Retire Jim Rice's Number 14

We, the undersigned, request that the Boston Red Sox retire Jim Rice's Number 14. To do this, we request that the Boston Red Sox - due to the overwhelming demand from Red Sox fans - change or make an exception to their policy that a player has to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in order to have their number retired.

The case for Jim Rice as one of THE greatest Red Sox players of all time is quite clear: From 1975 to 1985, Rice led the American League in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, slugging and extra base hits. (Aside from home runs, the only one close to him in any of those categories was Hall of Famer George Brett.) Rice spearheaded the Red Sox to three seasons - 1975, 1978, 1986 - that are among the greatest in team history. Rice's historic MVP season in 1978 was one of the great offensive displays in baseball history (prior to the steroid era). In all, over the course of his career Jim Rice received more MVP votes than any eligible player in baseball history who is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It would be fitting if during the 2008 baseball season - the 30th Anniversary of his historic 1978 MVP season - the Boston Red Sox give Number 14 its due place among other Red Sox immortals. We request that the Boston Red Sox make an exception to their number retirement policy and retire Jim Rice's Number 14.