OT Rickey Henderson passes away at age 65

I had an aunt who always used the phrase, "I got my tang all toungled up."

Thanks for the Ricky insights, and for inducing a quick random family flashback, c!

 

Yes but .. it's Rickey.

 

I knew that, and still misspelled it.

Dammit, lol...

 

Since Rickey Henderson was born Christmas Day, this is my final comment.

He had a unique batting stance in deep crouch. As he was only 5'10" this gave him a strike zone, in the memorable words of one sports writer, "smaller than Hitler's heart". Walk him and he's running. Throw a pitch down the middle and he.parks it over the fence.

His first major league game he hit a single, a double, and stole a base. The A's were the worst team in baseball. The next year they were in the playoffs.

Rickey could sometimes be arrogant and unapproachable but also kind. I wrote in a different thread about his kindness to boy with horribly disfigured face he met through Make A Wish. More recently a sports columnist reported that a woman on Phoenix to Oakland flight had trouble retrieving her belongings from overhead bin. Everyone else sat there, not their problem. Then a trim 60ish man sprinted down the aisle proclaiming "Rickey is here!" And got down her luggage.

George Will wrote it is common for a great basketball player to dominate the game, every play is run through them, they have the ball at crunch time. Baseball is different. The best pitcher starts 20% of the games, the best hitter has 11% of at bats. Few baseball players can take over a game. Rickey was one of them. In the 1989 League Championship Series he almost single handedly demolished Toronto hitting and running, all with big smile.

Yesterday going to cousin's house for dinner drove past Oakland Coliseum. So many memories.

 

Just noticed his name spelled incorrectly in thread header. Mods please fix.

 

Letter in San Francisco Chronicle from a local woman. About ten years ago she was 9 months pregnant and behind schedule in getting nursery ready. She went to store to buy paint and was carrying it to her car when a man who was in the store told her she shouldn't be carrying heavy things and carried the paint for her. She told him he looked just like Rickey Henderson. He replied that's because I am Rickey Henderson. They both laughed and she found a piece of paper so she could get his autograph. She has kept it ever since as memento of his kindness.

 

"Ricky"...lol

(I learned how to do that from you.)