New member of the front office
A little front office news: The Orioles have hired former Cincinnati Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations.
He promises to change his name to "Mark Teixeira" if it will increase season-ticket sales.
Krivsky has worked in baseball ops for more than 30 years. He'll be involved in all aspects of the Orioles' major league operations, including scouting, contracts and other baseball administration responsibilities.
He's basically the new Scott Proefrock.
Krivsky most recently served as special assistant to New York Mets GM Omar Minaya.
Subject change: Does Jim Rice belong in the Hall of Fame?
Dick Bresciani, Vice President of Publications and Archives for the Boston Red Sox, certainly thinks so. I received an e-mail from him earlier today, bursting with stats and comparisons to enhance the argument that the former outfielder deserves enshrinement in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Rice received 392 votes (72.2 %) last year, leaving him 16 short of election. A player must get 75 percent for induction, and this is his last chance before it's up to the veterans committee.
The previous 20 players to receive more than 70 percent, but fewer than 75 percent, have eventually been elected. Five of them have come in the last 20 years: Gaylord Perry, Orlando Cepeda, Bruce Sutter, Gary Carter and Rich Gossage.
A couple quick hits on Rice:
• He led the American League with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs during his 16-year career, all with Boston.
• 11-time 20+HR
• Eight-time All-Star
• Eight times with 100 or more RBIs
• Seven-time .300 hitter
• Six-time top five in A.L. MVP voting - more than anyone else during his career (Eddie Murray had five)
• Four times with 200 hits
• Four times with 39 or more HR - more than anyone else during his career (Mike Schmidt had three)
• Four-time A.L. leader in total bases
• Three-time A.L. HR leader
I'm inclined to put him in Cooperstown. Your thoughts?
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko |
Never knew Jim Rice. But based on his stats and history, I'm like you, Roch, I'm inclined to put him in Cooperstown.
And on another topic --- I just read Steve's blog about the Japanese players we may be interested in. Do you have any additional information and/or thoughts about these players?
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I really don't have anything to add at this point. I'm trying to find out more about them. - Roch
These guys have been running an Orioles blog since June or so. They have an informative thing on Uehara . . . http://camdendepot.com/blog/depotblog/blog.html
Seems to be the most in depth thing out there.
Rice's home versus away stats are starkly different. His road stats scream mediocre and that's the reason he ain't in yet.
Playing half his games at Fenway is also why Pedroia's MVP should be discounted.
I have always thought that Rice belongs in the HOF. He was one of the most dominant players during his era. He was a guy that even Palmer was afraid to face in his heyday.
Then again, Bert Blyleven should be in the Hall also and he is not as close as Rice.
No to Rice. Have you seen his home/road splits? In his MVP year of 78 here they are:
Home - 335 AB 69 R 121 H 28 HR 75 RBI .361 BA .416 OBP .690 SLG 1.106 OPS
Away - 342 AB 52 R 92 H 18 HR 64 RBI .269 BA .325 OBP .512 SLG .837 OPS
As for RBI, the man had just a TON of RBI chances.
Also keep in mind that he played left field, which limits the impact of his offensive production, if Rice was included into the hall of fame then out of the 10 left fielders he would have the 7th best batting average, the 8th hit total, 6th most home runs, the 7th RBI total, the 5th average, the 9th best on-base percentage and the 7th best slugging percentage.
There is also the fact that his peak was too short and his overall career was too short. 2452 hits and under 400 HR just don't cut it in left field.
Jim Rice was a product of Boston, both the ballpark and the highly effective offensive teams that Boston had during his career.
Joe Sheenan did a nice writeup on this very topic last year.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/01/09/bp.jimrice/
Remember folks its the Hall of Fame not the Hall of pretty good.
Certainly Rice belongs in the HOF. Just go back and read Roch's statistical findings and this one is a no-brainer. He was the most dominant and feared hitter in baseball for more than a decade. And playing in Fenway for 1/2 his games doesn't matter, this guy could flat out hit and was an underrated outfielder! If recent inductees Gary Carter and Bruce Sutter are in, then elect Jim Ed this January and get him to the HOF where he belongs!
RE: Playing half his games at Fenway is also why Pedroia's MVP should be discounted.
Look, I hate that guy. But he really started tearing it up on the road in the second half last year (my MVP was Mauer, though).
I'm OK with Jim Rice getting in the HOF. Even though I think he's borderline, he is far from the worst choice.
But if you put Rice in...where's the love for Dale Murphy? A feared hitter of the same era who played an excellent centerfield. Where's the campaign from Dale?
The problem with Rice is that many of the people voting for him today never saw him play, and are relying on stats -- which doesn't work, because when you look at Rice's numbers compared to the current generation, or the "hitter's years" of the 1940s-1950s, they don't look so impressive.
I'm in the camp that believes the Hall of Fame should include players who were the best, the most dominant, and most feared of their time. Even if Rice's dominance was relatively short, I still see him as more HOF worthy than a compiler such as Craig Biggio, for example. (Not to poo-poo Biggio's accomplishments -- my point is no one EVER thought Biggio was the best hitter in baseball.)
I saw Rice play. He was, for all intents and purposes, Manny Ramirez or Barry Bonds -- the most feared hitter in MLB -- for about a 7 or 8 year span. Understand this was a period when Graig Nettles once led the AL in HRs with 32 -- power was much more scarce than in many other eras.
Rice isn't in the HOF because those who never saw him play see very good but not great stats, while those who do remember him remember a guy who alienated every single member of the media he came into contact with. Seriously, the guy made Eddie Murray look like a schmoozer by comparison. That's why he isn't in. Do you really think sportswriters look at home/road splits and secondary stats in determining a HOF vote? Please. He was the most feared hitter of his era, and he would have been a lock for the HOF if he hadn't pissed off every sportswriter who had a vote.
I've been studying Hall of Fame voting trends for years and I'd be shocked if he doesn't make it in this, his final year of eligibility. Most guys who come this close eventually get in and Rice is a sentimental favourite.
Personally, I've always been on the fence with him. He has all those great offensive stats, but I don't recall him being noteworthy with the glove. It also didn't help that he was surly with much of the media. And I never could understand how he seemed to lose his skills so quickly. He went from one of baseball's most feared hitters to out of baseball in a real hurry.
Rice was a really good player during his era, but I'm with Jeff V, the HOF is not about really good players. I'm not interested so much in the home/away splits as I am about the player and how he impacted the game during his time. Rice was a fearsome slugger, and with that Redsox lineup, it made playing them always very tough. But again, the Hall is about special players. And by special, it's not just about stats, it's about the way they impacted the game during their time, and different aspects of the game they brought to the field.
Rice should have been in years ago. He was the most dominating offensive player of his era. Leading in almost every offensive category from 1975-1986.
If he was a pain to the media who cares. He is now a member of the media. Announces for NESN. He was not a steroid jerk. Like many of todays sluggers. Nor was he caught up in the cocain/drug issues of the early eighties.
PUT HIM IN.
Rice was not only the most dominant all-around hitter (avg. and power) of a 14-yr. period but he also led the A.L. in OF assists 1975 thru 1986 and was 2nd in the ML during that time only to Winfield. His power was to CF and RCF, very difficult HR territory in Fenway Park. He was not a pull hitter. He was also sure-handed in the OF with a good, accurate arm. His top 5 rankings in yearly MVP voting underscores his team value. The majority of writers ranked him highly whether they liked him personally or not.