Red Sox LFers dominate Hall of Fame vote

Congrats to Big Jim Ed Rice, who will join Rickey Henderson in Cooperstown this summer.

It was a long wait for Rice, all 15 years of eligibility, but it creates a nice pairing for the Hall of Fame class of 2009.

Put aside their similarities - both were dominant stars of the 1980s and patrolled left field at Fenway Park - Rice and Henderson also provide a nice contrast.

{Yes, in case you forgot - like Greg briefly did - Henderson was in Boston for the glorious 2002 season. And no, off the top of his head, Greg doesn't remember anything else that happened that season. Like how I also forgot that Henderson was a member of those awful 1993 Blue Jays.}

Henderson was the ultimate leadoff hitter who combined power with dominating speed and on-base skills; Rice was the big (for the time) slugger who excelled in powerful offense.

I just hope Rickey can keep up with Big Jim on the podium this summer. Rice seems to be outgoing, colorful and self-promoting while Rickey can be a little quiet. Nah, Rickey being Rickey would never let that happen.

My favorite story of the day comes not from Henderson, but from Rice. Apparently, the big guy loves his soaps. I would have loved it if he didn't take the call until his stories ended.

I'm sorry I don't have anything personal to add. I started rooting for the Red Sox in 1986 - Rice's last good year, so most of my memories, unfortunately, are of a washed-up slugger. I was living in Yankee territory when Rickey played in New York. To me, he was a symbol of the overhyped big-name Yankees who never won, but I also disliked him purely because he was so damned good.

[Photo credit: Boston Herald]

Nick Cafardo audtions for SoxandPhils

Given the awful economic state of newspapering, it seems the Globe's Nick Cafardo is sending out subtle hints that he'd like to join the SoxandPhils team. A couple of lines from today's Baseball Notes column prove my point:

Apropos of nothing: 1. If Mike Lowell had signed with the Phillies last winter, he'd have back-to-back championships; 2. Nomar Garciaparra would be a nice fit for the Phillies.

...

The action on Lowe will likely accelerate this weekend among three NL East teams - Atlanta, New York, and Philadelphia. The Braves, who met with Lowe last week, need to nail this one down. They acquired Javier Vazquez from the White Sox earlier this winter, but they have lost John Smoltz and have yet to make an offer to the rehabbing Tom Glavine. They would salvage their offseason by signing Lowe, who among the baseball people we spoke to was considered the second-best free agent pitcher out there (after CC Sabathia). One rub is that Lowe wants to go somewhere where he can get to a World Series. Are the Braves that team? Are the Mets? We know the Phillies are.

No need to be bashful, Mr. Cafardo - you'd be welcome to join. We don't pay well, but we offer telecommuting, flexible hours and a friendly staff.

Oh, and since he took a jab at the Mets, Christine and I (while taking breaks from watching the Carolina Panthers fall apart last night) caught the end of the 2006 NLCS on MLB Network, which was the beginning of the "choke artist" label for the New York Mets. Christine could watch Carlos Beltran freeze on strike three with the potential winning run on base a million times.

Back to current reality: Cafardo, Bob Ryan and Jim Salisbury all talk about the two Red Sox left fielders on deck for the Hall of Fame. I think (probably like I did last year) that Jim Rice gets in this year. I haven't seen a writer's ballot that hasn't included him, and he was darn close last year.

No one, however, doubts that at least one Red Sox (Rickey Henderson) will get in. If you've clicked on the link to Cafardo's column at the top of this post, you would have an enjoyable recap on Rickey's year in the Fens. I love Henderson stories and can't wait for all of them to come out over the next few months.

Football: Again, I keep forgetting about football - although today's Eagles-Giants is a must-see. Yesterday, I would have picked the Panthers and the Titans. Today, I'll go with the Giants and Steelers. I'm 2-4 so far in the playoffs.