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 opened after his 1974 death which claimed that he had maintained possession of the ball the entire time.\n', '

Rice was the first of six children born to Charles Rice and Louisa Newmeyer. Charles and Louisa married about two months after his birth. He grew up in various towns near Morocco, Indiana, on the Indiana-Illinois border, and considered Morocco his hometown. He was known as "Eddie" during his childhood. In 1908, Rice married 16-year-old Beulah Stam. They lived in Watseka, Illinois, where Rice ran the family farm, worked at several jobs in the area, and attended tryouts for various professional baseball teams.\n', '

By April 1912, Rice and his wife had two children, aged eighteen months and three years. While Rice\'s wife cared for the children, Rice traveled to Galesburg, Illinois, to play for a spot on a minor league baseball team, the Galesburg Pavers of the Central Association. Rice spent about a week with the team, appearing in three exhibition games. In an appearance on April 21, Rice entered the game as a relief pitcher and finished the last three innings of a Pavers victory, giving up one run in a game marked by forceful winds.\n', '

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