Jim Rice, Boston Red Sox slugging leftfielder
James Edward Rice was born March 3, 1953 in Anderson, South Carolina. Upon graduating from high school, the Boston Red Sox chose him with their first pick in the 1971 draft and he was shipped off to the minor leagues. Three years later he found himself with the Pawtucket AAA affiliate. That year, he led the International League in home runs, runs batted in, and batting average. For his effort, he was called up to the Red Sox to help close out the season, and he hit his first major league home run on September 18, 1974.
In his first full season in the bigs, Jim and teammate Fred Lynn proved themselves to be rookies worth noticing. While Lynn captured both the American League Rookie of the Year and American League Most Valuable Player awards, Jim was no slouch, batting .309 and swatting 22 home runs. Unfortunately, in the last week of the season, he was plunked on the hand by pitcher Vern Ruhle, breaking three bones and putting him out of the postseason.
Undaunted, Jim returned in 1976 to hit .282 and hit 25 home runs, tops on the team. In 1977, Jim made the switch over to the designated hitter position, and as a result hit 39 home runs to lead the league. He continued his dominance the next year, smashing 46 dingers and capturing the MVP Award for the league. He was shown so much respect that in one game, he was intentionally walked so the pitcher could face the next batter - Carl Yastrzemski! Unfortunately, the rival New York Yankees beat the Red Sox in a one-game playoff for the division title, and the Red Sox were thwarted once again.
Jim's position as the most feared slugger of the late 1970s was brought about by his unusually strong swing. Once Jim broke a bat on a check swing - even though he didn't hit the ball! His immensely strong wrists gave him unmatched bat speed, and he used it to routinely golf balls over Fenway Park's fabled Green Monster. Unfortunately, Jim's power came at the expense of speed. He never stole more than 10 bases in a season, and still holds the all-time record for double plays grounded into in a season, with 36.
From 1976 to 1980, no American League batter hit more home runs than Jim Rice, and only Rod Carew and George Brett had a higher batting average. He was simply the best - but couldn't give the Red Sox a championship. In 1980, he broke his wrist while fielding a ball, and 1981 saw the strike-shortened season rob him of dominance in his prime. Although he hit 24 home runs and batted .309 in 1982, many pundits considered him washed up, though he was only 29 years old.
In 1983, he proved them wrong, claiming another home run title with 39. Three years later, he batted .324 and finally propelled his team to the top of the American League with a three-run homer in Game 7 of the ALCS. Unfortunately, despite his 9-for-27 effort in the World Series, the Red Sox fell in 7 games to the New York Mets.
Plagued by injuries and failing strength, Rice hung out for three more years before calling it quits after a poor 1989 season. Besides being a spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Club, Jim now serves as the hitting coach for the Red Sox. Since his retirement, a number of people have stepped forward, claiming Jim's numbers are enough to put him in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. They cite his .298 batting average and his 382 home runs accumulated over 14 years in one of the worst parks for right-handed hitters, his constant finishes near or at the top of the Most Valuable Player voting, and his reputation for five years as baseball's toughest hitter. In the 2003 Hall of Fame voting, his 8th year of eligibility, Jim received 52.22% of the votes. At this point, it is likely he will make the Hall of Fame before being thrown to the Veterans Committee, but the point is moot: Jim Rice is one of the best players to ever play the game. Putting him in the Hall would only be stating the obvious.
Jim Rice was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2009, his fifteenth and final year of BBWAA eligibility.
Career Statistics
YEAR TEAM G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA
1974 BOS AL 24 67 6 18 2 1 1 13 0 0 4 12 .269
1975 BOS AL 144 564 92 174 29 4 22 102 10 5 36 122 .309
1976 BOS AL 153 581 75 164 25 8 25 85 8 5 28 123 .282
1977 BOS AL 160 644 104 206 29 15 39 114 5 4 53 120 .320
1978 BOS AL 163 677 121 213 25 15 46 139 7 5 58 126 .315
1979 BOS AL 158 619 117 201 39 6 39 130 9 4 57 97 .325
1980 BOS AL 124 504 81 148 22 6 24 86 8 3 30 87 .294
1981 BOS AL 108 451 51 128 18 1 17 62 2 2 34 76 .284
1982 BOS AL 145 573 86 177 24 5 24 97 0 1 55 98 .309
1983 BOS AL 155 626 90 191 34 1 39 126 0 2 52 102 .305
1984 BOS AL 159 657 98 184 25 7 28 122 4 0 44 102 .280
1985 BOS AL 140 546 85 159 20 3 27 103 2 0 51 75 .291
1986 BOS AL 157 618 98 200 39 2 20 110 0 1 62 78 .324
1987 BOS AL 108 404 66 112 14 0 13 62 1 1 45 77 .277
1988 BOS AL 135 485 57 128 18 3 15 72 1 1 48 89 .264
1989 BOS AL 56 209 22 49 10 2 3 28 1 0 13 39 .234
CAREER 2089 8225 1249 2452 373 79 382 1451 58 34 670 1423 .298
* Bold denotes led league.
Major League Baseball Hall of Fame
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