Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice at their Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2009. (AP)

NESN commentator and Red Sox Hall of Famer Jim Rice joined The Big Show Thursday to talk about his experience and opinion of the Hall of Fame now that he is an official member of “the club” in Cooperstown, while shedding some light on the Red Sox’ decisions facing the trade deadline, and why power hitters seem to be missing from the major leagues.

Following are highlights of the interview. To listen to the full interview, visit The Big Show audio on demand page.

On how it feels to go to the Hall of Fame now that he’s a part of it:

It was much easier. I think when you’re talking about going to the Hall of Fame, you like to think about the guys that you’re going to meet and what’s going to take place. Me, last year, I didn’t have any idea of what to expect, but this year was a little different. I didn’t have to prepare a speech of anything like that. I wasn’t a rookie, you know?

On the talk surrounding the Hall of Fame process and his comfort talking about it now:

Well, the difference is when you talk to people in general and when you talk to the guys that were in the Hall of Fame, some of the guys you have met, they compare you, your playing ability, more accustomed to theirs, and they see what other people didn’t see, or saw at that time. When Hall of Famers consider you Hall of Fame, that’s more of an honor than people that didn’t play. These guys actually played the game and they knew what it took to play the game and how hard I played, and part of the impact — I was getting more impact than anything else — on the baseball field.

On the outgoing and not-so-outgoing Hall of Famers:

I think Frank Robinson, he’s sort of like the mayor of everything. … When you go through the Hall of Fame you’ve got to go through Frank Robinson. Frank will tell you in a minute, “You’re a rookie, so sit there and be quiet.” There’s a ritual, well, I don’t know if it’s an actual ritual, but things that Rickey [Henderson] and I went through and Andre [Dawson] had to go through. We sort of told Andre what was going on, and it was pretty good. Really, it was supposed to be like a 10-minute speech, but it was a 10-minute speech and after that you go back to the hotel and you sit there on the balcony, you rock in a chair and you look out over the water and it’s really fun. I didn’t have to do it this year, and Rickey and I, we told Andre what was going on, and it was very nice.

On the press’ treatment of Rice now that he’s in the Hall of Fame:

I think the toughest thing about guys going to the Hall of Fame, I think, and I’m not a writer, but when you have some of the writers who have never played the game. I don’t know how many guys vote on the Hall of Fame, but I think it should be maybe half players and half writers. Then you have a better idea.

On the Hall of Fame veterans voting on who gets in to Cooperstown:

It’s going to be a little tougher now because I think the Hall of Fame guys are a little older. If you’re involved with any kind of scandal, they tell you right now, “No.” I almost wish the writers would say, “Well, we’re going to wait four or five years until maybe [Barry] Bonds will get in, [Sammy] Sosa will get in,” and you know, just say it to some of the players, some of the older players and say, “No, we’re not going to tarnish this club that we have right now with anyone.”

On how to handle the steroid generation of Hall of Fame prospects:

With Roger [Clemens] … steroids or not, he’s a teammate. He’s going to be my friend regardless. But I think anytime that you come out and say that — when they have evidence, that’s when I have a different understanding. But right now, I don’t have any understanding at all. You’re going by hearsay. I actually want to see the results. But I think it has a lot to do with upcoming guys right now, with the writers and what they think because they’re the ones that are voting. It’s going to be tough to get guys in there when you know that their time is coming up when you say, “Hey, this guy was in the scandal.” Here’s the thing I think we’re running into right now. Bonds was a Hall of Famer before he was taking all these enhanced drugs. Maybe he was, we don’t know.

On Dwight Evans as a Hall of Fame prospect:

I don’t know. I don’t think so. I think it has a lot to do with the guys talking about his impact. Just sitting there, I’m still a rookie, you talk about guys, you’re talking about certain guys — Dwight’s name came up and they were talking about impact. Was Dwight an impact on the Red Sox team? Was he an impact on the league? You go by numbers and then you have to look at longevity. A lot of guys in the Hall of Fame, you’re speaking of longevity. It’s for longevity, it’s comparing numbers, as to who’s going to induct a player. I’m just glad that I’m not in a situation where I’ve got to vote on guys like that.

On whether the Red Sox should trade top prospects to bring in a pitcher before the trade deadline:

I think if you had a crystal ball, yeah. But there’s no crystal ball so you don’t know if that pitcher’s going to be able to do what you’re talking about anyway. For me, I’m going to go out and get an everyday ballplayer. Pitchers only pitch every fifth day, and he’s only going to throw about 103 pitches. You have guys right now, but you’re bringing pitchers in sort of in the midst of this swing right now. It’s pretty tough.

To me, I got stronger as the season went on and teams that you are facing right now are not going to be what you consider a soft team. There’s no soft teams anymore. You’ve really got to go out and get that guy that you think is going to dominate. … I would go out and try and find me a guy that can really dominate the field out there as far as being productive team-wise, being able to hit the ball the right side. … I don’t think it’s the pitching, I think it’s the hitting more than anything with the Red Sox.