If you like baseball...

[compos mentis]

Since Rickey Henderson is supposed to get elected shortly to the HOF, here's one of the many Rickey being Rickey stories.

"But he didn't like day games," Tom Candiotti said. "We had a day game in Oakland, and Rickey struck out. He walked all the way through the dugout talking to himself, he always talked to himself. He was saying...

'I don't know who's inside Rickey's body, but he better get out because the guy in there doesn't like day games, he only shows up on day games, so he better get out.'

We were all laughing so hard. I wish I'd played my entire career with Rickey because he was just so entertaining. And he was just so good."

[BonzoHansen]

LOL.

Nice to see they finally elected Jim Rice. As a Yankee fan I hated seeing that guy at the plate. He owned the AL for a good period of time. On a side night I saw him go into the 3rd base stands at Yankee Stadium after some jackass. Around 1986.

[compos mentis]

He was scary at the plate...and apparently on 3rd base also! lol

Tough call on Rice getting maybe because of some guys having bigger numbers and not in like Andre Dawson, Dale Murphy and Darryl Evans to name a few.

[paulk68]

got to meet wade boggs today on first take and he had some pretty funny stories about Rickey. I loved Rickey growing up and still do

[compos mentis]

Paul,

That's cool, he was so much fun to watch...

Here's some more.

"There was no one else like him," former pitcher Tom Candiotti said. "I hated Rickey. Really, I couldn't stand him. He never swung at my knuckleball, he never swung at my curveball. He never swung until he got two strikes.

He had the strike zone the size of a coffee can. (Lol)

If you threw him a fastball, he would hit it for a home run. If you walked him, it was a triple. It was ridiculous. It was like, 'Good gosh, what are we going to do with this guy?'"

[paulk68]

Skip, did you say that you played with him? that is really cool. i just remember the way we would snap his arm to the side when he caught a fly ball in the outfield. Steve Phillips has some really good stories on him also. he seems like he was just in his own world. but hands down the best leadoff hitter of all times. Jim Rice on the other hand i am not sure he deserves it.

[compos mentis]

Paul, no I didn't.

But I wouldn't be surprised if someone on this site did at one point in their lives...

I know what you are saying about Rice. Even more questionable is Tony Perez. Longevity shouldn't mean the HOF IMO.

But he gets unfairly criticized for being done at age 33.

Mickey Mantle's last solid year he was 32.

His first full year he was 20, Rice was 22.

Tony Perez played 7 more seasons than Rice and had 3 less HR's and only 200 more rbi's.

[paulk68]

all very good points.