Rickey Henderson voted into Hall of Fame

by jbox on Jan 12, 2009 4:10 PM PST Comment 7 comments

"Rickey was the greatest, most complete player I ever saw play," said Sandy Alderson, now the Padres' chief executive, and a vice president of the A's when Henderson was there in the late 1980s and early '90s. "He was always on base, had power, played excellent defense and, of course, could run like no one else. He could sear any game into permanent memory. Perhaps most importantly, he was always fun to watch."

I'm glad that Alderson finds "fun to watch" important like I do. If you're keeping score at home, that's two great baseball minds that agree. "Fun to watch" is a characteristic that most scouts probably don't look for, but should.

Here's my idea, maybe they should teach young players in the minor leagues how to do back flips and basket catches. This is entertainment after all, send them to clown college for a week, they'll be making balloon animals on the base paths in no time.

Somebody make up some statistics to track the fun factor so that everybody else will think it's important.

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I know that nobody gives

a shit about steals anymore, but Rickey was a freak. I was a kid watching Lou Brock swipe bases like nobody’s business, but watching Rickey steal a base was a a thing of beauty.

Henderson, then 23, had yet to really perfect the science of stealing bases, though he’d studied pitchers a bit and was a technically perfect runner. He’d always lead exactly 3 1/2 steps off first base, crouched to give himself a low center of gravity, shoulders even with his feet, elbows tucked, fingers fluttering and eyes on the pitcher. He needed exactly ten strides to get from first base to second and, once there, required only seven more to steal third because he could get a bigger lead. When he took off, he did it explosively. Rickey often dove headfirst into bases with such force that his head and stomach would carry several feet past the base, which he’d stay in contact with using his foot.

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"
Groucho Marx

by planetjeffy on Jan 13, 2009 12:58 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think that's the longest link I have ever seen.

Brady Hoke, Al Borges, and Rocky Long. Aztec football is back!

by sdsuaztec4 on Jan 13, 2009 12:48 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

you're welcome

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana"
Groucho Marx

by planetjeffy on Jan 13, 2009 6:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

The 25 Best Rickey Henderson Stories. Yeah. Fun to watch. Better to read about in hindsight.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Jan 13, 2009 5:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs