This appeal won’t be long, it isn’t the first of it’s kind, and it isn’t about spreading awareness as much as it’s about taking definitive action. The point?

Former Red Sox left fielder Jim Rice belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

This is a sentiment that has echoed throughout 15 years of voting and inductions and one that I take up a pen for now because this is his last year of eligibility. Many of you have heard Rice’s numbers and merit debated heatedly for over a decade. For those of the younger generation who aren’t so familiar with the cause; let me lead you to the fire.

Between 1975 and 1986 Rice led all American League players in 12 different offensive categories; most notably home runs (350), RBI (1,276), total bases (3,670), slugging percentage (.520), runs (1,098) and hits (2,145). Break it down to an average season and it comes out to 29 homers, 106 RBI, 91 runs scored and an average above .300. In 1978 Rice’s top-notch performance with the Sox earned him the AL MVP and his continued excellence put him in the top five in AL MVP voting five more times. He topped the AL in homers three times and twice in RBI during his baseball tenure.

Additionally, Rice stroked a .298 career batting average while never hitting less than .264 in any of his 14 full Major League seasons. Hitting 39 or more home runs in a season four times might not epitomize power and dominance by today’s standards, but it’s a stat that feels uniquely refreshing because it’s unmarred by steroid abuse. Rice relied on his natural ability and talent to rack up an average and home run production that puts him in elite company that includes Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays.

So why have the members of the Baseball Writers Association of America denied Rice entry into the Hall? Some say that his numbers are good but simply not good enough. Others say that his standoffish attitude with the media sullied his chances. To me, this would be a grudge that has nothing to do with what I ask of professional athletes and one that has little to do with the standards given for voting: “player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played.”

Whether rumored or reasoned, I’ve heard no explanation solid enough to shut Jim Rice out of the Baseball Hall of Fame, especially not in his last year of eligibility. I’ve read that if he is not elected he will be qualified for the Veterans Committee ballot when it comes up again in two years; a consolation not good enough for a standout within a baseball tradition as illustrious as that of the Boston Red Sox.

So sign this petition, Sawxheads. Jim Rice has been standing on the doorstep of the greatest honor in Major League Baseball for 15 years and it’s time that we show our support and get him inside.