Jim Rice: Press-shy Hall of Famer who helped out a fan

Jim Rice never did like talking to the press. During his 15-year career (all of it spent with the Boston Red Sox) the power-hitting left fielder preferred to keep his head down and do his job. It wasn't so much that reporters asked questions as it was the kind of questions they asked.

"This was a very private guy from a small town in South Carolina who just wanted to play ball," retired Boston Herald sportswriter Joe Giuliotti told the New York Times in 2003. "At a time when he was the only black player on the team, he made it known that he was not getting into the black-white issues, but when he said he didn't want to talk about it, writers just kept coming after him.''

Rice's chilly, taciturn nature didn't endear him to the journalists who covered him — would it kill him to chat a bit after the game?

These same journalists would have their revenge once Rice became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1994. Baseball writers decide which players get this honor; Rice didn't make it in until his 15th and final year of eligibility.

"Voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played," reads the Hall of Fame election rules. It's certainly feasible that sportswriters dinged Rice for not being an easy interview.

But if character counts, then an incident at Fenway Park 42 years ago this August 7 should've made Rice a shoo-in. The Red Sox were hosting the White Sox; Tom Keane was taking in the game two rows above the Red Sox dugout with his 4-year-old son Jonathan and his 2-year-old brother. Red Sox second baseman Dave Stapleton hit a foul that rocketed toward the family, hitting Jonathan square in the face.

As blood gushed from the screaming boy's forehead and people called for help, Rice jumped into the stands and grabbed Jonathan, cradling him in his arms as he rushed him to the dugout, where the Sox team doctor was waiting to rush him to the hospital.

Jonathan's skull was fractured, and he was unresponsive. But after emergency surgery and five days in Boston's Children's Hospital, he made a full recovery. To this day, both Jonathan and his father credit Rice with saving Jonathan's life.

As usual, Rice didn't want to make a big fuss about it. "If it was your kid, what would you do?” he said. “The baby was crying and there was a lot of blood. I think he was more in shock than anything.” Spoken like a true team player.