Sam Rice
Encyclopedia
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 - October 13, 1974) was an American
pitcher
and right fielder
in Major League Baseball
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.
Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher
, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Senators
from until , he was regularly among the American League
leaders in runs scored
, hits
, stolen base
s and batting average
. He led the Senators to three postseasons and a World Series
championship in 1924
. He batted left-handed, but threw right-handed.
Rice stood erect at the plate and used quick wrists to slash pitches to all fields. He never swung at the first pitch and seldom fanned, once completing a 616-at-bat season with nine strikeouts. As the ultimate contact man with the picture-perfect swing, Rice was never a home run threat, but blazing speed often turned singles into doubles, and his 1920 stolen base total of 63 earned him the timely nickname "Man o' War"
.
With 2,987 hits, Rice has the most of any player not to reach 3,000. He was 44 years old at the time of his last game. Rice later said, "The truth of the matter is I did not even know how many hits I had. A couple of years after I quit, [Senators owner] Clark Griffith
told me about it, and asked me if I'd care to have a comeback with the Senators and pick up those 13 hits. But I was out of shape, and didn't want to go through all that would have been necessary to make the effort. Nowadays, with radio and television announcers spouting records every time a player comes to bat, I would have known about my hits and probably would have stayed to make 3,000 of them."
Rice played his final year, , for the Cleveland Indians
.
for a complete explanation.
with the Senators playing the Pittsburgh Pirates
, the Senators were leading the Pirates 4-3. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Sam Rice was moved from center field to right field. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Pirates catcher Earl Smith
drove a ball to right-center field. Rice ran down the ball and appeared to catch the ball at the fence, potentially robbing Smith of a home run
that would have tied the game. After the catch, Rice toppled over the top of the fence and into the stands, disappearing out of sight. When Rice reappeared, he had the ball in his glove and the umpire called the batter out. The umpire's explanation was that as soon as the catch was made the play was over, and so it did not matter where Sam Rice ended up.
This caused great controversy on whether Rice actually caught the ball and whether he kept possession of the ball the entire time. Rice himself would not tell, only answering: "The umpire called him out," when asked. Magazines offered to pay him for the story, but Rice turned them down, saying: "I don't need the money. The mystery is more fun." He would not even tell his wife or his daughter.
The controversy became so great that Rice wrote a letter to be opened upon his death. After Sam died, the letter was opened and it contained Rice's account of what happened. At the end of the letter, he wrote: "At no time did I lose possession of the ball."
His team ultimately lost the Series, in seven games.
, on the Indiana-Illinois border, and considered Watseka, Illinois
, his hometown. In 1908 he married Beulah Stam, and they had two children. They lived in Watseka, where Rice ran the family farm, worked at several jobs in the area, and attended tryouts for various professional baseball teams.
In April 1912 Sam traveled to Galesburg, Illinois
for a baseball tryout, and his wife took their children to the homestead of Rice's parents in Morocco, Indiana
(about 20 miles from Watseka) to spend the day. A storm arose, and a tornado swept across the homestead, destroying the house and most of the outbuildings, and killing Rice's wife, two children, his mother, his two younger sisters and a farmhand. Rice's father survived for another week before also succumbing to his injuries. Rice had to attend two funerals: one for his parents and sisters, and a second for his wife and children.
Probably wracked with grief, Rice spent the next year wandering the area and working at several jobs. In 1913 he joined the United States Navy
and served on the USS New Hampshire
, a 16,000-ton battleship that was large enough to field a baseball team. Rice played on that team during one season. He was on the ship when it took part in the ill-fated United States occupation of Veracruz, Mexico.
In 1914 Rice tried out for a professional baseball team in Petersburg, Virginia
, and was accepted. As a pitcher, he compiled a 9-2 record during the year that he played for that team. Team owner "Doc" Lee owed a $300 debt to Clark Griffith
, who owned the major-league Washington Senators at the time, and he offered Rice's contract to Griffith in payment of the debt.
Lee is credited with two acts which influenced Rice's subsequent career: he changed the player's name from 'Edgar' to 'Sam', and he convinced the Senators to let Rice play in the outfield instead of pitching.
Rice played for 19 years as a Senator, and played the final year of his career with the Cleveland Indians
, retiring at age 44.
Rice eventually married for a second time (Mary), and they had a daughter, Christine. In 1965 Rice and his family were interviewed in advance of a program to honor his career. The interviewer asked Rice about the tornado, and as he told of the storm and its destruction, his wife and children learned for the first time of the existence of his previous family.
Rice died on 13 October 1974. He was buried in Woodside Cemetery in Brinklow, Maryland
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
and right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.
Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
from until , he was regularly among the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
leaders in runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s and batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
. He led the Senators to three postseasons and a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
championship in 1924
1924 World Series
In the 1924 World Series, the Washington Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. The Giants became the first team to play in four consecutive World Series, winning in 1921–1922 and losing in 1923–1924. Their long-time manager, John McGraw, made his ninth and final World Series appearance...
. He batted left-handed, but threw right-handed.
Rice stood erect at the plate and used quick wrists to slash pitches to all fields. He never swung at the first pitch and seldom fanned, once completing a 616-at-bat season with nine strikeouts. As the ultimate contact man with the picture-perfect swing, Rice was never a home run threat, but blazing speed often turned singles into doubles, and his 1920 stolen base total of 63 earned him the timely nickname "Man o' War"
Man O' War
Man O' War, man o' war or manowar may refer to:* Man-of-war, a warship* Man of war for uses with this spelling - Places :...
.
With 2,987 hits, Rice has the most of any player not to reach 3,000. He was 44 years old at the time of his last game. Rice later said, "The truth of the matter is I did not even know how many hits I had. A couple of years after I quit, [Senators owner] Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.-Biography:...
told me about it, and asked me if I'd care to have a comeback with the Senators and pick up those 13 hits. But I was out of shape, and didn't want to go through all that would have been necessary to make the effort. Nowadays, with radio and television announcers spouting records every time a player comes to bat, I would have known about my hits and probably would have stayed to make 3,000 of them."
Rice played his final year, , for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
.
Career statistics
See:Career StatisticsBaseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
for a complete explanation.
| G | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | R | RBI | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| 2,404 | 9,269 | 2987 | 498 | 184 | 34 | 1,514 | 1,078 | 708 | 275 | .322 | .374 | .427 |
The catch
The most famous moment in Sam Rice's career came in defense. During game three of the 1925 World Series1925 World Series
In the 1925 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the defending champion Washington Senators in seven games.In a reversal of fortune on all counts from the previous 1924 World Series, when Washington's Walter Johnson had come back from two losses to win the seventh and deciding game, Johnson...
with the Senators playing the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, the Senators were leading the Pirates 4-3. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Sam Rice was moved from center field to right field. With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Pirates catcher Earl Smith
Earl Smith (catcher)
Earl Sutton Smith , was a professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from -. He would play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Giants, Boston Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals.-External links:...
drove a ball to right-center field. Rice ran down the ball and appeared to catch the ball at the fence, potentially robbing Smith of a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
that would have tied the game. After the catch, Rice toppled over the top of the fence and into the stands, disappearing out of sight. When Rice reappeared, he had the ball in his glove and the umpire called the batter out. The umpire's explanation was that as soon as the catch was made the play was over, and so it did not matter where Sam Rice ended up.
This caused great controversy on whether Rice actually caught the ball and whether he kept possession of the ball the entire time. Rice himself would not tell, only answering: "The umpire called him out," when asked. Magazines offered to pay him for the story, but Rice turned them down, saying: "I don't need the money. The mystery is more fun." He would not even tell his wife or his daughter.
The controversy became so great that Rice wrote a letter to be opened upon his death. After Sam died, the letter was opened and it contained Rice's account of what happened. At the end of the letter, he wrote: "At no time did I lose possession of the ball."
His team ultimately lost the Series, in seven games.
Early life and entry to professional baseball
Rice grew up in various towns near Morocco, IndianaMorocco, Indiana
Morocco is a town in Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morocco is located at ....
, on the Indiana-Illinois border, and considered Watseka, Illinois
Watseka, Illinois
Watseka is a city in and the county seat of Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately west of the Illinois-Indiana state line on U.S...
, his hometown. In 1908 he married Beulah Stam, and they had two children. They lived in Watseka, where Rice ran the family farm, worked at several jobs in the area, and attended tryouts for various professional baseball teams.
In April 1912 Sam traveled to Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County....
for a baseball tryout, and his wife took their children to the homestead of Rice's parents in Morocco, Indiana
Morocco, Indiana
Morocco is a town in Beaver Township, Newton County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,129 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morocco is located at ....
(about 20 miles from Watseka) to spend the day. A storm arose, and a tornado swept across the homestead, destroying the house and most of the outbuildings, and killing Rice's wife, two children, his mother, his two younger sisters and a farmhand. Rice's father survived for another week before also succumbing to his injuries. Rice had to attend two funerals: one for his parents and sisters, and a second for his wife and children.
Probably wracked with grief, Rice spent the next year wandering the area and working at several jobs. In 1913 he joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and served on the USS New Hampshire
USS New Hampshire (BB-25)
The second United States Navy New Hampshire was a . New Hampshire was the last American pre-dreadnought battleship, though she was commissioned two years after HMS Dreadnought....
, a 16,000-ton battleship that was large enough to field a baseball team. Rice played on that team during one season. He was on the ship when it took part in the ill-fated United States occupation of Veracruz, Mexico.
In 1914 Rice tried out for a professional baseball team in Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, and was accepted. As a pitcher, he compiled a 9-2 record during the year that he played for that team. Team owner "Doc" Lee owed a $300 debt to Clark Griffith
Clark Griffith
Clark Calvin Griffith , nicknamed "the Old Fox", was a Major League Baseball pitcher, manager and team owner.-Biography:...
, who owned the major-league Washington Senators at the time, and he offered Rice's contract to Griffith in payment of the debt.
Lee is credited with two acts which influenced Rice's subsequent career: he changed the player's name from 'Edgar' to 'Sam', and he convinced the Senators to let Rice play in the outfield instead of pitching.
Rice played for 19 years as a Senator, and played the final year of his career with the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, retiring at age 44.
Rice eventually married for a second time (Mary), and they had a daughter, Christine. In 1965 Rice and his family were interviewed in advance of a program to honor his career. The interviewer asked Rice about the tornado, and as he told of the storm and its destruction, his wife and children learned for the first time of the existence of his previous family.
Rice died on 13 October 1974. He was buried in Woodside Cemetery in Brinklow, Maryland
Brinklow, Maryland
Brinklow is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Brinklow is located on Maryland Route 650 northeast of Olney. Brinklow has a post office with ZIP code 20862....
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball Hit Records
- List of major league players with 2,000 hits
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions
External links
- SABR biography
- http://www.mcfarlandpub.com/book-2.php?id=978-0-7864-3119-9Biography published by McFarland & CompanyMcFarland & CompanyMcFarland & Company, Inc. is a book publisher of primarily academic and adult nonfiction based in Jefferson, North Carolina. Its president and editor-in-chief is Robert Franklin, who began the enterprise in 1979...
]