"A New York Treasure" --Village Voice

Mr. Henderson

The Rickster…No, not that one…This one.

And more Rickey from the vaults…Here is David Grann’s 2005 New Yorker profile, and old ESPN piece by the late Ralph Wiley.

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14 comments

1 Shaun P.   ~  Jan 13, 2009 6:07 pm

RIckey Henderson - the greatest all-around ballplayer I ever saw.

Yet another time I wish Ralph Wiley was still around - I'd love to hear his thoughts on Rickey and Rice getting into the Hall.

2 weeping for brunnhilde   ~  Jan 13, 2009 8:47 pm

Beautiful.

How's he going in, btw?

Oakland?

3 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jan 13, 2009 8:50 pm

[2] got to be Oakland. Rickey WAS "BillyBall".

speaking of Senor Martin...what's the best bio of Billy out there?? would love to read more about him.

oh, if you are reading Alex, just got a copy of "A False Spring" by Pat Jordan based on your recommendation..looking forward to it.

4 Bobtaco   ~  Jan 13, 2009 10:21 pm

Just watched an episode of Ken Burns' Baseball rebroadcast on MLBNetwork. Guess who popped up in the credits as a Post Production Intern... one Alex Belth. Nice work!

5 Mattpat11   ~  Jan 13, 2009 10:34 pm

How can anyone not love that man?

6 Bruce Markusen   ~  Jan 13, 2009 11:01 pm

Peter Golenbock did a very in-depth book on Martin a number of years ago. It has some factual errors, but many revealing chapters, too.

7 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jan 14, 2009 12:25 am

[6] Thanks Bruce, will check it out.

Vin Scully rated #1 sports broadcaster of all time..can't argue with that. It's a good list, but where is Marv Albert?? still my all-time favorite, YES!! And the Foul!!!

8 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jan 14, 2009 12:31 am

'tis a quiet Banter..thelarmis, are you out somewhere hitting the hi-hat on Blakey's "Moanin"? Chyll Will, you knee deep in some classic Godard

P&C reporting can't get here soon enough, am reduced to arguing with my Mets-fan friend about why Citi Field is an awful name...

9 Mattpat11   ~  Jan 14, 2009 1:27 am

I actually read Billy Martin's autobiography some years back. (also written with Golenbock, BTW)

It was...something. Thats for sure.

10 thelarmis   ~  Jan 14, 2009 1:55 am

[8] hey there, jazz tokyo! are you back in the land of the rising sun? i have been crazy busy since i got back from NY; working full-time since i got off the plane and lots of other stuff going on. i'm just now catching up on my baseball reading.

being kept company by about another 75 BN cd's!!!! np = andrew hill "change". his music is unreal!!

it makes me sick there were 28 writers who didn't vote for Rickey. the hall is once again diminished by Rice being voted in. feh!

11 Mr. OK Jazz TOKYO   ~  Jan 14, 2009 2:35 am

[10] yeah man, back the other day. am "working" now.. 75 more BN cds! you are on fire..keep me updated as you go through them.

not long now till spring training, can't wait for all the team by team previews to go up!

12 Cliff Corcoran   ~  Jan 14, 2009 4:05 am

That Grann piece is excellent . . . and heartbreaking.

13 The Hawk   ~  Jan 14, 2009 8:03 am

[12] Yeah, I always thought speaking in the third person only ever sounded arrogant, but in that context, it sounds just pitiful, like a little kid or Frankenstein's monster.

14 williamnyy23   ~  Jan 14, 2009 9:10 am

I don't find much sadness in the article. Above all the arrogance, Rickey always played the game with joy. Fans always question whether players actually enjoy the game, but in Rickey's case, there are no doubts. If Rickey was hanging on because he needed the money or was trying to make ammends for not getting the most from his talent, it would be heart breaking. Instead, it's Rickey's love of the game that made him stick around. I can relate to that.

Aside from that, the following items were interesting:

1)"The Brewers’ manager, Davey Lopes, who had been one of the most aggressive base stealers of his day, was so incensed that he stormed onto the field, yelling that the next time Henderson came up to bat the pitcher was going to “drill” him. The threat was clearly in earnest, and Henderson was removed from the game. “We’re old school,” Lopes said later."

******I remember that incident, and also recall someone doing research that uncovered Lopes stealing a base when up seven runs on two occassions. I guess Lopes wasn't always old school.

2) “Womack, huh?” he said, then added in frustration, “My God, you mean to tell me I ain’t better than him?”

******That's a classic. At least we know Rickey was a great talent evaluator.

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"This ain't football. We do this every day."
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