Rice's Hall clock reaches crucial 11th hour

2009-04-30T17:39:49-04:00

2009-01-11T18:53:36-05:00

2009-01-12T15:23:16-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/629/554/thumb/Lucia.jpg 1860 ME

Powertrip

The Woods of 630194

50 Hooray, congrats to Jim Rice, I hope the wait was worth it. Glad to see this story had a happy ending. Now what's the over/under on coverage us New Englanders are gonna get from NESN today, covering the vote and Jim Rice's career? I'm gonna say 2 hours, and I'll watch most of it! 3955019

2009-01-12T14:03:19-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/654/875/thumb/Arnold-747438.bmp.jpg 941 VA

Get to da Choppah!

Springfield 655515

49 Well, he got in. Finally. 3953615

2009-01-12T11:55:05-05:00

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Sir Robin (again)

Fan Nation 192796

You guys must admit. Rice does get a lot of credit for the Red Sox uniform he wore during his career. Plus I personally think Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, Steve Garvey, Tim Raines, and Harold Baines have strong cases to be in the hall of fame also and should be in before Rice. As for pitchers, I think Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris are being overlooked and should be in also.I will not even get started on the football hall of fame!

47 You must admit that if all these guys you listed got into the HOF, then the HOF means nothing.... 3951363

2009-01-12T12:42:41-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/654/875/thumb/Arnold-747438.bmp.jpg 941 VA

Get to da Choppah!

Springfield 655515

You must admit that if all these guys you listed got into the HOF, then the HOF means nothing....

48 With Lloyd Waner, I would argue the HOF might mean nothing already... 3952117

2009-01-12T00:23:15-05:00

donjo

Oliver Springs 616117

20 You guys must admit. Rice does get a lot of credit for the Red Sox uniform he wore during his career. Plus I personally think Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, Steve Garvey, Tim Raines, and Harold Baines have strong cases to be in the hall of fame also and should be in before Rice. As for pitchers, I think Bert Blyleven and Jack Morris are being overlooked and should be in also. I will not even get started on the football hall of fame! 3946986

2009-01-12T11:55:05-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/192/496/thumb/sir_robin.jpg 16021 HQ

Sir Robin (again)

Fan Nation 192796

47 You must admit that if all these guys you listed got into the HOF, then the HOF means nothing.... 3951363

2009-01-11T20:14:19-05:00

Giants42

No City 660563

3 Jim Rice was one of the most feared hitters of his era and had a rocket for an arm in the outfield. IMO, he was the best player during his time in baseball. Overrated? I would say that opinion has a very hidden, perhaps a very 'dark', agenda... 3945428

2009-01-12T11:34:23-05:00

Bay Dribbler

No City 219046

Jim Rice was one of the most feared hitters of his era and had a rocket for an arm in the outfield. IMO, he was the best player during his time in baseball. Overrated? I would say that opinion has a very hidden, perhaps a very 'dark', agenda...

46 I agree 3950849

2009-01-11T20:14:19-05:00

Giants42

No City 660563

2009-01-12T11:33:49-05:00

Bay Dribbler

No City 219046

45 I agree 3950844

2009-01-12T11:25:15-05:00

shambo

Randolph 661253

44 what is even more ridiculous is that if rice has played one more season ,hit 18 hrs, he would have been in the hall at least 10 years ago because writers reward compilers and arbitrary numbers (see niekro, sutton, perry, et als) such as 400 home runs (pre-steriod era) instead of relying upon what they see. 3950598

2009-01-12T11:19:55-05:00

shambo

Randolph 661253

43 the ridiculous part is that if rice played one more season and hit 18 home runs, he would have been in at least 10 years ago because compilers get rewarded (see phil niekro, sutton, gaylord perry) 3950494

2009-01-12T11:14:36-05:00

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QuietStorm12

Baton Rouge 270819

42 Jim Rice not being in the Hall of Fame is a travashamockery. But these are the same people that have not voted in Jack Morris, Bert Blyleven, Harold Baines, and Dale Murphy. I could go on but there is not enough room to list how much they screwed up. And I would like to see Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame. Who cares if he gambled and lied. Babe Ruth was a gambling lying womanizing jerk. He got in on the first ballot. It is the BASEBALL Hall of Fame, not the PERSONALITY HALL OF FAME 3950355

2009-01-12T10:59:39-05:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/629/554/thumb/Lucia.jpg 1860 ME

Powertrip

The Woods of 630194

41 Jim Rice was a great player and a good all-around guy. The fact that he had good guys hitting around him definitely helped, but it's not like he had a say in that. He was 21 HR short of being a shoe-in (as Blyleven had what, 288 wins? 12 short of guaranteed HOFness). I think the fact that these guys could have got their if they'd limped their career along for another year or 2, but they chose to leave the game before becoming a liability, says a lot. They should both be HOFers. I understand the point of the Hall, to recognize the greats. But it's not like there's a capacity limit in there. There is no doubt the game was much better because of Rice and Bly. Put them in, great players. And Dale Murphy, no doubt he should be there, and is hurt by not playing for a high-profile team. These are guys us 30-somethings looked up to as kids, I'd like to see all 3 recognized. 3950141

<div class="photo_container image_right"> <div class="photo"><img src="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/hockey/nhl/01/09/writers.roundtable/T1_0111_riceap.jpg" alt="Double Click to select a Photo" width="298" height="449" /></div> <div class="photo_attributes" style="text-align:right;">Jim Rice tallied 382 HRs and 1,451 RBIs in 16 seasons with Boston. AP</div> </div> The bases are loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 7 of the World Series, the Red Sox are down by a run and Jim Rice is at the plate. I've chosen that scenario to analogize Rice's 15th and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot. Will he hit one over the Green Monster or pop out? We will find out tomorrow. Last year, Rice (the 1978 AL MVP) fell 16 votes shy of getting the required 75 percent that is needed to be enshrined in Cooperstown. He has gained more support each year from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America. So, the general feeling is that Rice will finally be elected this year after being oh-so-close a year ago. The announcement will be made at 2 p.m. Monday. BBWAA Secretary-Treasurer Jack O'Connell, who counts the votes and makes the phone call to notify individuals who have been elected, said several players have been elected in their final year on the ballot. He cited two examples just off the top of his head -- Red Ruffing was elected in 1968 and Ralph Kiner made it in '75. "Kiner was in his last year of eligibility, and he got in by two votes. I don't know if you can get closer than that," O'Connell said. Either way, it's going to be a close call for Rice. Call me naïve, but I don't believe a writer would keep him off the ballot because Rice (8 100-RBI seasons, 4 200-hit seasons, .298 lifetime average) known to be surly as a player. Writers who have been a BBWAA member for 10 years are eligible to vote. O'Connell said approximately 575 ballots were mailed, a total that includes between 12-15 new voters this year. But he added there are probably just as many individuals which voted last year who will not be turning in ballots this year, due to age or death. In recent years, the Red Sox have stepped up their efforts to get Rice in Cooperstown. Dick Bresciani, a former Red Sox media relations official, started an email campaign with statistics to support Rice's candidacy. Conversely, another individual who is employed by the Red Sox has hurt Rice's cause. Baseball historian and statistical maven Bill James, a senior adviser in the Red Sox baseball operations department, has written in his much-read New Historical Baseball Abstract that Rice was the most overrated player over the last three decades. Rice's numbers are similar to those of Orlando Cepeda, a Hall of Famer after 17 MLB seasons. But there are other players with better numbers than Rice who aren't in Cooperstown and probably will never get in. Should Rice be in? 39861 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/580/015/thumb/thumb.jpg 5 XX

Dave Heuschkel

No City 580575