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Boston Red Sox: Ranking the top 10 players from the 1970s

By Drew Athans

NEW YORK - CIRCA 1978: Butch Hobson #4 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Hobson played for the Red Sox from 1975-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1978: Butch Hobson #4 of the Boston Red Sox in action against the New York Yankees during an Major League Baseball game circa 1978 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Hobson played for the Red Sox from 1975-80. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK – CIRCA 1978: Outfielder Jim Rice #14 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the New York Yankees during an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium circa 1978 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Rice Played for the Red Sox from 1974-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
NEW YORK – CIRCA 1978: Outfielder Jim Rice #14 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the New York Yankees during an MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium circa 1978 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Rice Played for the Red Sox from 1974-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Jim Rice

Like Yaz on the previous slide, Jim Rice played his entire sixteen year career with the Red Sox. First coming up to the big leagues in the summer of 1974, Rice held down left field from 1975 until his final season in 1989 and carried on the unbroken lineage of Hall of Fame left fielders the Red Sox had that began with Ted Williams (1939-1960) and Carl Yastrzemski (1961-1983).

Rice was having a monster rookie season in 1975 (alongside teammate and fellow rookie “Gold Dust Twin” Fred Lynn) before breaking his wrist when he was hit by a pitch in the final week of the season. To this day, many Red Sox fans are convinced the team would’ve won the World Series that year had Rice been able to play.

By the late 1970s, Rice had become one of the most feared hitters in the league. A look at his numbers tells the story. Between 1974 and 1979, Rice hit .303 with 172 home runs, 583 RBI, 976 hits, 515 runs scored, a .350 OBP, and an OPS of .872. He won the American League MVP in 1978, led the AL in home runs twice (1977, 1978), RBI in 1978, and was an All Star in 1977, 1978, and 1979.

Rice continued to produce into the 1980s before injuries slowed him down and ended his career in 1989, but his peak years in the late 1970s and early 1980s merit his inclusion on both lists.

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