Jim Rice, Hall of Famer

A big time congratulations to Jim Ed Rice on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. To say it was a long time coming is a huge understatement. The debate of whether or not Rice was worthy of this honor raged on for nearly fifteen years. All that waiting must make this feel even more special for him.

Personally, the Red Sox of the late 70's to mid 80's were a significant part of my childhood. Playing tennis ball baseball daily, I would copy the stances and swings of Rice, Fred Lynn, Yaz, Rick Burleson, Jerry Remy, Wade Boggs, Carney Lansford, Dwight Evans and Rich Gedman. Rice's stance was simple and felt great comfortable even for a left handed hitter. One of my earliest MLB memories is the 1978 Red Sox season. Though it did not end well, that was a fantastic season for Rice. He was as dominant as any offensive player of his era.

What stands out is the the quickness and speed of his bat. Look at the old footage. It seems with a flick of the wrist the ball was launched into the net above the Monster. This takes strength but also some serious quickness. Rice was also a great athlete. He played balls off the Monster as well anyone and also could run as evidenced by his league leading 15 triples.

One other memory from his career that sticks out was Rice's actions after he hit a foul ball into the stands. The screaming line drive hit a fan (I believe a young boy) and Rice went into the Fenway stands and carried the fan into the clubhouse where medical personnel waited. Imagine that scene.



BTW's from the ceremony;

• GREAT to see Yaz make an appearance to honor Rice. Yaz is the most beloved Red Sox player during the 60's, 70's and 80's .
• Rickey Henderson's suit was pretty sweet
• If you have never visited Cooperstown, I suggest you make it a point to go. The town is beautiful and the museum is amazing. Making it a day trip will not do the the Hall of Fame justice, plan for an overnight stay.
• I love the fact that a baseball fan can recognize 75% of the player's names in baseball's HOF. Football and basketball cannot say that. It is an exclusive club.
• The likeness on Rice's plaque looked nothing like him.
• Many wondered how Henderson's speech would go considering his tendency to refer to himself in the third person. I thought the speech was very well done.