Rice elected to Hall of Fame
By Adam Kilgore and Chad Finn, Globe staff
Jim Rice was watching his soap operas on television this afternoon, like he always does. At 1:10 p.m., he decided he would call Red Sox media relations director Pam Ganley. He wanted to ask her if she knew whether or not he was in the Hall of Fame.
Then he put the phone down. No, not right now, he thought. He had waited 15 years. What was a few more minutes?
At 1:17, his phone rang. "It's either good, or it's bad," Rice said. "'I'm sorry,' or 'You're in the Hall of Fame.' "
It was the news he has long been awaiting. Jack O'Connell, representing the Baseball Writers' Association of America, informed Rice he was a Hall of Famer.
The fierce and feared slugger who spent his entire 16-year major league career with the Red Sox, was named on 76.4 percent of the ballots. Seventy-five percent is required for induction. Rice received 412 of 539 votes, just seven more than the minimum amount necessary.
He will be joined in this year's class by Rickey Henderson, who spent 25 years in the majors and ranks as the all-time leader in runs (2,995) and stolen bases (1,406), and who is widely regarded as the best leadoff hitter of all time. In his first year on the ballot, the 50-year-old Henderson received 94.8 percent of the vote. Induction ceremonies will take place Sunday, July 26, in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Rice, who batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs from 1974-89 while following Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski in the Red Sox tradition of superstar left fielders, is the first player to be elected in his final year of BBWAA eligibility since 1975, when longtime Pirates star Ralph Kiner was chosen.
"It was a big relief," Rice said during a 4 p.m. press conference at Fenway Park. "I didn’t have any weight on my shoulders, per se. But when I got the call, it seemed like everything fell back.
"It’s like, I’m not nervous. It’s over with. I feel real good."
Rice, 54, was his typical steady self at his press conference. He walked out wearing a sweater vest over a long-sleeved polo shirt and slacks. He shook hands with Sox CEO Larry Lucchino, who whispered something that made him laugh. Rice first thanked Red Sox publicist Dick Bresciani, who had compiled a compelling statistical case for Rice and promoted his candidacy perhaps more than anyone else.
He said the first thing he thought about was his father. He thought about high school baseball, learning how to hit the ball to right field, "the little things," Rice said. He has been steadfast that the wait did not wear on him, but the day brought emotions that suggested otherwise. And that was understandable, for it was a long journey to Cooperstown for Rice, whose candidacy had been a topic of intense debate among writers and fans since he first appeared on the ballot in 1995.
Rice's supporters long contended that he was the game's dominant slugger for a 10-12 year stretch, a notion that is frequently seconded by his peers. An eight-time All-Star, Rice was an elite hitter from 1975, when he was runner-up to teammate Fred Lynn for AL Rookie of the Year, until 1986, when the Red Sox fell to the Mets in the World Series.
"It's about time," Lynn told the Associated Press "Throw out the statistics. Jimmy was the dominant force in his era. That's really all you can say when you're trying to compare guys that played in the '70s and '80s to the guys that are playing now. . . . In his heyday, Jimmy was a feared hitter."
Rice compiled 35 homers and 200 hits in three straight seasons, finished in the top five in Most Valuable Player voting six times, and led the league in total bases four times, including a staggering 406 in during the 1978 season, when he was named the American League MVP after hitting .315 with 46 homers and 139 RBIs in one of the finest individual seasons in franchise history.
"As a player, when I played with Jimmy, I thought it was his best year, which was 1978," said former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley. " It was the most dynamic offensive year that I have ever played with anybody. His acceptance to the Hall is long overdue. As a person, he was a consistent guy. He was always there, every day as a person and every day as a player."
Rice's accomplishments became more impressive in retrospect considering they were compiled before the performance-enhancing drug era, which swelled home run numbers throughout the sport.
But those skeptical of Rice's qualifications also had a reasonable case. His run of true greatness was brief for a Hall of Fame-caliber player, and his skills eroded quickly -- he hit just 31 homers in his final three seasons and was essentially finished as an above-average hitter at age 34. Further, they argued, his numbers were inflated by playing half his games in Fenway (he batted .277 on the road in his career), he had little speed and was merely an average left fielder, and he never had a defining postseason moment. (He missed the '75 World Series with a broken wrist.)
Rice, whose reputation during his playing days as being aloof with the media may have hurt him with some voters, said today he doesn't comprehend where his naysayers were coming from.
"I don't understand about being overrated, the numbers spoke for themselves, and during that time, you look at the guys that played the game and the numbers they put up [and mine stand up]," Rice said. "So as far as being overrated, I have no idea.
"I think what you're trying to get at is that some of the writers probably said I was arrogant. You know that wasn't true. You want to talk about baseball, I talk about baseball, but I never talked about my teammates. I protected my teammates. I don't think you should make any excuses, when I felt like as captain of the ball club, I took a lot of pressure off the guys because some guys could handle pressure, some guys couldn't handle pressure, and I was the type of guy that I got paid to go out and play baseball."
Rice, who received 72.2 percent of the vote last year, falling 16 votes shy, had history on his side this year. Twenty other players have gathered between 70 and 75 percent of the vote and every one of them ultimately made it to Cooperstown -- though some were voted in by the Veterans Committee. The highest percentage for a player who wasn't elected later was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.
Rice received just 30 percent of the vote in '95, his first year on the ballot, but his candidacy received a boost in recent years when Bresciani began sending his comprehensive annual report to Hall of Fame voters on why Rice is worthy of Cooperstown.
According to MLB.com, Rice's percentage had peaked at 57.9 percent in 2001, and had been as low as 29.4 percent (1999). But in 2005 -- the first year of Bresciani's report -- Rice's percentage rose to 59.5, then 64.8 in 2006, a minor drop to 63.5 percent in '07, then up to 72.2 percent a year ago.
Bresciani emphasized that Rice led all AL in homers and RBIs during his 16 seasons, and that the only retired players with both a career average and a home run total as high as Rice's were Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Mel Ott, Babe Ruth, and Williams -- all baseball legends, all of whom are in Cooperstown.
Rice said today that Aaron was a particular inspiration.
"I'd probably say [I tried to be] more like Henry Aaron, I came from South Carolina . . . and of course I met him when he played in Milwaukee . . . I probably looked at Hank more than anyone else," Rice said.
Andre Dawson, who spent two years with the Red Sox in the early '90s but spent his prime seasons with the Montreal Expos and Chicago Cubs, was third with 67 percent of the vote, while righthanded pitcher Bert Blyleven was fourth at 62.7 percent. Former Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn received six votes and was one of nine players who didn't receive enough support to remain on the ballot.
Rice is the first player whose peak years came while playing for the Red Sox to be elected to the Hall of Fame since his former teammate Wade Boggs in 2005. (Henderson had a brief stopover with the Sox, spending the 2002 season in Boston.) He is also the first African-American player who spent the bulk of this career with the Red Sox to be elected. Other Red Sox who are in the Hall of Fame include Joe Cronin, Bobby Doerr, Rick Ferrell, Carlton Fisk, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Williams and Yastrzemski.
At the press conference, Rice stayed composed and thoughtful while taking questions for 15 minutes. He told jokes -- "Yes, I would be making $27 million today," he said -- and became emotional only once, when he talked about how much Yastrzemski meant to him. Rice gave Yaz credit for teaching him how to play the left field wall at Fenway, and for stepping aside and playing first base to allow Rice to take over in left.
"Yaz only played with one outfielder's glove," Rice said, his eyes moistening. "And I have it at my house."
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CONGRATULATIONS!
Congrats Jim!
Finally!!!!
Congrats Jim! It's about time. Thank you for all the great years in a red sox uniform.
Jim Ed:
You da man. Congratulations on a long overdue honor. This is a great day for Red Sox fans.
Congrats to Jim Ed!! FINALLY well-deserved recognition!!
It's about time!
Congrats, Jim Ed, you deserve it!
Hooray for Jim Ed! He dominated hitting for ten years and deserves to be in the hall.
CONGRATS JIM ED, YOU DESERVE IT. THANK YOU SPORTS WRITERS, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
Congrats to Jim Rice!
Will we see a number retirement ceremony at Fenway this year as well?
Congrats Mr. Rice!! Well deserved and about time. Enjoy and we look forward to cheering you when you next visit Fenway.
Hallelujah!
Wade Boggs is in the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox, too!!
Amen!!!
Its about time, see you in July Cooperstown
Congrats to Jim Rice and his family! I came of age watching Mr. Rice play and he will always be my favorite Sox player.
Fantastic news for big Jim Ed! Well deserved!
Finally, enough of the writers who knew what a mean SOB he was have retired. Maybe there's hope for Albert Belle.
AMEN ! Finally... Congratulations! Better late than never....
CONGRATULATIONS JIMMY!!!!!!!! WELL derserved and NOT soon enough.
Congrats Jim Ed! I hope that weekend stays clear on my schedule.
Way to go Jim Ed!
ABOUT TIME
Congratulations Jim!! It's WAY overdue, but the end result is all that really matters.
Its about time! Well deserved
FINALLY! Enjoy it Jim, you earned it!
Well Jim, congrats, you certainly earned it.
With a tear in my eye I say it's about time!!!!
July Road trip!
Congrats Mr. Rice!! It's about time. A well-deserved honor! You served MLB with class and respect.
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats to a great player... You deserved it a long time ago Jim Ed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a avid Red Sox fan and an even bigger Jim Rice fan but lets be honest, he should not be in the hall.
Congratulations Jim!! It's WAY overdue, but the end result is all that really matters.
Finally! I had the privilege of watching Jim Rice when I first arrived in Boston many years ago from the UK. He deserves to be there. Now all we need is a Jim Rice like hitter to augment the current team and we'll be styling,as my American stepson would say.
YES!!!! Congratulations to Jim Rice!
At long last, a new number at Fenway park!
Congratulations Jim!! It's WAY overdue, but the end result is all that really matters.
There are more than 8 Red Sox hall of famers in the hall. Why do u mention Lefty Grove who spent more time with the A's and neglect to mention guys like Cy Young and Tris Speaker?
Way to go Jim Ed!!!
I remember watching you in the early days when you were in the Eastern League as a member of the PawSox vs the West Haven Yankees at Quigley Stadium. You always played the game hard and it was greatly appreciated!
KUDOS JIM RICE!!!!!
It's about time the baseball writers got it right,.....!
Watched this great player for many years,.... never understood why his vote to the hall was even debated.
Now we can have a number retirement ceremony
Finally! The trinity of Rice, Lynn, and Evans are ALL now respected! As a kid I was lucky enough to see these three in action and every kid I know wanted to be them! Congrats Jim Ed, well deserved and you didn't compromise a thing on the way!
It's about time!
What a joke. Last I checked his career today is the same career he had for the previous 14 years of HOF balloting. Sorry Jim, your "fear" quotient is a sadly contrived notion, only useful because the arguments based in fact don't fall your way.
But hey, lesson learned: whine enough about yourself and eventually things will fall your way.
Congratulations Jim!! It's WAY overdue, but the end result is all that really matters.
Jim, Congrats- Very well deserved.
Your at bats were must see. Glad everyone else finally saw what we saw here in Boston
It's about time. I'll bet Rob Neyer is weeping some bitter tears right now. He's waged a one-man crusade against Rice getting into the HoF.
Congrats to Jim Rice! It was a long time coming!
FINALLY!
Happy for Jim & the Red Sox. He earned & deserved this honor. Many memories of watching him dismantle teams when I was a youth. He was a special player.
He was a "CF & Gap" hitter, so I believe Fenway probably took away more HRs than it gave him.
Good things come to those who wait.
See you in Cooperstown this July!!
bout time
Very happy for Jim. Congrats to #14. I look forward to his #14 being officially retired at Fenway, A great non-steroid power hitter.
Long overdue
Finally he desvered it :) congtras to rice!!
Great news! Jim Rice was the first Red Sox player I knew by name. Congratulations to him.
Now we can have a number retirement ceremony
It is about time.
Congratulations Jim Ed... it was long overdue!!
Congrats!! He was my favorite player growing up...he was and is awesome!!
Congrats!! He was my favorite player growing up...he was and is awesome!!
Congratulations Jim!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a VERY well deserved honor and long over do!
Congrats Jim!!! You deserve it. Grew up watching you and it's great to see you finally get there
CONGRATULATIONS JIM!
Great Honor, He deserves it. Great player!
It's about time!! Congrats Big Jim Ed.
I hope they put Rice's nickname on the plaque, 6-4-3.
Good - now I don't have to listen to everyone cry about him not getting in.
Finally, a player who wasn't on the juice gets his due. Good for him, the Sox, and baseball.
how does less than 95% of the Writers NOT vote for Henderson?
they should lose their vote. if you can't see Henderson you can't see baseball.
My God...It's about time.
Very happy for Jim...couldn't have been a nicer or more deserving player! Congrats, Jim!
great to see jim rice make it. i grew up watching jim rice play and he was the best hitter for many yrs, he deserves this. congratulations jim.
Yes! Way to go Jimmy! I've been on eggshells all morning!
Jim,
Congrats on this well deserved and long overdue honor!
Jim Rice and Dwight Evans are my two fovorite baseball players of all time. I am a very happy man today that Jim Rice was elected into the Hall of Fame. Congratulations Jim you are well deserving of this honor.
I am very happy for Jim Rice. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. His stats and his dedication to Red Sox baseball show that he belongs in the hall and it should have happened sooner. He is a true gentleman and a credit to all of baseball.
Congratulations, Jim. It is very well deserved.
Wonderful!
His career stats put him over.
Congratulations Jim Ed! Well done...
Congratulations, Mr. Rice. A well deserved honor that is long overdue. I know that all of Red Sox Nation is happy for you.
I'm thrilled for Jim Rice - he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He was a special member of the Red Sox for many years, and he didn't need drugs or steroids to be successful. He represents all the good things about baseball and he is finally being recognized as a great hitter. Congratulations, Jim!! Well deserved honor.
Yes. I am happy. He has deserved it for a long time. At least, he is truly a good man. Yes, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Overjoyed.
I remember Yaz's last day the ovation for Rice on his last at bat was a loud and strong as any for Carl that day. I've always been a fan of Jim Ed's and I am very happy for him and the Sox.
Time for the Sox to retire #14.............................& Dewey's 24 for that matter.
Congratulations to Jim Rice. It's about time.
Congrats Jim ED!!!
Awesome!!!
I think its awesome! Today is a good day. He deserves it. :)
Finally. Much deserved. He and Dave Parker were two of the best of their era. '75 Series might have been different if Rice hadn't been hurt. Congrats Jim Ed Rice.
I am happy for him and his family - growing up Jim Rice was the first sports athlete I admired: quiet determination; actions not words; power; average; leadership. I modeled how I acted on the field and my sports attitude from his on-field demeanor. Congratulations!
Yay for Jim Rice. He completely deserves it and is truly one of the best ever to play the game for a prolonged 11 season stretch of time.
Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
well deserved!!!
Congrats Jim! You deserve it!
Congrats to Jim Rice !!! He deserves the Honor
Finally! It is really sad that it took this long to get such a worthy candidate elected to the Hall. I'm sure the only reason it took so long is that sportswriters vote and not players (a terrible idea) and they didn't like how Rice interacted with them. I sort of hope that he passes it off as not a big deal because he shouldn't need this to know how great a player he was.
HE WAS HIS OWN MAN.NO ONE DESERVED IT MORE..A COMPLETE BALLPLAYER AND PERSON.
The Writers either died off or forgot that Jim did not kiss press-butt for all those years. He had the qualifications just not the bum kissing! Congrats Jim
Such a sad day for the baseball immortals...Rice does not belong in that group. He was good, but not great.
He is MOST deserving of this honor. He was by far the most feared hitter in baseball for many years. Granted his drop off in his later years was dramatic (I cursed him more than one for his 6-4-3 double plays), but for many a season, Rice was the man! If it wasn't for Verne Ruhle, (the pitcher that broke Rice's forearm with a pitch), the Sox would have won the 75 Series.
Congrats Jim Ed, you DESERVE it!!!
The best Red Sox I have seen in my life time. I watched many a game from the bleachers as a kid and never left if Rice was due up or even in the 5 hole in the ninth inning with the Sox behind. I saw Yaz etc. (never Teddy Ballgame) since @1968 when I was old enough to understand baseball and Jim Ed was awesome.
Long overdue! Way to go Jim Ed Rice!
I am thrilled for Jim Rice and happy for the Red Sox. In his day, Rice was an amazing player and a great guy. I spent many happy hours cheering him on, and I again have the opportunity now to congratulate him on making it to the Hall of Fame. He deserves the award and we are lucky to have watched him play!
Congrats JimEd! This guy had equal/better career numbers than Orlando Cepeda. I truly think the media made him sweat it out because he wasn't their "darling" over the years. Way to go Jimmy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally!!
Congratulations Jim Ed. You deserved it. If he hadn't had his hand broken in 1975 by a Vern Ruhle pitch I don't think we would have had to wait 86 years for our World Series title.
and Dennis Eckersley is in the Hall and started his career with and pitched for the Red Sox!
Congratulations to Jim Rice. One of my favorites growing up, loved to watch him hit!
Congrats!!! You deserve It. There was noone more dangerous at the plate when you played.
as good as or better than some already in the hall.
he was consistent with both average and power
numbers, was rarely injured/hurt and yes, he kept
his mouth shut. a very deserving player. i am happy
for jim rice
Congratulations Jim Ed
Jim Rice is where he belongs...in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
I idolized Jim Rice as a kid, I didn't care about his numbers at home vs. on the road, or has post-season accomplishments. I was always waiting for his next at bat, and I'm thrilled that he finally got in the Hall. I can't be objective about this, nor do I care to be. I'm just a very happy fan right now. Way to go Jim!!!
Finally! Congratulations, Mr. Rice. Well-deserved.
'bout time. that's nice work see...
"His accomplishments are even more impressive in retrospect considering they were compiled before the performance-enhancing drug era". You forgot to add "in addition to smaller ballparks, expansion-diluted pitching, etc." Steroids, while absolutely a negative, were not the sole reason for inflated offensive numbers over the last 15 years!
Absolutely!
A travesty it took so long.
I grew up with Jim and his team mates.
Today is a good day in RSN!
yes, I love Rice
Congratulations to you for being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. You were a great ballplayer and I enjoyed every moment watching you play for our beloved Boston Red Sox. Enjoy the moment your are most deserving.
Does Tris Speaker not count?
Now that Jim Rice is finally headed to the Hall of Fame, let's talk about retiring his number. He finished his career with the Red Sox so this would qualify him for the high standards that the team kind of still holds.
It's about time!!!!!!!!! Congratulations JIm!!!! You deserve it
Yes!! Jim Ed in Cooperstown -- justice, at last.
Woo Hoo!!!!