the only player to lead the majors in triples, homers, and runs batted in in the same season (1978).
-He hit 39 homers or more four times in his career
-Also, he had 8 seasons of more than 100 RBI
-Seven seasons he batted over .300
-Finished in the top 5 in AL MVP voting six times winning one in 1978
-In his rookie season he finished 2nd in ROY honors and 3rd in MVP

-8-time All-Star
-Pressured into playing LF guarding the Monster for 16 seasons after guys like Yaz and Williams.

Say what you want about the man whos numbers might not be quite there, but when you have stretch of a career like he had where he had each pitcher in the palm of his hand that deserves a right to Cooperstown. He deserves more than he was given, but finally after some time the Hall of Fame voters put the right man in.

Here's a little piece ESPN did for him, just to show you what kind of man Rice was not portrayed as.

Rice the hero