Player: Jim Rice
Set: 1975 Topps
Card Number: 616
Why is This Card a Must Have?: For the life of meI just can’t understand as to why in the world Jim Rice is not a Hall of Famer. Let’s just take one thing at a time, was he a dominant hitter, meaning if the game was on the line, did you pitch to him? For Rice, the answer was no way! He was a career 0.298 hitter who averaged 30 homers and drove in 113 runs a season, if the game was on the line, and you have options, he was not the guy to pitch to. He has the MVP, and the eight All Star appearances, if only he was nicer to the writers. I mean that’s the real reason he isn’t in the Hall. He pissed off his share of voters and they will never vote for him. Someday, when the old stogies, give up their voting rights,we can look at the stats and finally put him in the Hall. His card value will not go up, but at least he’ll be where he deserves to be.
On a Scale of 1 to 10, How Must Have Is This Card?: A 5, the card is so cheap, you can get it for one to five dollars on eBay. I put it middle of the road, because, in the end he isn’t a Hall of Famer. He was however a very potent hitter, in an era lacking potent hitters. You know and I know he deserves to be in the Hall, someday he might be, but until then he is just a 5. A collection must have,maybe one of the later cards to be added though.
I think there’s a good chance he’ll get in the Hall this coming year. A few writers appear to be reconsidering.