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I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more content Jim Rice.
He walked out of his Andover townhouse on Andover Country Club and met with a few TV stations and myself for a quickie interview.
A few of the details:
He got the big phone call at about 1:20 p.m., which is 40 minutes before it officially became public.
He called, in succession, his wife, sister, daughter (Carissa) and brother, in that order. None of them picked up. He left messages with all of them and all later returned his call.
He cried as soon as he hung up the phone.
He was planning to talk to Carl Yastzemski, who is in Delray Beach, Fla.
He said that it was an honor to be the third Red Sox left fielder to play his entire career in Boston and make the Hall of Fame with Yaz and Ted Williams the others.
He said he owes a lot to Yaz, who stepped out of the way early in Rice’s career to become a first baseman and designated hitter. “He said, ‘Jimmy, it’s all yours.’ That probably had as much to do with anything as me being (voted to the Hall of Fame).”
He said he would like Yaz to be the ceremony in Cooperstown when the induction occurs.
His next two days will be busy. He goes to Boston later today for a press conference and then to Cooperstown, N.Y. tomorrow for a joint press conference with Rickey Henderson, who was also inducted.
When asked about the fact that he was going in with Henderson, Rice smiled and said, “I’ll let him do all the talking.”
That’s all for now.
To be honest, I believe the voters got it right. He was a close call and he barely made it.
“I don’t care about the negative stuff any more,” said Rice. “I’m in and that’s the important thing.”