Player #74K: Edgar C. "Sam" Rice Part 1. Outfielder for the Washington Senators in 1915-1933. 2,987 hits and 34 home runs in 20 MLB seasons. 1924 World Series champion. 1920 AL stolen base leader. He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1963. Led the Senators to three AL pennants (1924,1925, and 1933). Best known for controversial "over the fence" catch in the 1925 World Series. He had many excellent seasons, but one of his best was 1930 as he posted a .407 OBP with 121 runs scored in 669 plate appearances. He had 63 stolen bases in 1920. He last played in 1934 with the Cleveland Indians. His early life was marred by tragedy when his wife, two daughters, parents, and two sisters were all killed by a tornado in Indiana.
Carroll points out an odd aspect to Rice's 1925 national fame before summarizing his 1926 season: Soon after Rice's World Series "Catch", the Chicago Tribune cooked up a feature story about the local boy made good. If an author is interested in creating the tale of an American hero, writer Frank Butzow suggests, he need "visit the little city of Waseka, seventy-seven miles south of Chicago, and in the pumping station, courthouse or the back room of Bernie Canavan's tailor shop get the story of Sam Rice."
Butrow goes on to describe Rice as "flashy," a laughable adjective for a workmanlike throwback playing in a period of boisterous superstars. But the article coming so closely on the heels of Rice's spectacular face dive into the bleachers, the writer can be forgiven for being caught up in the moment. This perhaps qualified as the lone period of Rice's career when that label could accurately apply.
Besides supplying some folksy details about Rice's otherwise cloudy upbringing, the story is significant for one very big reason -- the first known public unveiling of Rice's dark public secret. "The great tragedy of his life," as it is called, is curiously buried deep into the text of an otherwise very light, very breezy story. Rice's taste in beer rates a higher mention, as does his affinity for local pool halls. (This account will be continued in our next post.)
And now, once again, we are pleased to provide images provided by the preeminent Washington Senator and, particularly, Sam Rice master-collector, Val Kell:
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