--From another source, just before Rice mentioned those players Rice said today's major leaguers fraternize with each other too much on the field, adding that while today's ballplayers might be in better shape than his generation in its heyday, they get injured more frequently.--
Anyone who watches Jeter would know that he (and most of today's players) is always smiling and joking with opponents. I believe that with Jeter, and the game in general, that this is what Rice is lamenting...they are not hard nose guys who dislike the opponent but are more a *wink, wink* fraternity.
Again, not sure I agree with Jim, considering Jeter will run through walls to catch a ball, but I know Jim is not a very good off the cuff speaker and believe he was trying to contrast today's pussified ballplayers with the hard-nosed players of yesteryear and named a few of today's stars without really thinking.
It may give you style points, but in the end, it's the numbers that matter. If you produce, you are getting the job done, whether you chat it up with the first baseman or not. I like the old school style. When I was a kid, it was guys like Munson, or Fisk. Those were hard nosed players. That's all fine and good. But in the end, it's numbers that count. The rest is baloney.
Rice sounds like an idiot no matter how you slice it. He's telling kids to hate the opponent on an emotional level? Just worry about seeing the ball, hitting the ball, catching the ball, throwing the ball. I think Rice is just trying to justify his HoF induction without having numbers to justify it. So he talks about how they dress, how they wear their hair, and how they interact with other players. What a loser.
If Rice is the new low standard for Hall admission, Jeter's already in. In my own view, Jeter isn't in yet. He will be once he gets his 3000th hit. I compare him to Paul Molitor. Anyway, here's Rice's numbers (not his clothes, or his hair--his numbers) vs. Jeter. And mind you, Rice was supposed to be a slugger, not a light hitting 1 or 2 hitter.
Jim Rice:
Career (16 seasons):
Hits:2452
2B: 373
3B:79
HR:382
RBI:1451
SB:58
CS:34
SO:1423
Derek Jeter:
Career(15 seasons):
Hits:2699
2B: 433
3B:58
HR:221
RBI:1058
SB:296
CS:79
SO:1441
Yes, that's the fraternity that exists today, and it exists partly because of the Jim Rice era. When Rice first started, Free Agency was in it's infancy, and teams still, more often than not, stayed together. There simply wasn't an awful lot of player movement, not like there is today. Now, guys move around so much, it's entirely possible that they'll run into ex-teammates during every game they play in a season. Thus, there's some fraternization. It's silly to suddenly ‘hate’ old teammates, just as it's silly to ‘hate’ guys who, while they're opponents now, might be on your team one day soon. The guys of Rice's era - Lynn, Winfield, Fisk, and others - went on strike to ensure that the players would continue to have the freedom to change teams AND to make a lot of money. Rice can't have it both ways. The era today was built - willingly - on the backs of guys like Jim Rice. He may not like when guys talk to each other, but that behavior is a byproduct of struggles fought by Rice and others. It's a shame that he doesn't see that.