Theo's favorite
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein attended Rice's press conference. It was a thrill for him, given what he revealed afterward.
"He was my favorite player growing up," Epstein said. "I was at the game when the kid got smoked by the line drive by the first base dugout. We were in the grandstand. No one knew what to do. Out popped Rice. He climbed through the stands. He got him" – Epstein flexed his arms as if cradling a child – "and brought him down to the doctor. For a young kid, that made a real impression.
I’m really happy I got to know him when I started working for the organization. I started pulling for him even more to be able to experience this day. Good for him. He was always the first guy I would check in the box score."
Epstein has known Rice since he became the Sox general manager, but he's never told Rice that he was his guy as a kid.
“We don’t talk about stuff like that,” he said. “It’s always nice when the players you rooted for turn out to be good people as well. He certainly deserves it. He’s never one to draw attention to himself or hold himself out there for acclaim. To be rewarded like this, it means even more, I think, because he’s not a self-promoter.”
It's a little funny that Epstein, a proponent of the Sabrmetric approach that, in part, helped devalue Rice as a Hall of Fame candidate, loved Rice more than any other Red Sox player. Epstein, unlike some of his Sabr counterparts, fully believed Rice deserved a spot in Cooperstown.
“He was a slugger," Epstein said. "He had incredible power. He was one of the most feared guys throughout his whole career. His whole career was a prime. He didn’t hang around long after his skills started to decline. His whole career was prime performance. He was a slugger. He wasn’t a guy who drew a lot of walks, but he did some serious damage. The stuff he did early in his career was incredible.”
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Watching Theo operate in his position of GM, he often comes across as rather bloodless and calculating. It's nice to hear him express his appreciation as a fan for a great player.
Growing up playing baseball from 9am-7pm at my grade school playground in a sub.of chicago,JIM RICE was the reason i became the crazed,pathetic,overbearing,fanatic REDSOX fan i am. While other kids pretended to be Reggie, or Pete,or any Cubs player worth a hoot ,JIM Ed was my favorite.Congrates JIM,somethings are more 'appreciated' the longer you have to wait for them.I hope this bears true for you.
HE'S ONE OF THE BEST TO EVER WEAR A RED SOX UNIFORM AND IT IS LONG OVER DO! CONGRADULATIONS JIM RICE AND THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! TO RED SOX NATION, ALL THE TRUE RED SOX FANS YOU WHERE ALWAYS # 1 AND A TRUE HALLER FAMER! I HOPE YOU REALLY GET TO ENJOY ALL THE GLORY BECAUSE WE SURE DID WATCHING YOU!
Best read so far this year.
i heard he drove in the most runs for a period of 6 years? The guy has always been a hall of famer...its what you do when playing the game. Pedro didnt pitch for 20 years but he was the best......yes redsox fans love jim rice
Well deserved. Congrats Jim Ed!!!
Big fan as a kid! Congrats. Remember when they would play 4 outfielders against him...and he'd still hit it out ! Tiant, Yaz, Rice, Rooster...good times boys, good times..
Congratulations, Jim! I remember watching you on TV in the late 70's telling an interviewer that you did not want to be known only as a slugger, but that you wanted people to say about you "Jimmy, he can do it all". You did. I watched you work hard and improve greatly as a left fielder, and I believe that your dedication and improvement are underrated. I saw you come up to pinch it in one of your first games at Fenway and absolutely smoke a line drive off the wall in left, hitting it with a loud ding and adding a new dent to it (it was metal back in those days) and I knew, after waiting through those minor league years with the big numbers, that you had finally and definitely ARRIVED, and weren't going anywhere for a long time. Thanks for everything.Peter
I went to Winter Haven, Fl to see Jim Rice when he was first with the ML-team after , coming up from a great triple A season the year before. I had my wife Carol & my t, three (3) year old boy Jason at the game & Jim Rice gave my son a signed ball. I told him later that day to hold onto it because he may be a HOF member someday - and I was right. Yesterday, was a great day for all Red Sox fans . Thanks Bob B
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