Jim Rice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Rice |
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Rice with the Boston Red Sox in 1976
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| Left fielder / Designated hitter | |||
| Born: March 8, 1953 Anderson, South Carolina, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 19, 1974, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| August 3, 1989, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .298 | ||
| Hits | 2,452 | ||
| Home runs | 382 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,451 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2009 | ||
| Vote | 76.4% (15th ballot) | ||
James Edward Rice, born on March 8, 1953, is a famous American baseball player. He played his entire 16-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. In 2009, he was honored by being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Jim Rice was an amazing player. He was an All-Star eight times in the American League (AL). In 1978, he was named the AL's Most Valuable Player. That year, he was the first player in 19 years to get 400 total bases. He also led the league in total bases for three years in a row.
Rice was a great hitter. He had a batting average above .300 seven times. He also had 100 or more runs batted in (RBI) eight times. He hit 200 or more hits four times and 20 or more home runs 11 times. He led the league in home runs three times and in RBIs twice. From 1975 to 1986, Rice led all major league players in hits, RBIs, and total bases.
He was part of a famous outfield with Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans. Rice continued the tradition of great Red Sox left fielders like Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. He finished his career with a .502 slugging percentage. His career numbers for home runs (382), hits (2,452), and RBIs (1,451) are still Red Sox records for a right-handed hitter.
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Jim Rice's Amazing Seasons
In the minor leagues, Jim Rice was a star. In 1973, his three-run home run helped the Pawtucket Red Sox win the Junior World Series. In 1974, he won the Triple Crown in the International League. He was also named Rookie of the Year and MVP.
In 1975, Rice joined the Red Sox full-time with teammate Fred Lynn. They were called the "Gold Dust Twins". Rice finished second for the AL Rookie of the Year award. He also came in third for the MVP award. He had 174 hits, 102 RBIs, a .309 batting average, and 22 home runs. Sadly, he missed the World Series due to a wrist injury. The Red Sox lost to the Cincinnati Reds.
By the end of the 1977 season, Rice led the AL in three important areas. He had 39 home runs, the most in the league. He also led with a .593 slugging average and 392 total bases. This was the most total bases by an AL player in 39 years!
Winning the MVP Award in 1978
In 1978, Jim Rice won the AL Most Valuable Player award. He hit .315, which was third best in the league. He also led the league in many categories:
- Home runs (46)
- RBIs (139)
- Hits (213)
- Triples (15)
- Total bases (406)
- Slugging percentage (.600)
He led the AL in 11 different categories that season. He is one of only two AL players to lead in triples and home runs in the same year. He is also the only player ever to lead the major leagues in triples, home runs, and RBIs in one season. His 406 total bases in 1978 is still a Red Sox record. It was the most in the AL since Joe DiMaggio in 1937.
In 1979, Rice had another great season. He had over 200 hits for the third time. He finished in the top three in eight different AL batting categories. He is the only MLB player to have three years in a row with at least 200 hits and 39 home runs. He also batted at least .315 in each of those years.
At the end of the 1983 season, Rice led the AL in four categories. These included home runs, RBIs, total bases, and grounding into double plays. He was only the second player to lead the AL in these categories in the same season.
In 1986, Rice had 200 hits, batted .324, and had 110 RBIs. The Red Sox reached the World Series again. Rice played in all 14 postseason games. He had 14 hits, including two home runs. He also scored 14 runs and drove in six. The Red Sox lost the World Series to the New York Mets.
Jim Rice's Career Highlights
Jim Rice led the AL in home runs three times (1977, 1978, 1983). He led in RBIs twice (1978, 1983). He also led in slugging percentage twice (1977, 1978) and total bases four times (1977–1979, 1983). He won Silver Slugger Awards in 1983 and 1984.
He hit at least 39 home runs four times. He had eight seasons with 100 or more RBIs. He also had four seasons with over 200 hits and batted over .300 seven times. He finished his 16-year career with a .298 batting average. He had 382 home runs, 1,451 RBIs, and 2,452 hits. He was an AL All-Star eight times. Besides winning the AL MVP in 1978, he was also a top candidate for MVP five other times.
Rice is the only player in history to lead the league in home runs, RBIs, and triples in the same year. He is also the only player to have over 200 hits and 39 or more home runs for three years in a row.
From 1975 to 1986, Rice led all American League players in many areas. These included games played, at bats, runs scored, hits, home runs, and RBIs. He was a truly dominant player during this time.
In 1984, Rice set a major league record by hitting into 36 double plays in one season. He also ranks high on the career list for grounding into double plays. However, he often had many teammates on base, which led to more double play chances. Even in these situations, he still batted well.
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| Jim Rice's number 14 was retired by the Boston Red Sox in 2009. |
During his career, Rice had 35 games where he hit two or more home runs. He also drove in four or more runs in a game 48 times. He was known for hitting both for power and for a high batting average. Only 12 other retired players rank ahead of him in both career home runs and batting average.
Rice was also a good left fielder. He had a fielding percentage of .980 and 137 outfield assists. Even without great speed, he had a strong throwing arm. He was very good at playing balls that bounced off the Green Monster at Fenway Park. His 21 assists in 1983 are the most by a Red Sox outfielder since 1944. Besides playing in the outfield, Rice also played 530 games as a designated hitter.
On July 28, 2009, the Red Sox honored Jim Rice by retiring his number 14 jersey. This means no other Red Sox player will ever wear that number again.
Helping the Community
Jim Rice was involved with many charities, especially those helping children. He was an honorary chairman for The Jimmy Fund starting in 1979. This group raises money for the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. In 1992, he received the "Jimmy Award" for his dedication to cancer research. Rice also supports the Neurofibromatosis Foundation of New England.
A youth baseball field in Roxbury, Massachusetts, was named after him in 1999. This was because of his work with Major League Baseball's RBI program. A recreation center in his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina, is also named in his honor.
A Heroic Act
On August 7, 1982, during a televised game, Jim Rice showed his true character. A young boy named Jonathan Keane, who was four years old, was hit in the head by a fast baseball. Rice quickly ran from the dugout into the stands to help the boy. He carried Jonathan onto the field, through the dugout, and into the clubhouse. The team's medical staff treated the boy right away. Rice's quick actions likely saved Jonathan's life. He even paid the hospital bill, and Jonathan made a full recovery.
After Retirement
After his playing career, Jim Rice continued to be involved in baseball. He worked as a batting coach for the Red Sox from 1992 to 2000. He is still an instructional batting coach for the team today. When he was the hitting coach, the Red Sox led the league in hitting in 1997.
Since 2003, he has also been a commentator for the New England Sports Network (NESN). He appears on the Red Sox pre-game and post-game shows. He also had small roles in the movies Wait Till This Year and Fever Pitch. Rice often shares his wisdom with current Red Sox players.
Rice was elected to the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame when it first opened in 1995. He was also inducted into Ted Williams' Museum and Hitters Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2008, he received the Emil Fuchs Award for his long and great service to baseball.
During his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Rice shared a fun fact. He said he was watching his favorite TV show, The Young and the Restless, when he found out he was elected to the Hall of Fame!
Hall of Fame Journey
Jim Rice was considered one of the best hitters of his time. However, it took a long time for him to be elected to the Hall of Fame. He was finally inducted in 2009, in his 15th and final year of eligibility. He received 76.4% of the votes, just over the 75% needed. He received the most votes ever collected by any player on the Hall of Fame ballot.
His election was delayed for a few reasons. Some newer ways of looking at player statistics made his numbers seem less impressive to some. Also, he sometimes had a difficult relationship with the media during his playing days. Many of these writers still vote for the Hall of Fame. His career also ended relatively early, when he was 36.
However, as time went on, more people recognized his achievements. His power numbers looked even better when compared to the "Steroids Era" in baseball. Because of this, he received more votes each year.
In 2007, the Pawtucket Red Sox started a campaign to help get Rice inducted. They even had fans sign "the World's Largest Jim Rice Jersey."
Jim Rice's career numbers are similar to other Hall of Fame players. For example, Joe Medwick, who was inducted in 1968, was a power-hitting left fielder like Rice. Both played in stadiums that favored hitters. Both had amazing offensive seasons, winning an MVP award at age 25. Both also retired at age 36 due to injuries. Like Rice, Medwick was elected to the Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility.
See also
- Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame
- List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders
- List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
- Major League Baseball titles leaders
