Comments on: Olde Sox: Respect for Jim Rice

By: Walt in Maryland

Walt in Maryland — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 20:33:09 +0000

Rice didn’t have a “rocket arm,” but he had a very accurate arm. He became adept at playing the Wall and holding runners to singles when they hit it. The thing I’ll always remember is how strong he was. Can’t count how many times I saw him break a bat and loop a base hit into the outfield. His longest home runs were line drives that just took off. But he got old fast. He had only one great season after ’83, when he was 30. And in ’86, he spent most of the year hitting the ball to the opposite field.

By: Bryan Grosnick

Bryan Grosnick — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 02:15:15 +0000

Yeah, there’s no question that peak Rice was a better hitter than the best seasons Cespedes has put up so far. But in terms of style: power, some contact ability, rifle arm, that’s not too bad of a comparison. In hindsight, I probably should’ve picked a hitter with better bat-to-ball, like J.D. Martinez.

By: Walt in Maryland

Walt in Maryland — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 21:26:39 +0000

As someone who watched Rice’s entire career — first saw him play for Bristol in 1973 — I have to challenge the Cespedes comparison. Cespedes at his best couldn’t hold a candle to Rice at his best, not as a hitter. But Rice didn’t age well. He was always an aggressive hitter, and pitchers could get him out in big spots. Look at his home/road splits; he was helped IMMENSELY by playing at Fenway. And because Rice played the bulk of his career in excellent lineups, he actually had more plate appearances with men on base than with the bases empty. He was a great hitter, and one of the hardest-working players in Sox history. I wouldn’t have voted for him in the HOF, but he’s far from the worst player in Cooperstown.