Red Sox legends Jim Rice with Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan

The city of Brockton is back in the baseball business thanks to an ownership group headed by Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice.

Rice, currently a television studio host for the Red Sox, along with fellow owners Rob Janetschek, his father Rob, and Shawn Reilly, attended a press conference at Brockton City Hall on Jan. 29 to make the formal announcement of the independent baseball league franchise, the Brockton Rox.

The new team will be part of the MLB partner consortium that includes four leagues. The Rox will be part of the Frontier League. As it explains on its website, “The leagues provide development opportunities for young players throughout the country and for veteran players who seek a second chance to reach the Major Leagues.”

The team was originally formed as a pro league in 2002, then changed into a summer collegiate league until now.

When asked why he would want to get into the ownership side of baseball, Rice gave a short and succinct answer: “I was asked.” And like the words in E.F. Hutton commercials, he said his partners in ownership “talked and I listened.” He added, “This is an opportunity to bring something special to the Brockton community, a chance to give back to the people of his great city. I could not and would not say no to that.”

Jim Rice’s reputation of quietly giving back to Boston and the surrounding communities of New England, and to other venues such as Anderson, South Carolina, his birthplace, are a matter of public record. Even when pressed on the subject of his charitable work, Rice gives very little information. “I was raised by parents who taught me to give of my time and money without expecting any public recognition,” he said. “That philosophy has served me well throughout my personal and professional life. This is more than just a business opportunity for my partners and me. It’s a chance for the people of Brockton to see good baseball at an affordable price.”

Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan credits Rice and his partners for bringing baseball back to the City of Champions after a 20 plus year absence.

“This is a new day for the city of Brockton. This ownership group of the Rox will provide an unbelievable experience for this city,” said Sullivan, adding, “I know the success of the Cape Cod Baseball League and I expect this Rox franchise will provide the same type of excitement. This is a new day, a revival for the city of Brockton. When I heard that Jim Rice was going to be a part of this venture, I gave it my full support.”

Rox home games will be played at the newly renovated Campanelli Stadium. Opening day is May 16.

The Rox will be playing the New York Boulders.

The mayor surprised the press conference audience when he announced that the city of Brockton officially made January 29 “Jim Rice Day.”

Following the press conference, Rice participated in a question-and-answer session with a select group of media and public officials. Among the questions was, “Why were you considered moody and unfriendly to media members during your playing career?” He replied, “I was paid to play baseball. I was accommodating to the media when it was necessary.”

Mentioning Red Sox long-time great Yaz in his remarks, Rice said, “I learned from Captain Carl Yastrzemski to speak less when you win and answer honestly when you lose. After a loss, I always took time to answer questions. I stood in front of my locker and answered question after question. That wasn’t good enough for some media people, so I was labeled ‘moody and unfriendly,’ which was far from the truth.”

He continued, “From my rookie year, 1975, my teammate Freddy Lynn was the big star of the team. He deserved the attention he got while being named Rookie of the Year and American League Most Valuable Player.”

The 2009 Hall of Famer also said, “I quietly did my job. By the time he left, I was an established star.”

Rice’s statistics bear him out.

He had three straight 200-hit seasons and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1978, the year that he achieved the rare feat of 406 total bases. Number 14 had 46 home runs, 213 hits and 139 RBIs that year.

I have seen several sides of Jim Rice, the man. One of the historic moments occurred when he gave me the exclusive word that he had been named the first Black team captain in the history of the Boston Red Sox in 1985.

Another great moment came at the opening of Jim Rice Stadium in Roxbury in 1999. Rice said, “Those are two of my greatest accomplishments, especially the stadium that bears my name and is used by little leaguers.”

The current challenge for James Edward Rice is to bring baseball back to the city of Brockton. For a Black man who has achieved so much in his life in Boston, the new owner of the Brockton Rox plans to meet that challenge.