All right, Boston - your word of the week is "almost."
It was a week of close calls, as the Red Sox almost landed Johan Santana, the Celtics almost doubled up on the Knicks before settling for a 104-59 nail-biter and the Patriots survived a scare in Baltimore to move to 12-0.
But while I could use this space to discuss any one of the above developments, I won't. There's something more pressing on my mind. As this is my last column of 2007, it's also my last chance to speak my mind about a certain event scheduled for Jan. 8, 2008.
I'm referring to the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA)'s annual meeting to elect the newest slate of Hall of Fame inductees. For the 14th (and if there's justice in the world, last) time, it's time to plead the case for James Edward Rice.
Jim Rice has been on the writers' ballot since 1995 and has watched countless contemporaries vault into Cooperstown over him. Eddie Murray, Dave Winfield, Tony Perez and Orlando Cepeda all have their plaques. Rice, statistically speaking, should be next.
Rice's exploits have already been well rehashed over the past decade, but here's a quick refresher course - eight All-Star selections, one AL MVP and 382 career home runs. In the first 12 years of his career, he was the most feared hitter in baseball, with the possible exception of Murray. From 1975 to '86, he led the American League in virtually every offensive category (we're talking homers, RBI, runs, hits, extra-base hits, total bases and more).
Rice has built momentum over the years through online campaigns, written pleas in the media (such as this one) and one memorable publicity stunt at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket - this summer's "Sign the World's Largest Jim Rice Jersey" event.
Rice's share of the Hall voting has risen steadily, starting at 30 percent in his first year of eligibility and peaking at 64.8 two years ago. He's consistently among the top one or two players just below the 75 percent cutoff, and with a little luck, this is the year he gets over the hump.
Why this year? Because this year's slate is one of the worst in Hall history, both on and off the field.
While Todd Stottlemyre, Travis Fryman and Shawon Dunston (yes, Shawon Dunston!) cling to their pipe dreams of a place in Cooperstown alongside Willie, Mickey and the Duke, there are also candidates more qualified on the field, with glaring question marks off it.
This year, the question is - how does Rice look in comparison with, say, Mark McGwire or Tim Raines?
McGwire is of course the poster boy for the steroid generation, as 583 homers weren't enough for him to break the 25 percent mark in his first year on the ballot. And now this year, there's Raines.
"Rock" was a seven-time All-Star who amassed 808 stolen bases over the course of his 23-year career, fifth all-time. But as his nickname suggests, he was at the center of the cocaine scandal that rocked baseball in the '80s, and he even admitted to getting high during games.
Is there room in the Hall of Fame for someone with such a glaring character flaw? Most likely, yes. The numbers speak for themselves, just as they did for bigots like Ty Cobb and alcoholics like Mickey Mantle. Tim Raines is a first-ballot Hall of Famer whether the purists out there like it or not.
But here's the thing. In an era where everyone's off-field antics are scrutinized, Jim Rice is the good guy. Among players who have never damaged the integrity of baseball, Rice is the best candidate in the field. Maybe he wasn't a media darling three decades ago - but under the circumstances, that's the least of baseball's problems.
You may have already heard this 13 times before, but this year, it's the truth - Jim, this is your year.
Evans Clinchy is a junior majoring in English. He can be reached at evans.clinchy@tufts.edu.
