From the Red Sox Web site:
BOSTON -- For Jim Rice, the sting from 14 years of rejection suddenly became as far gone as many of the 382 home runs he belted during his career with the Boston Red Sox. Down to his 15th and final at-bat on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, Rice received the enormous honor of being elected into the Hall of Fame on Monday.
He joined Rickey Henderson, baseball's all-time stolen base king, as the two members of the 2009 Hall of Fame class.
Befitting the struggle it was for Rice to gain entry into Cooperstown, he didn't make it by much. Rice was named on 76.4 percent of the ballots. Seventy-five percent is the required amount to become a Hall of Famer. Rice received 412 votes, just seven more than the minimum amount he needed.
It was a sweet triumph for the 54-year-old Rice, who fell just 16 votes short on the 2008 ballot.
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