Sorry to be cruel, but didn’t the former Mets starter look much better just a few years ago? Seriously, sincere congrats are due to Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson today…particularly if they avoided the gentleman above.
Sorry to be cruel, but didn’t the former Mets starter look much better just a few years ago? Seriously, sincere congrats are due to Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson today…particularly if they avoided the gentleman above.
I have good memories of seeing Rickey play for the A’s. His base stealing, obviously, was the best ever. But, my favorite would be Rickey, leaning against the backfield wall, then charging for dropping fly ball that one-hopped because he wasn’t paying attention. When getting shit for this from Oakland fans — not brutal, but deserved — he laughed and nodded, basically admitting the fans were right and he moved up to reasonable defensive spot. There was always something in that moment that told me he wasn’t a bad guy and that made me like him despite all his endless contract renegotiations. He got nicknamed pay-per-view in my circle, but still, you knew you were watching greatness. The best player I’ve ever seen play, I guess, if I’m not counting pitchers and not allowed to mention Barry Bonds.
Better than Griffey Jr? If we’re not allowed to mention Bonds, because of the thing with the stuff, Griffey from 96-99 put it all together better than anybody I’ve ever seen play. But Henderson was undeniably a force of nature, and certainly one of the best (and somehow must underrated–how did that happen, especially given that he spent time as a Yankee?) players of his era.
cp: I literally meant players I saw at ballparks. I mean, yes, Griffey is great. I saw Ernie Banks play, too, so he’s up there. But I never saw Hank Aaron or Reggie Jackson or Bob Gibson or Willie Mays in person, even tho they played while I’ve been seeing games (when I was 3 in 1969? 4 in 1970?). I can say, certainly, Rickey was the most dynamic, game changing player I ever saw — if I’m not allowed to mention Bonds.
re his underratedness despite Yankee pinstripes, I submit the other reason I always liked him, as posted on Big Stew yesterday:
“I don’t care about them … It’s Rickey time.” — Henderson, after being traded to New York, on what he thought about Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Honoring-Rickey-Henderson-The-best-photos-and-q?urn=mlb,178662
Fair enough. I spent a summer in Washington when I was in my early 20s and saw Griffey play in the Kingdome. Best player I’ve ever seen in the most depressing venue I’ve ever seen.
Good link. And I guess he was never a True Yankee if he can hear “Mantle” and “DiMaggio” and not genuflect, or mutter something about the ghosts and calm, brown eyes looking down from heaven (or wherever DiMaggio was in the mid 80s–probably at a baseball card show, beneath a banner reading “Greatest Living Ballplayer”, signing baseballs for 50 bucks a pop).