Sam Rice

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Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and right fielder in Major League Baseball.

Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher on his debut as a reliever, but he is best known as an outfielder.

From 1915 to 1933, he was consistently among the top American League players in runs, hits, stolen bases, and average.

In 1924, he led the Senators to three postseasons and a World Series championship.

He batted left-handed but threw right-handed.

Rice was with the Cleveland Indians in 1934 during his last year.

In 1963, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Rice was best known for his controversial catch in the 1925 World Series, which carried him over the fence and into the stands.

Rice had a sense of mystery about the find, even though he was dead.

He wrote a letter that was only published after his 1974 death; it stated that he had been in possession of the ball the whole time.

Early life

Rice was the first of six children born to Charles Rice and Louisa Newmyer. Charles and Louisa married about two months after he was born. He grew up in several towns near Morocco, Indiana, along the Indiana-Illinois border, and considered Morocco his home. During his childhood, he was known as "Eddie" in the English language. Rice married Beulah Stam, a 16-year-old boy, in 1908. Rice grew up in Watseka, Illinois, where Rice worked at several companies in the area, and attended tryouts for various professional baseball teams.

Rice and his wife had two children by April 1912, aged 18 months and three years. Rice traveled to Galesburg, Illinois, to play for a spot on a minor league baseball team, the Galesburg Pavers of the Central Association, while Rice's wife cared for the children. Rice was on the team for about a week, appearing in three exhibition games. Rice started the game as a relief pitcher and finished the last three innings of a Pavers win, giving up one run in a game marked by forceful winds.

Rice's wife and their children spent a day in Morocco, about 20 miles from Watseka on the same day. A storm and a tornado pounded the homestead, destroying the house and most of the outbuildings. Rice's wife, two children, his mother, two younger sisters, and a farmhand were all killed in the tornado. Rice's dad lived for another week before succumbing to his injuries. Rice had to attend two funerals, one for his parents and sisters and the other for his wife and children.

Rice played for the Muscatine Muskies of the Central Association in 1912, earning.194 in 18 games. He did not play in 1913.

Later life

Rice had become a poultry farmer by the 1940s by the 1940s. His farm was located in Olney, Maryland, next to that of Harold L. Ickes, the United States Secretary of the Interior. Several workers of Japanese descent were relocated from the West Coast by the US Army's order after the outbreak of World War II. Rice and Ickes employed several Japanese descendants who were removed from the West Coast by the United States Army's order after World War II.

In 1963, Rice was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame's Veterans Committee selected him and three others, including John Clarkson, Elmer Flick, and Eppa Rixey. Rice expressed gratitude for his appointment and said he believed he would possibly be elected if he lived long enough.

Rice remarried twice, first to Edith and then to Mary Kendall Adams at age 69. Margaret and Christine were two children of two women from a previous marriage. Rice and his family were interviewed in 1965 ahead of a program to recognize his work. Rice inquired into the tornado, and the presenter told Rice about it, and his wife and children learned of his former family's existence for the first time.

In August 1974, Rice made one of his last public appearances at the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies honoring Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle. On October 13, he died of cancer for the first time that year. In Brinklow, Maryland, he was buried in Woodside Cemetery.

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Early baseball career

Rice spent the next year wandering the area and working at several companies, perhaps wracked with grief. In 1913, he joined the United States Navy and served on the US New Hampshire, a 16,000-ton warship that was large enough to field a baseball team. Rice spent time on that squad for one season. He was on board when it sank in Veracruz, Mexico, during the US occupation.

Rice began as a pitcher for the Petersburg Goobers of the Virginia League in 1914. He set a 9-two record in 2005 with a 1.42 earned run average (ERA), then returned in 1915, posting an 11-12 record with a 1.82 ERA. Clark Griffith, the founder of the Petersburg Senators at the time, owed $300 in debt to him, and he gave Rice's deal to Griffith as a debt payment. Leigh is known as two acts that inspired Rice's post-career: he changed the player's name from "Edgar" to "Sam," and the Senators told Rice that instead of pitching, he let Rice play in the outfield instead of pitching.

Major league career

Rice spent 19 of his 20 seasons with the Washington Senators. In 1915 and 1916, he appeared in only 62 major league games. In 656 plate appearances, he appeared in 155 games in 1917, a.302 batting average. In 1918, Rice was called back to the army. He was stationed in Fort Terry, New York, in the 68th Coast Artillery Regiment. In a few games during two furloughs, he appeared with the Senators in a few games. By September, his company had been sent to France and was ready for war, but the men had not seen any action until the Armistice of 1918, which was signed.

Rice played in 141 games and reached.321, one of 13 seasons in which he had hit at least.300. He hit.338 in 1920, had a career-leading and career-high 63 stolen bases, and was caught stealing a league-high 30 times. He made 13 triples in 1921, the first of ten consecutive seasons in which he finished in double digits in that category. In 1924, he had a career-high 216 hits, culminating in Rice and the Senators winning the 1924 World Series in a thrilling 7 game series against the New York Giants. Rice, although not the league's best player in 1925, has a career-high 227 hits, 87 RBI, and a.350 batting average, a career high in his full seasons.

Defence was Rice's most notable performance in his career. The Senators were leading the Pittsburgh Pirates 4–3. Rice was moved from center field to right field in the middle of the 8th inning. With two out in the top of the game, Pirate catcher Earl Smith drove a ball to right-center field. Rice ran the ball down and appeared to catch it at the fence, robbing Smith of a home run that would have tied the game. Rice was thrown across the fence and into the stands after the catch, fading from sight. Rice recovered with the ball in his hand, and the umpire called Smith out. As soon as the catch was made, the game was over, so it didn't matter where Rice ended up. In seven games, his side lost the Series.

Rice had actually caught the ball and if he had retained custody of it, but there was doubt that it had been maintained. Any Pittsburgh fans obtained signed and notarized papers claiming that a fan pick up the ball and put it back in Rice's glove. Rice would not comment, only saying, "The umpire said I caught it." Rice was tempted to compensate him for the article, but they turned them down, saying, "I don't need the money." The mystery is more amusing. He would not tell his wife or his daughter even if they were to tell him. Rice wrote a letter when he was selected to the Hall of Fame, which would be released on his death. Officials were unable to locate the letter describing Rice's World Series appearance right away after his death. "He did catch it," his wife Mary said in an interview. You no longer have to worry about this anymore." "At no time did I lose track of the ball," the letter stated.

Rice finished fourth in the Most Valuable Player Award voting in 1926, leading the league in hits again. In 1927, his batting average dipped to.297, but he made.328,.323, and.349 from the 1928 to 1930 seasons, respectively. Despite Rice's 1931 record in 120 games, Dave Harris had a lot of playing time when the team was facing lefthanded pitchers. The Senators also started looking at younger prospects for their outfield positions.

In late 1932, the Senators celebrated "Sam Rice Day" in which the team gave him several gifts, including a check for more than $2200 and a new Studebaker automobile. He appeared in just 106 games this year, often as a pinch hitter. The team returned to the World Series in 1933. Rice batted once more in the second game, earning a pinch hit single. After the season, the Senators cut him.

He appeared with the Cleveland Indians in 1934 and then retired at the age of 44. Walter Johnson, the Cleveland manager, spoke to Rice about returning to 1935, but Rice declined. Rice has a.322 career average. He slash pitches to both fields while standing erect at the plate and used quick wrists. After starting his 616-at-bat season with nine strikeouts, he never swung at the first pitch and rarely struck out. Rice was never a home run danger, but his speed turned singles into doubles, and his 1920 stolen base total of 63 earned him the legendary nickname "Man o' War."

Rice has the most hits of any player not to reach 3,000. Rice later said, "The truth of the matter is that I did not even know how many hits I had." Clark Griffith, the senator's owner, told me about it a few years ago and ask me if I'd like to return to the Senators and pick up those 13 hits. I was out of shape, but I didn't want to go through everything that would have been required to make the effort. "I wish had known about my hits and possibly would have stayed to make 3,000 of them" now, with radio and television announcers spouting records every time a player comes to bat. Rice had 19 hits and a.302 batting average in postseason play.

Career statistics

For a complete explanation, see Carrier Statistics.

Rice played 7 five-hit games and 52 four-hit games in his career.

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