The big picture is that Rice earned his plaque

“Frank said, ‘You go too long, and we’ll let you know.’ ’’

None of this poses a problem for Jim Rice, a disciplined man who always has played by the rules. After enduring 14 setbacks, 14 years of stone-faced disappointment before joining Dazzy Vance and Red Ruffing as the only men elected to the Hall on the final year of BBWAA eligibility, Rice can handle anything that comes his way during this induction weekend.

There are many ways to describe Jim Rice, but how about this?

Direct.

He comes with no frills, no BS, no subterfuge, no hidden agendas, and absolutely no con. Rice presented himself to us 34 years ago in this manner, and he never has deviated. You took him as he was. He never asked to be liked, or even to be admired. About the only thing he ever asked for was to be in the lineup, and not just frequently, but every day. He saw himself as a man who had a job to do, and he did it to the best of his ability. Period. All the peripheral stuff, all the honors and accolades, he could take or leave, mostly leave.

Someone asked the inevitable question yesterday. Why did it take so long to be chosen for this fraternity? Did Rice think it was a valid theory that voters have reevaluated his career in light of the obvious steroid era that followed his time in the game? The inquisitor might just as easily have asked Rice if he had any thoughts on the political situation in Nepal.

“I have no idea,’’ Rice replied. “I don’t look at it. I never think about it. It’s all been done and said. My numbers never changed. I don’t know that steroids had anything to do with it.’’

Well, I do. There has to be a reason why a man who started out with 29.8 percent of the vote in 1995, and who averaged between 51.5 percent and 59.8 percent for a six-year period beginning with his sixth year of eligibility, jumped to 72.2 percent by year 14 and found 20 new voters in year 15. As he says, his numbers didn’t change.