Jim Rice

In a pageant that had the sellout crowd cheering throughout, the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Fenway Park in 1912 by bringing 213 players out onto the field to take their positions. Hall of Fame left fielder Jim Rice was first, taking his place in front of the Green Monster. Another Hall of Famer, Carl Yastrzemski, was last. Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, Jim Lonborg, Nomar Garciaparra, Reggie Smith, Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Rico Petrocelli, Mike Lowell and Dennis Eckersley were among those on hand.

In a pageant that had the sellout crowd cheering throughout, the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Fenway Park in 1912 by bringing 213 players out onto the field to take their positions. Hall of Fame left fielder Jim Rice was first, taking his place in front of the Green Monster. Another Hall of Famer, Carl Yastrzemski, was last. Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, Jim Lonborg, Nomar Garciaparra, Reggie Smith, Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Rico Petrocelli, Mike Lowell and Dennis Eckersley were among those on hand.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff In a pageant that had the sellout crowd cheering throughout, the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Fenway Park in 1912 by bringing 213 players out onto the field to take their positions. Hall of Fame left fielder Jim Rice was first, taking his place in front of the Green Monster. Another Hall of Famer, Carl Yastrzemski, was last. Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, Jim Lonborg, Nomar Garciaparra, Reggie Smith, Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Rico Petrocelli, Mike Lowell and Dennis Eckersley were among those on hand.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff In a pageant that had the sellout crowd cheering throughout, the Red Sox celebrated the 100th anniversary of the first game at Fenway Park in 1912 by bringing 213 players out onto the field to take their positions. Hall of Fame left fielder Jim Rice was first, taking his place in front of the Green Monster. Another Hall of Famer, Carl Yastrzemski, was last. Carlton Fisk, Pedro Martinez, Jim Lonborg, Nomar Garciaparra, Reggie Smith, Luis Tiant, Bill Lee, Rico Petrocelli, Mike Lowell and Dennis Eckersley were among those on hand.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - I was standing outside the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday morning, minding my own business, not looking for any trouble, when David Ortiz came out and started yelling at me. OK, maybe "yell" is too strong. But it was unhappy talk and it caught me by surprise. "Dan, you think I'm going to break down like Jim Rice did when he was 36? You're wrong. It's not the 1980s. It's 2012. " "Whoa, big fella," I offered. "I don't remember writing that. " "Yeah, you said it on Boston.com," said Ortiz, before disappearing into the clubhouse.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - I was standing outside the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday morning, minding my own business, not looking for any trouble, when David Ortiz came out and started yelling at me. OK, maybe "yell" is too strong. But it was unhappy talk and it caught me by surprise. "Dan, you think I'm going to break down like Jim Rice did when he was 36? You're wrong. It's not the 1980s. It's 2012. " "Whoa, big fella," I offered. "I don't remember writing that. " "Yeah, you said it on Boston.com," said Ortiz, before disappearing into the clubhouse.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - By midday today, and not a second before, Jim Rice will be a baseball Hall of Famer. It turns out there’s a serious pecking order in this club. “They let you know you’re welcomed to their surroundings,’’ Rice explained, “but they’re the type of guys who let you know you are a rookie.’’ And don’t even think about running through the verbal stop sign when making your acceptance speech, which is delivered with all the existing Hall of Famers in attendance seated behind the new inductees.

No soup for you, Jim Rice. For the 12th consecutive winter, the Baseball Writers' Association of America has turned thumbs-down on the candidacy of the former Red Sox slugger. Of those on the ballot, Rice received more votes than any player who didn't make it, but his 64.8 percent tally was significantly short of the 75 percent needed for a ticket to Cooperstown. Here in Boston, we really thought this was the year for Jim Ed. He was coming off his strongest showing (60 percent last year)

Last call at the Hall for Jim Rice. The former Red Sox slugger has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for 14 years and each time he's come up short of the required 75 percent of the vote. Now in his 15th and final year of eligibility, Rice wins. Guaranteed. Just like I said last year (whoops) when he finished 16 votes shy, getting 72.2 percent of the electorate. Rice has never been a certified Cooperstown lock. That's why he's fallen short. It's not because he was uncooperative with the scribes.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Their personalities may be as different as two Hall of Famers ever inducted on the same day, but the flamboyant Rickey Henderson and the conservative Jim Rice both delivered powerful and memorable punch lines in their speeches yesterday on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center. Rice said, “I am a husband called Rice. I am a father called Dad. I am a brother called Ed. I’m an uncle called Uncle Ed. I’m a grandfather called Papa. I am a friend that doesn’t call.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - I was standing outside the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday morning, minding my own business, not looking for any trouble, when David Ortiz came out and started yelling at me. OK, maybe "yell" is too strong. But it was unhappy talk and it caught me by surprise. "Dan, you think I'm going to break down like Jim Rice did when he was 36? You're wrong. It's not the 1980s. It's 2012. " "Whoa, big fella," I offered. "I don't remember writing that. " "Yeah, you said it on Boston.com," said Ortiz, before disappearing into the clubhouse.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - I was standing outside the Red Sox clubhouse yesterday morning, minding my own business, not looking for any trouble, when David Ortiz came out and started yelling at me. OK, maybe "yell" is too strong. But it was unhappy talk and it caught me by surprise. "Dan, you think I'm going to break down like Jim Rice did when he was 36? You're wrong. It's not the 1980s. It's 2012. " "Whoa, big fella," I offered. "I don't remember writing that. " "Yeah, you said it on Boston.com," said Ortiz, before disappearing into the clubhouse.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Their personalities may be as different as two Hall of Famers ever inducted on the same day, but the flamboyant Rickey Henderson and the conservative Jim Rice both delivered powerful and memorable punch lines in their speeches yesterday on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center. Rice said, “I am a husband called Rice. I am a father called Dad. I am a brother called Ed. I’m an uncle called Uncle Ed. I’m a grandfather called Papa. I am a friend that doesn’t call.

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - By midday today, and not a second before, Jim Rice will be a baseball Hall of Famer. It turns out there’s a serious pecking order in this club. “They let you know you’re welcomed to their surroundings,’’ Rice explained, “but they’re the type of guys who let you know you are a rookie.’’ And don’t even think about running through the verbal stop sign when making your acceptance speech, which is delivered with all the existing Hall of Famers in attendance seated behind the new inductees.

For 15 years, the debate was about the numbers. Did a .298 lifetime batting average, 382 homers, 1,451 runs batted in, and 2,452 hits add up to a Hall of Fame career? But for those men who played with and against Jim Rice from 1974 through 1989, his statistics told an incomplete tale. To appreciate the qualities that got him to Cooperstown, where Rice will be inducted Sunday along with Rickey Henderson, you had to be there. “You have to play with a guy every day,’’ says Carl Yastrzemski, who patrolled left field for the Red Sox before Rice, played with him for nine seasons, and who...

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - There are pictures on walls, plaques and statues, and video of some of the greatest players and greatest moments in major league baseball history. So when Jim Rice strolled into the Baseball Hall of Fame yesterday and came across a group of children sitting on the floor near an exhibit listening to their teacher, Hall publicist Brad Horn whispered into the teacher's ear, "We have a special guest for you to meet. " The teacher informed the students who was standing before them, and one girl placed her hands on her face in disbelief.

Jim Rice was certainly disappointed when he fell 16 votes shy of election into Baseball's Hall of Fame, but aside from Rice himself, the person who might have felt his pain more than anyone was Rich "Goose" Gossage, the one player who was elected in balloting announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America yesterday. "I said a few days ago, I would have loved to have gone to Cooperstown with Jimmy," said Gossage, the great Yankees closer. "I've been surprised he hasn't got in and I thought this would be it. "He came so close.

Last call at the Hall for Jim Rice. The former Red Sox slugger has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for 14 years and each time he's come up short of the required 75 percent of the vote. Now in his 15th and final year of eligibility, Rice wins. Guaranteed. Just like I said last year (whoops) when he finished 16 votes shy, getting 72.2 percent of the electorate. Rice has never been a certified Cooperstown lock. That's why he's fallen short. It's not because he was uncooperative with the scribes.