Last call: Jim Rice is not a Hall of Famer
Rickey Henderson was elected to the Hall of Fame today, and deservedly so. He is the greatest leadoff hitter in history, and the people who didn't vote for him should have their right to vote revoked.
But Jim Rice? No way. Don't get me wrong, Jim Rice was a very good player, but not a Hall of Famer, and Rice's numbers were inflated greatly by playing half of his games in Fenway Park. Take look at his home and away numbers:
Category Home Away
Games 1,048 1,041
Homers 208 174
Avg. .320 .277
OB% .374 .330
SLG% .546 .459
Take him out of Fenway, and Rice suddenly becomes an average hitter. And a guy who was an average hitter half the time is not a Hall of Famer.
By the way, I notice Corky Simpson, who didn't vote for Henderson (You can see his ballot here), told Megan Garber of the Columbia Journalism Review:
"I think of the literature on the Internet in the same way that I think of the literature on the walls of public bathrooms. With the exception that the literature on the walls of public bathrooms is a little higher class.''
Don't look now Corky, but you write for the Internet too.
-- Houston Mitchell
Photo: Jim Rice was elected to the Hall of Fame on Monday. Credit: Steven Senne, AP
John Smoltz wins game 7 on November 2nd, 2009.
Posted by: Dave | January 13, 2009 at 07:24 AM
If this message is to Jim Ed.
Well I think you could have hit the high fastball a little better.
You saw it in practice..... Just kidding.
I'm just a clown from Beverly, MA but I hit the ball better because I coould see your eyes on the ball. Seriously, ask WSBK-tv for the footage you could hit. .
Posted by: Dave from Beverly | January 13, 2009 at 07:24 AM
Congradulations to the former MVP. one the great sluggers of the 70's.
Posted by: lonegun | January 13, 2009 at 07:25 AM
Rice's record on the road, like almost all Hall members, is slightly less than at home!
I remember Rice as a dominant player of his time!
Posted by: PMaslow | January 13, 2009 at 07:25 AM
On Jim Rice: Just about every player unless he is some kind of freak of nature always plays better at home. His MVP numbers, and not just the year he won it speak for itself. There are a lot of players in the hall with less impressive stats. Congratulations Jim.
On Ricky Henderson: If you didn't vote for R.H. you belong on a daytime womens show like "The View" (where you can feel free to be jealous and catty and everyone in the audience will clap for you) not on the sports page. I realize guys like you became "Sports Writers" to exact your revenge on real athletes because you were the last kid picked at kick ball. Get over it already!
Posted by: Lenord Antolin | January 13, 2009 at 07:37 AM
Okay let's summarize your theory.
Jim Rice isn't a Hall of Famer because he played at Fenway??
And you aren't joking?!?
You're ridiculous. And an idiot. Please stop writing.
Posted by: Averroes | January 13, 2009 at 07:38 AM
"Average hitter"? The American League during Rice's career put up numbers of .271/.337/.407. A slugging percentage of .459 during that period is no sneezing matter, and better than the road SLG of such Hall of Famers as Tony Perez as Carl Yastrzemski. He doesn't belong in a Hall that doesn't include Tim Raines, but he wasn't an average hitter.
Posted by: Matt Welch | January 13, 2009 at 09:24 AM