Baseball for the Thinking Fan

Login | Register | Feedback

btf_logo
You are here > Home > Baseball Newsstand > Baseball Primer Newsblog > Discussion
Baseball Primer Newsblog
— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Cardboard Gods: Wilker: Rickey Henderson

Ahh, Rickey. I remember when he moved in around the block from me and stiffed the Galaxy Towers snobhobbers outta rent. I cheered.

And yet here is Henderson, the rookie, locked in, ready to battle. I didn’t know when I got this card that it would one day become, in theory anyway, my most valuable card. (In practice the scratches below his cocked elbow surely strip this legend’s rookie card of its value; near the end of my collecting days I started sorting each team into batting orders by year, and since none of my few last 1981 cards were A’s the 1980 Rickey had to take the brunt of the elements for the decades in which my cards and I were estranged.) But I have to believe that I liked the card at first sight, that the rookie’s odd crouch differed not only from most of the posed wax figure stances that had populated my cards to that point but differed also from the feeling that mathematical elimination was unavoidable, that life itself was a losing season. Here was an electric moment, full of possibility, a young man who’d so far known nothing but losing in the majors but who despite that was about to treat the next pitch, the next moment, as if it could not be more important.

I meant to share this card earlier, my first thought being that I’d pass it along on Christmas Day, which also happens to be Rickey Henderson’s birthday. But I’m the kind of guy who lets things slide, who daydreams through pitches and at-bats and games. Let’s face it, entire seasons have gone by without me ever really leaving the fetid cycle of impossible thoughts inside my skull. But anyway, here it is, a few days late, a Happy Rickey Henderson’s Birthday to all, and hopes for a Rickey Henderson New Year. Here’s hoping we let all the bad pitches pass and that when a good pitch comes along we jump on it.

 

Repoz Posted: January 01, 2008 at 06:18 AM | 7 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
  Related News: GeneralHistoryHall of Fame

Reader Comments and Retorts

Go to end of page

Statements posted here are those of our readers and do not represent the BaseballThinkFactory. Names are provided by the poster and are not verified. We ask that posters follow our submission policy. Please report any inappropriate comments.

Page 1 of 1 pages
   1. CFiJ Posted: January 01, 2008 at 09:54 AM (#2657838)
Where do folks think Rickey stands in discussions about the greatest player ever?
   2. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: January 01, 2008 at 01:34 PM (#2657852)
I think he stands on the outside looking in. He is nearly part of the discussion, but just doesn't make it.

I wish he was good enough to be part of the discussion; he is my favorite player ever. Just the other day I found I have roughly 7 of those Starting Lineup figurines of him.
   3. A One-Shoed Craig K Posted: January 01, 2008 at 02:52 PM (#2657866)
Career Win Shares (from 2004) has him at 24th with a bunch of active guys a bit below him, so 30th or so best non-pitcher.
   4. vern_fuller_brushback Posted: January 01, 2008 at 08:59 PM (#2658011)
I still love this card, and the entire set, as a matter of fact, which my wife gave me more than ten years ago - I am less impressed with the 1980 set losing more than half its 'value' since I've owned it, but that's a very secondary consideration.
   5. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy Posted: January 02, 2008 at 03:50 PM (#2658261)
If Rickey could have taken defense seriously and made himself an above average CF, he might've put himself closer to the greatest player ever discussion.
   6. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: January 02, 2008 at 07:49 PM (#2658511)
Overwriting, thy name is Wilker.
   7. Dag Nabbit and his imaginary friends Posted: January 02, 2008 at 07:53 PM (#2658520)
1980 Topps Rickey card.

In 1985, I had the '84 Topps traded series with Dwight Gooden. My brother's friend wanted that card sooooo badly because he thought Gooden was the greatest pitcher ever and that card was going to be worth a fortune someday. After months of hammering at me, I finally traded it to him - for a Donruss Terry Pendelton rookie error card (it called him Jeff Pendleton), oversized '85 Donruss Gooden and Harold Baines cards, and most importantly, a 1980 Topps rookie of Rickey Henderson. I mostly made the deal to shut him up, but it worked well enoguh for me.
Page 1 of 1 pages

You must be Registered and Logged In to post comments.

 

 

<< Back to main

Support BBTF

donate

Thanks to
The Ghost of Sox Fans Past
for his generous support.

Bookmarks

You must be logged in to view your Bookmarks.

Hot Topics

NewsblogRosenthal: Swapping Figgins for Ichiro at leadoff could revive Mariners' offense
(2 - 7:54am, Feb 10)
Last: Shooty: Applying to be Fearless Leader

NewsblogSources: Cubs’ Starlin Castro Accused Of Sexual Assault
(5848 - 7:49am, Feb 10)
Last: Lassus:

NewsblogL.A. Times: 11 bidders remain in running to buy Dodgers
(8 - 7:41am, Feb 10)
Last: LionoftheSenate (is roaring!)

NewsblogNY Daily News: Brian Cashman's accused stalker says Yankees GM misled feds on steroid probe
(51 - 7:30am, Feb 10)
Last: ray james

NewsblogFangraphs: Cameron: The 10 Worst Transactions Of The Winter
(87 - 6:59am, Feb 10)
Last: LionoftheSenate (is roaring!)

NewsblogOrioles Scouts Banned from Korea
(7 - 6:30am, Feb 10)
Last: Swedish Chef

NewsblogMONEYBALL~ Oscar Nominations 2012: Academy Award Nominees List ~ MONEYBALL
(595 - 6:22am, Feb 10)
Last: Quiet Flows the Don Taussig Avenger (Edmundo)

NewsblogKnobler: Stay away from steroids -- but vote how you want
(20 - 6:11am, Feb 10)
Last: Athletic Supporter leads the nation in drifters

NewsblogJeff Sullivan: The Worst Team Ever Projected?
(51 - 5:57am, Feb 10)
Last: Sam Hutcheson is the 'saur with the rainbow roar

NewsblogPrimer Dugout (and link of the day) 2-10-2012
(4 - 5:37am, Feb 10)
Last: Not The Real Fausto Carmona (Dan Lee)

NewsblogWhatever Happened to the Spitball?
(19 - 4:19am, Feb 10)
Last: toratoratora

Transaction Oracle2012 ZiPS Projections - Texas Rangers
(19 - 3:53am, Feb 10)
Last: Jebuddhallah

NewsblogGrantland/Bill James: An Open Letter to the Hall of Fame About Dwight Evans
(26 - 2:04am, Feb 10)
Last: DanG

NewsblogNYT: Alderson Remakes Needy Mets From Bottom Line Up
(41 - 1:37am, Feb 10)
Last: PreservedFish

Newsblog'Duk: Tim Lincecum slims down with swim routine, loses appetite for McDonald’s
(282 - 12:44am, Feb 10)
Last: MM1f

Buy MLB playoff tickets, plus 2011 World Series, 2011 ALCS tickets and NLCS game tickets. We also have Texas Rangers playoff schedule, tickets to Red Sox games and Yankees game tickets. Plus, buy Phillies baseball tickets, Tigers playoff tickets and the biggies like ALDS baseball tickets and 2011 NLDS tickets.

Demarini, Easton and TPX Baseball Bats

 

 

 

AllianceTickets.com has cheap MLB Tickets. Get all your Colorado Rockies Tickets, Seattle Mariners Tickets, San Francisco Giants Tickets and all your favorite baseball tickets here. We also carry cheap Denver Broncos Tickets, Seattle Seahawks Tickets and Denver Nuggets Tickets.

Page rendered in 0.3265 seconds
40 querie(s) executed