At last the skies above are blue

Doug:
Congratulations, Jim Rice.

 

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Mike:
Long time coming. Richly deserved.

 

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Al:
Williams to Yastrzemski to Rice … What a legacy.

 

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Mike:
Rice was Theo's favorite player growing up.

 

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Al:
Mine, too.

 

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Al:
And that reminds me, I'm so, so glad I will nevah evah have to read or hear anothah stats-blinded noob who nevah had the priviledge to watch Jimbo play go on and on about how "undeserving" Rice is for the Hall.

 

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Mike:
"His career OBP was only .352 whaa-whaa-whaa."

 

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Doug:
Yeah, let me Shamwow that smug off your face, bitches. Jim Rice is the mofo Hall of Fame man.

 

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Al:
Long ball bashah. Legend makah.

 

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Comments

[Harwich Rich]

Shamwowed like the Mannings :)

[louclinton]

mine too.
great news.
Mike Greenwell? sorry, pal. Go back to your putt putt golf course.

lc

[nopinkhat4me]

Nice tribute, HB. I couldn't wait to see what you would give us today.

Also, I hope everyone is reading Get Fuzzy this week. I suspect that HB is writing that as well.

[Natalie]

Indeed, great strip.

Poor Greenie. Legend in his own mind. My college roommate was in love with him. My dad got luxury box tix for the first game of a day night double header in Sept '96 from one of his HS players and gave them to me (awesome). Gracie (unsuccessfully) attempted to sneakily stay in the box for the night game- all for love of Mike Greenwell. I was a Tim Naehring girl myself. Yum.

Sorry, pink hat tangent. How long to pitchers and catchers, man? I am dying over here!

[Bob]

//I'm so, so glad I will nevah evah have to read or hear anothah stats-blinded noob who nevah had the priviledge to watch Jimbo play go on and on about how "undeserving" Rice is for the Hall.//

I was watching Mike & Mike this morning, when some putz writer/reporter came on and gave about 100 reasons why Jim doesn't belong on the HoF. "Blah-di-di-blah has more RBI, Blah-di-di-blah hit more home runs, Blah-di-da-frigging blah..."

Fortunately, Burt Blyleven came on right after that and said Rice should have been in The Hall 10 years ago.

Wore my "Let Jim In" shirt with pride last night at Pete's. No alterations yet. Still deciding on what to do. Although I think the "stand by the NESN booth slopping Srirachi all over yourself and get Jim to sign your shirt" idea has lots of merit.

[Billy Mahty]

Sounds like the new shirts should read, "Jim Is In!"

[Jason O.]

Jim Rice is one of the first HOF members due to the steroid effect, i.e., his pre-steroid era numbers were seen in an "enhanced" light.

Therefore, due to the same effect (pitching solely in the AL East with his career coinciding with the steroid era) Mike Mussina should be a first ballot HOF-er with 90% of the vote.

Numbers aside, Rice was a mean sonuvabitch: My kind of guy.

[Jim in Denver]

Two co-workers who are my age (early 40s) and who grew up in the NY burbs and are, natch, Spankees fans, both told me yesterday that Jim Rice scared the crap out of them every time he came up.

Statistics, Schmtistics. That's why he's a HoF player. He made 'em tinkle in their pinstriped knickers.

[Steve in MD]

/Rice was a mean sonuvabitch/ Not off-field. Mrs. Steve in MD worked with a number of pro athletes in the Boston area during the mid-80's. She's always said that Jim Rice was the nicest of them all.

[yazbread]

Gator in the HOF? What the hell is he smoking?

[sonomasox]

way to channel your inner Jim Ed, hb. perfect strip for the perfect ball player. he showed up, smacked the ball and played the wall. no need to deal w/ those scribes, they're all taking bribes. ok, I'll stop now.

[sonomasox]

btw - second day in a row of 80 degree weather. sorry.

[Harwich Rich]

...and Santa Anna winds?

[Dale021]

Congrats, Jim. Watched Yaz through High School. Then became an instant Jim Rice fan when he came up. Some favorite memories: That whole "gold-dust twins" season. I almost lost my lunch when I learned of the broken finger and the horror of his being sidelined for the postseason. And when he went into the stands after the mfy fans that (momentarily) took his cap. And then the time he broke his mofo bat with a checked swing. (My best Chris Farley voice:) "Man! that was Amazing!!"

Dale

[Scott]

Congrats Jim!

It's about time.

[Rob in CT]

Sooooo happy about Jim Ed. So deserved, so long overdue! Perfect pitch to the strip HB.

Oh, and HB, would you mind much if I, er, "borrowed" the Shamwow the smug line from you? Just perfect. Heard the Mike & Mike nonsense this morning as well. Almost drove off the road for my growing anger. Thank God for Blyleven speaking truth to Shamwow the assclown's smug.

Rob

[sonomasox]

No Santa Anna's, Harwich - pretty calm. Just some weird weather. Broke the record by 20. "Earthquake" weather as the natives put it...

[mikeya2k1]

like all of the nation i was happy to see gentleman Jim get in the Hof. i loved watching him play, was sad when his eyesight ( or whateverit was) fail him. but the really cool thing is my wife, when she was a little girl got to see him play at Muzzy field as a Bristol Redsox. just thought id share.

[vancouversoxfan]

My favourite growing up as well.

Just as an aside, out of curiosity, I wonder which would have meant more to him: a World Series victory in '86, or the HOF?

I'm guessing the HOF, but I think it would be close.