Finally!

Rice triumphant in final pursuit of Hall

Do I think he belongs in the Hall of Fame? Well, the Red Sox one, anyway. I’m not so convinced that he stacks up for this honor, statistically speaking. Plus, if you go by my memory, he’d be in the “oh my God, don’t let it be Rice…he’ll just hit into a stupid double play” Hall of Fame.

But you know what? I don’t give a crap!

Until the Hall of Fame selects players according to statistical guidelines, it’s a nostalgia contest, and the players just have to impress the baseball writers’ memories more than the other guys they’re lumped in with that year. It just took Rice 15 tries to get lucky enough to only have Ricky Henderson, Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, etc., to compete with.

So, I’m happy for the guy. He had a great run. Made lots of happy baseball memories, and there are far worse choices in the Hall.

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2 Responses to Finally!

  1. Ric The Schmuck says:

    I was definitely in the “not sure” camp the first few years of his eligibility, and like Solly, I was petrified he would hit into a double play for much of the last few years of his career.

    But reading how his stats stack up against the all-time greats in many categories, I became a believer. For a 10 or 11 year period, he was as good as most players to ever play the game. The last few years he played skewered his career stats, and that’s where much of the opposition came from. But if Kirby Puckett can make the hall in an abbreviated career, why can’t you compare those 11 years of greatness for Jim Ed Rice?

    Congrats to Jim Rice. Well deserved.

  2. Brian says:

    When he was good, he was great. There are others in the HOF for lesser careers. I’m glad he got in.

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