An Ultrastrong Silent Type

The writers and their guests rose to applaud him. Rice seemed almost embarrassed. Had Whiteside's words worked as a peace offering between the player and his chroniclers? Rice leaned forward and, unsmiling, began his acceptance speech: "Even though I give writers a bad time, the only reason is that they come to Jim Rice to talk about everything but baseball—my love life or whatever.... Now you talk to me about baseball, I'll talk to you like a man...."

These things take time.