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Boston Red Sox: All-time lineup and prospects who could dethrone them

By Hunter Noll

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 4: Members of the Boston Red Sox stand for the National Anthem during a ceremony honoring the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox before the start of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park on April 4, 3014 in Boston, Masschusetts. (Photo by Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 4: Members of the Boston Red Sox stand for the National Anthem during a ceremony honoring the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox before the start of a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Fenway Park on April 4, 3014 in Boston, Masschusetts. (Photo by Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /
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Boston Red Sox Jim Rice
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1977: Outfielder Jim Rice #14 of the Boston Red Sox bats during an Major League Baseball game circa 1977. Rice Played for the Red Sox from 1974-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /

Seven hitter: All-Time Red Sox outfielder – Jim Rice

1975 must’ve been a fun season to be a Red Sox fan. Jim Rice and Fred Lynn both had incredible rookie years and the fans must’ve really had insane amounts of optimism.

Lynn messed around and made it to the All-Star game, won a Gold Glove, won Rookie of the Year, and won the MVP all in the same season. Rice wasn’t too far behind. He was the runner-up for ROY and third in the MVP race.

This led to the two being nicknamed the “Gold Dust Twins”. Another strong nickname. And a deserved one as they gave Boston fans a bunch of entertaining seasons with the duo in the outfield.

Don’t worry though, Rice managed to win his MVP a few seasons later in 1978. He spent all 16 years in the Majors with Boston. The right-handed hitter slashed .298/.352/.502 with 373 doubles, 79 triples, and 382 home runs. He drove in 1,451 runs, scored 1,249 more, and stole 58 bases.

Rice was an eight-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and finished top-five in MVP voting six different times (including the one MVP he won in 1978).

Speaking of, that 1978 season was pretty wild. It saw Rice slash .315/.370/.600 with 25 doubles. Meanwhile, he led the league in triples (15), home runs (46), RBI (139), and hits (213). He even threw in 121 runs and seven steals. Think about that though, 15 triples and 46 home runs in the same season. That just seems wild.

Oh, and at the time, Rice’s 46 home runs were the second-most ever in a single-season by a Red Sox player. Only Foxx had more homers when he mashed 50 in 1938. Ortiz went on to hit 47 in 2005, then set a new Boston record with 54 in 2006.

Rice is a legend, and having him bat seventh just shows how stacked Boston’s history is. That’s not a knock on the slot either. He’d still have a lot of RBI opportunities and chances to show off that power.

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