Jim Rice’s retired number 14
When I was growing up, there was a time when Jim Rice was my
favorite player. Really, he and Dwight Evans flip flopped for a while there. He
was probably my first favorite Red Sox player. It’s a little odd, really, since
I’m just a bit too young to have followed him in his prime. When I really
started to follow the Sox, he was past his best years. I guess I just latched
on to what he was.
And, what he was is pretty impressive. One of the most
feared hitters in the AL during his prime. He finally ended up in the Hall of
Fame, which isn’t too shabby at all.
I often wonder if the steroid era hurt or helped Rice’s
chances in the Hall of Fame ballot. It would be easy to say that during the
time he was eligible, all the numbers the juiced players were putting up made
his talents look pathetic. But, his first years on the ballot were before the
true steroid era came into play, right? The mid-nineties? Shouldn’t Rice have
had a few years where he was only compared to the clean athletes? Once he got
four or five years in, I can see how the Bonds and McGwire results would dwarf
his accomplishments, and hurt Rice’s chances. But, I do think the steroids
helped him get in on that last ballot. I think voters were scared. I think they
saw that lots of great players who were on the juice and tarnishing their
stats. They didn’t want to look foolish in years to come. If they suddenly
threw out every stat from 1998 on, would Rice be a sure HOFer? They didn’t want
to risk it, so they put him in.
It’s possible Rice deserved it all along. Like I said, I
missed his prime years. I’ll leave that debate to people who know more about
Rice in his era. But, I think it’s interesting that he didn’t get in during
those first few elections.
Whatever the verdict, he was a fantastic Red Sox.
14 is for number 14, Jim Rice.
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