Is Carlton Fisk or Jim Rice a Bigger Boston Sports Legend?

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May 9, 2010

Is Carlton Fisk or Jim Rice a Bigger Boston Sports Legend? Carlton Fisk squares off against Jim Rice in the second round of the Boston’s Biggest Sports Legend tournament.


Is Carlton Fisk or Jim Rice a Bigger Boston Sports Legend?4. Carlton FiskCarlton Fisk’s career began with a bang, when he became the first unanimous Rookie of the Year after hitting .293 with 22 homers and a .909 OPS in 1972. The Vermont native spent eight full seasons with the Red Sox. In 1974, he suffered a major setback when a home plate collision resulted in major reconstructive knee surgery. He was told he’d never step on a field again, but bounced back to hit .331 in 1975. That’s when his magic really kicked in. Fisk led Boston to the World Series and — in the defining moment of his career — rocketed a 12th-inning pitch down the left-field line at Fenway Park in Game 6 against the Reds. As Fisk moved toward first base and waved it fair, it miraculously bent and hit the foul pole to force Game 7. The Red Sox lost the game, but the team named the pole after him in 2005 — 24 years after he left the team as a free agent. During his Red Sox career, Fisk averaged 20 homers and 70 RBIs per season. He owns the 10th-best slugging percentage in club history (.481), caught a major league record 2,226 games over 24 career seasons and was an 11-time All-Star. He is one of just 16 catchers in the Hall of Fame.

Is Carlton Fisk or Jim Rice a Bigger Boston Sports Legend?5. Jim RiceRed 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.


« 3. David Ortiz vs. 6. Terry O’Reilly | 1. Bobby Orr vs. 9. Dwight Evans »

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