Editing Jim Rice (section)

==Notable seasons==
In the minor leagues, Rice's three-run home run was the key blow in helping the [[Pawtucket Red Sox]] ([[International League]]) defeat the [[Tulsa Oilers (baseball)|Tulsa Oilers]] ([[American Association (20th century)|American Association]]) in a 5–2 win in the 1973 [[Junior World Series]]. After he was [[Triple-A (baseball)|AAA]]'s International League [[International League Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]], [[International League Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] and [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]] winner in 1974, he and fellow rookie teammate [[Fred Lynn]] were brought up to the Red Sox at the same time, and were known as the "[[Gold Dust Twins]]".<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 1, 2012|title=Jim Rice|url=http://www.fenwayfanatics.com/player/jim-rice/|access-date=March 11, 2021|website=fenwayfanatics.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{IMDb name|1485014}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nesn.com/2009/07/lynn-thrilled-for-rice-his-gold-dust-twin-hall-of-famer.html NESN]; article: "Lynn Thrilled for Rice, His 'Gold Dust Twin' Hall of Famer"</ref> 

Rice was promoted in the Red Sox organization to be a full-time player in 1975, and finished in second place for the American League's [[MLB Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] honors, and third in the [[MLB Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]] voting, after he finished the season with 174 base hits, 102 runs batted in, a .309 batting average and 22 home runs; Lynn won both awards. The Red Sox won the AL's East Division, but Rice did not play in either the [[1975 ALCS|League Championship Series]] or [[1975 World Series|World Series]] because of a wrist injury sustained in the last week of the regular season when he was [[hit by pitch|hit by a pitch]]. The Red Sox went on to lose the World Series four games to three to the [[Cincinnati Reds]] of the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL).

When the 1977 season ended, Rice found himself leading the AL in three different offensive categories. His 39 home runs was tops in the league; the first time he led the league in this statistic. He also led the league with a .593 slugging average and 392 total bases, the most by an AL player in 39 years.

In 1978, after having the  best season in his career , Rice won the American League's Most Valuable Player award in a campaign where he hit .315 (third in the league) and led the league in home runs (46), RBI (139), hits (213), [[triple (baseball)|triple]]s (15), [[total bases]] (406, and slugging percentage (.600). Altogether he led the AL in 11 different categories that season, one shy of tying the Major league record of 12 set in 1921 by [[Rogers Hornsby]].  Rice is one of two AL players ever to lead his league in triples and home runs in the same season. He also remains the only player to lead the major leagues in triples, home runs and RBIs in the same season. His 406 total bases that year is still a Red Sox record, and was the most in the AL since [[Joe DiMaggio]] had 418 in 1937. He was the first major leaguer with 400 or more total bases since [[Hank Aaron]] in 1959. This feat was not repeated until 1997, when [[Larry Walker]] had 409 in the NL. No AL player has done it since Rice in 1978, and his total remains the third highest by an AL right-handed hitter, behind DiMaggio and [[Jimmie Foxx]] (438 in {{baseball year|1932}}).

Rice had another superb season in 1979. Beside having his third season with over 200 hits, he had finished in the top three in eight different AL batting categories. He finished third in runs scored and second in home runs, RBIs, hits, slugging average, runs created, and extra base hits. He also led the league in total bases for the third straight time, and had the fourth-highest AL Batting Average. He is the only player in MLB history with three consecutive years of having at least 200 hits and 39 home runs while batting at least .315  in each of those years.
 
At the end of the 1983 season Rice led the AL in four categories including home runs, RBIs, total bases, and grounding into double plays. He had tied Milwaukee Brewers player [[George Scott (first baseman)|George Scott]]'s (1975) record and became the second player to lead the AL in those categories in the same season. In 2012 [[Miguel Cabrera]], a Detroit Tiger, became the third AL player to reach this mark; no NL player has ever led that league in these three categories in the same year.

In 1986, Rice had 200 hits, batted .324, and had 110 RBIs. The Red Sox made it to the [[1986 World Series|World Series]] for the second time during his career. This time, Rice played in all 14 postseason games, where he collected 14 hits, including two home runs. He also scored 14 runs and drove in six. His 14 runs scored is the fifth most by an individual during a single year's postseason play. The Red Sox went on to lose the World Series to the [[New York Mets]], four games to three, the fourth consecutive Series appearance by Boston which they lost in seven games.