Enshrinement

(December 25, 2028)
Jim Rice loved Christmas Day. He had lived through seventy-five Christmas Days, each one better than the one that preceded it. Mostly, he looked forward to the neckties. Oh, how he loved the neckties! He needed 180 different neckties, one for each regular-season game the Red Sox would play in 2029, and would receive at least that many today. But, it wasn't all about the ties. Christmas was also the day when the year's Hall of Fame inductees were announced. The day, Rice hoped, he would finally receive Baseball's highest honor.

The year 2012 had been a year of milestones. Presidential candidate Sarah Palin garnered a total of three Electoral votes. The recession, which had started in December of 2007, came to an end. More importantly, it is remembered for Cole Hamels' 32 Wins, and Jonathan Papelbon's 84 Holds. It was also the year the "New Baseball Hall of Fame" welcomed its' first entrants.

Like most of the 21st century's great ideas, "The New Hall" was born on the internets. This particular great idea grew from the primordial ooze of a Baltimore Orioles message board. Cooperstown had become bloated, weighed down by years of marginal selections. As fans gained a greater understanding of baseball statistics, the numerous enshrinement errors became all the more apparent. Bill James, Evan Grant, Rob Neyer, and SABR joined forces, and the Virtual Baseball Hall of Fame was born.

Cooperstown and the BBWAA fought the decreasing relevance of their Hall, but Senator Curt Schilling (Republican-Arizona) pushed forth legislation that recognized the "New Hall" as the "Official" Baseball Hall of Fame. In the ashes of an Ikea in Medford, Massachusetts, a brick and mortal Hall was constructed. Senator Schilling was included among the first Inductees to be honored at the New Hall, and announced his intent to run for the U. S. Presidency at that first ceremony. By the time President Schilling entered his second term, Cooperstown was used as a storage facility for Medford. Against the forest green background on the BBWAA's web site, which was designed long before Jim Rice's MLB debut, was a terse statement. The BBWAA was no longer involved in Hall of Fame voting, or Award selections, but a message board was "Coming Soon!"

Jim Rice switched off Virtual Bill James long before James reached the letter "R." Rice didn't need to watch the "Methodology Monologue" to know why he hadn't been selected. He had heard the reasons before. He hadn't been dominant for a long enough period. His greatest skill was coming to the plate with many baserunners. Contemporary wisdom emphasized "walks" and "not making outs", which weren't among his strengths.

Rice smiled, as he picked up his favorite photograph. He thought back to 2009, when he had entered Cooperstown with Rickey Henderson and Bert Blyleven. While he dreamed of enshrinement in Medford, enshrinement in Cooperstown was still an impressive accomplishment. He had enjoyed a great career, and was about to enjoy his 75th Christmas Dinner. He just needed to select the right necktie for the occasion.