From Dice to Rice: WSR's Hall of Fame Edition

Sorry for the absence, people. I have been pinned down by holidays, lethargy and trying to find a job where more than two people read what I am writing. But now, on the eve of another Hall of Fame selection, I am compelled to add my two cents about the whole "Is Jim Rice a Hall of Famer?" issue. And don't get me started on McGwire, because, sadly, I have been converted and DO think he should be inducted (I know, I know, it's almost as bad as voting Republican).

But we can talk about that later, because I do not think he will be selected today. I do think, however, that Rice, after more than a dozen tries, WILL (UPDATE: he didn't. Oh well, continue reading...). But does he really belong in the Hall? I reluctantly say no.

And it pains me to say so, because I am old enough to remember how awesome a hitter he was, how feared he was, and how prolific he could be. I remember spreading the rumor that James Edward Rice once hit a home run on a check swing (it was rumor, wasn't it?). I remember sitting in Fenway for the first time in my life and seeing #14 in person and thinking he was the most intimidating man on earth. Dewey had the mustache and the gun in right, but Rice had the glare, the swagger and the swing that produced sounds you just don't hear very often. Yeah, I remember all that.

But in the end, do his numbers stack up? Are 382 home runs and a career .298 batting average really enough these days? Yes, Rice had eight seasons with 100 RBI or more, but he finished with 1451, only 44 more than Jose Canseco. And Canseco had 80 more home runs. Is Canseco a Hall of Famer? If you argue that Rice is - based on numbers - then you have to admit Jose (who also has an MVP AND a Rookie of the Year award), and I don't think there is a writer out there ready to do that.

What bothers me is that I do think Rice was exceptional - far better than the average player - and deserves to be acknowledged as such. His four 200-hit seasons are tremendous. But I just can't get over the fact that the Hall is reserved for those truly exceptional players - the Ruths, Williams and Gywnns - and he seems to fall just short. I feel the same way about some of my favorite players of the 80s who are now up for election. A great example: Dale Murphy. Murphy comes to mind along with Rice, Mike Schmidt, and Andre Dawson when I think about the dominating 80's power hitters. Murphy was a perennial All-Star (Rice was an 8-time All-Star; Murphy a 7-time All-Star who won the MVP award back-to-back in 82-83), and Murphy finished with more career home runs, too, but is Murphy and his 1266 career RBI a Hall of Famer? I have to say no.

We could go on and on, linking similar players with similar stats until we uncover about 100 players worthy of induction. But there has to be a threshhold or induction won't mean shit. In my opinion, as fine and feared a hitter as was, Rice is not a Hall of Famer. If he is, then so is Dwight Evans, Jose Canseco, Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy, Dave Kingman, Andres Galarraga, Joe Carter, possibly Chili Daivs and Gary Gaetti and, eventually, Juan Gonzalez, Gary Sheffield, Fred McGriff and Jeff Bagwell. Are we convinced these guys are Hall of Famers?

On a final note, I will say that it was fun to go back and look at Rice's stats on baseball-reference.com and remember that, yes, Rice also led the league in grounding into double plays FOUR YEARS IN A ROW (36 in 1984!!!!). Remember those days when it seemed the Sox always grounded into DPs? Ah, nostalgia...