No "Say Hey" for Mr. Jim Ed as Hall burns Rice again

Red Sox great Jim Ed Rice was once again passed over by the Baseball Hall of Fame's voters Tuesday as, coming up short in what is believed to be his last real shot at induction. Players needed 390 votes (75 percent) to gain election. Rice fell 53 votes short, finishing second with 337 votes (64.8 percent), one ahead of reliever Goose Gossage. Bruce Sutter was the only player elected on Tuesday, becoming just the fourth relief pitcher given the honor. Sutter is the first pitcher elected to the Hall with no career starts. He was listed on 76.9 percent of the ballots cast by 10-year members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Your Uncle Buck is disgusted, but not shocked, that the voters stiffed Jim Ed. Rice has numbers better or comparable to current hall members and has power numbers that were dominant during his era. The biggest mark against him by votes is that he spent part of his career as a DH and played half of his games at Fenway Park. While UB can see how those points could be part of the argument of Rice's greatness, these writers need to get it through their ego filled heads that the DH is a part of the game and is not going away and a player's success at his home park should not count against him. It is impossible to determine what Rice would have done with another club and Fenway is not the only hitter friendly park. Many power hitters have even said that Fenway actually hurts their game as the wall turns sure home runs in to singles. Here are some links where you can take a look at Jim Ed's numbers and make you own decision. Keep in mind that Baseball-Reference.com lists comparable players and under similar batters 4 are in the hall, while the others are either currently playing or not yet on the ballot, having just retired. Under similar by age between the ages of 22-36 Rice's stats are in the range of Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Billy Williams and Orlando Cepeda 9 of the 15 years.

Baseball-Reference.com

Rice 4 HOF

Surviving Grady.com

"Congratulations to you Mr. Rice in being inducted to the douched by the Baseball Writers of America Hall of Fame!"

Click on Mr. Ed