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gorickey · May 2, 2004, 03:49 PM

Rickey Henderson: Newark Bear in 2004

Jaey · May 2, 2004, 04:02 PM

I really know who that is.

SamuraiDL · May 2, 2004, 04:06 PM

swing for the fences baby

itai195 · May 2, 2004, 04:49 PM

All due respect, but Rickey needs to retire. He needed to retire five years ago.

gorickey · May 2, 2004, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by itai195:
All due respect, but Rickey needs to retire. He needed to retire five years ago.

I agree.

But...would you retire if you could play for league minimum (and more then likely just need to sit on the bench) and collect massive paychecks?

He is definitely no longer productive...but, he is VERY valuable as a coach/teaching the younger kids how to steal, etc. etc....

itai195 · May 2, 2004, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by gorickey:
I agree.

But...would you retire if you could play for league minimum (and more then likely just need to sit on the bench) and collect massive paychecks?

He is definitely no longer productive...but, he is VERY valuable as a coach/teaching the younger kids how to steal, etc. etc....

Well yeah, I guess it beats most other jobs in that sense

He should be a coach.

SeSawaya · May 2, 2004, 05:12 PM

milk it for all its worth! If fans will pay outragous ticket prices to cover your ridiculous salary, go for it!

Apple Pro Underwear · May 2, 2004, 05:18 PM

i felt the same way when gorickey and i originally debated maybe a year or 2 ago...

but at this point, i want to see him play until he's like 85.

it's fun just to see how long he will stay on even though playing for the minor leagues is slightly embarassing for someone of his hall of fame status...

gorickey · May 2, 2004, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
[B]i felt the same way when gorickey and i originally debated maybe a year or 2 ago.../B]

That was a fun discussion to say the least...

Jaey · May 2, 2004, 05:48 PM

I still don't know who that guy is.

gorickey · May 2, 2004, 05:52 PM

Originally posted by Jaey:
I still don't know who that guy is.

[Click the link]

"Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of Major League Baseball, Henderson won the American League MVP award in 1990 as a member of the Oakland A�s. He has also played in ten All Star games and three World Series, capturing championships with the A�s in 1989 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993."

[/Click the link]

mitchell_pgh · May 2, 2004, 05:58 PM

Also, it's hard for some of these guys to let go...

Think about the thing you love the most... and the coolest thing is you make a good bit of money from doing it... as time goes on and you aren't the best anymore...

You can either give it up (on or near the top) or just fade away (even Michael Jordan pulled the fade away)...

mitchell_pgh · May 2, 2004, 06:01 PM

Originally posted by Jaey:
I still don't know who that guy is.

You don't need to follow baseball religiously to know who he is...

I don't know much about gulf, but I could name a handful of people that are at the top...

Apple Pro Underwear · May 2, 2004, 06:09 PM

Originally posted by gorickey:
That was a fun discussion to say the least...

our main argument at that time was:
1) whether he was a bad influence on a team
2) whether or not young guys learn from him
3) whether his percipitous decline in production made 1 + 2 worth it

to revisit that argument now:
1) for the most part... NO. but i would not put him on the same team with other a$$holes like Bonilla.
2) YES... I felt he did a decent job when he was with Boston and the A's.
3) YES... he makes so little money and his spark off the bench occasionally helps. His best quality now is probably veteran baserunning over say a dumb but fast rookie pinchrunner.

I would say he should become a hitting coach. He was a masterfully patient hitter. Walked a lot and could teach some people � cough cough ALPHONSO SORIANO cough cough � how to play the game as well as he did in his prime.

gorickey · May 2, 2004, 06:14 PM

Originally posted by Apple Pro Underwear:
I would say he should become a hitting coach. He was a masterfully patient hitter. Walked a lot and could teach some people � cough cough ALPHONSO SORIANO cough cough � how to play the game as well as he did in his prime.

Agreed APU...however, I see Rickey more as a "1st/3rd Base Coach"...simply for his ability to read and know each pitchers best move to first...knows when to jump off to a big lead...

People think stolen bases comes down to being really fast. While that helps, that is not the case. It's knowing the above and when to go that makes you great. Who else better than Rickey to teach people what to look for?

Best case example of this? A "young" Roger Cedeno (NY Mets '99)...look at what he did that year while Rickey was his teammate...

Diggory Laycock · May 3, 2004, 05:24 AM

On July 6, 1984, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Brewers in Milwaukee, Henderson, playing for the New York Yankees, hit a routine fly to center. Brewers' centerfielder Rick Manning camped under the ball and then suddenly lunged forward to reach for the ball, which he caught just before it came to the ground. Henderson's fly ball had struck a bird, killing it. For the rest of the game, Brewer's fans taunted Henderson in left field, flapping their arms and calling him a "bird killer."

http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/hendersonrickey/

gorickey · May 3, 2004, 09:20 AM

Originally posted by Diggory Laycock:
http://www.thebaseballpage.com/past/pp/hendersonrickey/

Damn bird cost Rickey another hit probably...karma kills...

CMYKid · May 3, 2004, 11:56 AM

I'd rather kill a bird the way this pitcher did...forget who it is tho, Roger somebody. Still funny as hell.

http://www.spacenavy.com/media/bird.mpg

davesimondotcom · May 3, 2004, 02:31 PM

Originally posted by CMYKid:
I'd rather kill a bird the way this pitcher did...forget who it is tho, Roger somebody. Still funny as hell.

http://www.spacenavy.com/media/bird.mpg

Randy Johnson. The pitcher with a porn star name.

And his nickname is "The Big Unit."Seriously.

CMYKid · May 3, 2004, 04:33 PM

yeah, thats it. couldna remember the last name.

THAT'S why I come here.

Well, that and to watch Cash's continued decompensatory spiral...

SupahCoolX · May 3, 2004, 07:25 PM

Originally posted by gorickey:
teaching the younger kids how to steal, etc. etc....

Well, that's not being a good role model. No wonder he can't get signed by a Major League team this year.

gorickey · May 3, 2004, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by SupahCoolX:
Well, that's not being a good role model. No wonder he can't get signed by a Major League team this year.

malvolio · May 4, 2004, 05:13 PM

Separated at birth?

gorickey · May 4, 2004, 05:18 PM

Originally posted by malvolio:
Separated at birth?

OH-N'omac · May 4, 2004, 11:39 PM

Originally posted by gorickey:
Who else better than Rickey to teach people what to look for?...Best case example of this? A "young" Roger Cedeno (NY Mets '99)...look at what he did that year while Rickey was his teammate...

Did Rickey teach him how to play poker that year too?

Apple Pro Underwear · May 5, 2004, 06:52 AM

Originally posted by OH-N'omac:
Did Rickey teach him how to play poker that year too?

i said the same thing originally. but looking back � Rickey is Rickey. mets knew what they were getting when they signed him. bobby bo however was inexcusable. what an arse who COULD NOT PLAY.