| Sam Rice | |
|---|---|
 Rice in 1924 | |
| Outfielder | |
| Born: February 20, 1890 Morocco, Indiana, U.S. | |
| Died: October 13, 1974 (aged 84) Rossmoor, Maryland, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 7, 1915, for the Washington Senators | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 18, 1934, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .322 |
| Hits | 2,987 |
| Home runs | 34 |
| Runs batted in | 1,078 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the National | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 1963 |
| Election method | Veterans Committee |
Edgar Charles "Sam" Rice (February 20, 1890 – October 13, 1974) was an American pitcher and outfielder in Major League Baseball. Although Rice made his debut as a relief pitcher, he is best known as an outfielder. Playing for the Washington Senators from 1915 until 1933, he was regularly among the American League leaders in runs scored, hits, stolen bases and batting average. He led the Senators to three postseasons and a World Series championship in 1924. He batted left-handed but threw right-handed. Rice played his final year, 1934, for the Cleveland Indians. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1963.
Rice was best known for making a controversial catch in the 1925 World Series which carried him over the fence and into the stands. While he was alive, Rice maintained a sense of mystery around the catch, which had been ruled an out. He wrote a letter that was only opened after his 1974 death; it claimed that he had maintained possession of the ball the entire time. He collected nearly 3,000 hits in his career, with his 2,889 as a Senator being the most in franchise history.