Jim Rice squares off against Bill Rodgers in the first round of Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.
Red Sox fans have had the pleasure of really getting to know Jim Rice since he joined NESN’s analyst team. But even before that — and before he was inducted in to the Hall of Fame in his 15th and final year of eligibility in 2009 — Rice held a special spot in hearts of the Nation. He comprised one-third of one of the greatest outfields in Red Sox history, joining Fred Lynn and Dwight Evans in the late seventies. Rice played his entire 15-year career in Boston and batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs. Rice led the AL in home runs three times and won the AL MVP in 1978 after becoming the first player in 19 years to hit for 400 total bases. He batted .300 in seven different seasons, racked up 100 RBIs eight times and hit 20 home runs 11 times.
What would Boston sports be without the Boston Marathon — and what would the Boston Marathon be without Bill Rodgers? The Connecticut native won the Boston Marathon and the New York Marathon four times each between 1975 and 1980 and broke the American record in Boston twice. He clocked in at 2:09:55 in 1975 and finished at 2:09:27 in 1979. After he won the Fukuoka Marathon in 1977, he became the only runner to ever hold the championship in three major marathons simultaneously. In 1978, Rodgers won 27 of the 30 races he participated in and broke a plethora of records during his peak, including the world record for 25 kilometers in 1979. His 1:14.11.8 time broke Pekka Paivarinta’s mark. And three times between 1975 and 1979, Track & Field News ranked him the No. 1 runner in the world. He finished his career with 22 marathon wins and was inducted into the National Distance Running Hall of Fame in 1998.
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