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Monday, July 02, 2007

Rickey not ready for token farewell

Hendersonville: Practice your evacuation plan.

“One day? Could you believe that? One day?” Rickey told me during his brief time with the Mets last week. “I don’t want one day. I want to play again, man. I don’t want nobody’s spot. I don’t want to hurt nobody. I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. If I don’t, just get rid of me, release me. And if I belong, you don’t have to pay me but the minimum — and I’ll donate every penny of that to some charity. So, how’s that hurtin’ anybody?”

What really irks Rickey is this: the man who’s in control of his fate is not only his former A’s teammate but one-time next-door locker mate, Billy Beane, Oakland’s current GM.

“He always acted like my best friend, told me I was one of the greatest players he’d ever seen, and now I can’t even get him on the phone,” Rickey said, adding that he called Beane before spring training in both 2006 and 2005, begging for a tryout each time but never able to get one. “He kept telling me that he didn’t have any space for me, that he’s got too many kids on his team.”

Repoz Posted: July 02, 2007 at 06:49 AM | 28 comment(s)
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1. Russlan wants Pedro to be a Met again Posted: July 02, 2007 at 06:50 AM (#2426178)

Beane's being really classy about this and Rickey shouldn't make this any more uncomfortable for him than it already is. Honestly, I think a big reason Rickey still thinks he belongs in the big leagues is the fact that Julio Franco is still playing (badly, I might add).

2. bunyon Posted: July 02, 2007 at 06:54 AM (#2426179)

Never mix business and friendship. Of course, how often does it happen that a GM is an ex-teammate of a player he might sign? Even weirder, how often in those scenarios is the GM the younger of the two?

Of course, I can't see why a team wouldn't give him a tryout.

3. bob gaj Posted: July 02, 2007 at 07:25 AM (#2426188)

rickey BEING one of the best ever doesn't mean that rickey TODAY would be one of the best 6 outfielders on a team.

his last 3 seasons (60% san diego, 25% boston, 15% l.a.):

AB 630
H 141
D 24
T 4
HR 15
BB 130
SB/CS 36:9
OB, SLG: 357 / 346

and obviously, no arm.

so you're signing a left fielder who can't hit and can't throw. sorry, rickey.

4. Slinger Francisco Barrios (Dr. Memory) Posted: July 02, 2007 at 07:27 AM (#2426190)

"Go not gently into that good night..."

5. zonk Posted: July 02, 2007 at 07:34 AM (#2426194)

I love Rickey.

6. bunyon Posted: July 02, 2007 at 07:55 AM (#2426207)

I think it would be funny if he took the one day, came in and went 5 for 5 with a homer, a double and two triples with four steals, scoring five runs. You'd never get him to retire. I mean, he'd be 92 and in a wheelchair and demanding a tryout. That would be cool.

7. Dayton Moore is a Big Fat Idiot (AG#1F) Posted: July 02, 2007 at 08:07 AM (#2426214)

Why is he not playing for an indy league team? I saw a thing on "This Week in Baseball" about Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd's Traveling All-Star team. Among the players were Bill Lee and Delino DeShields. Why isn't Rickey playing for them?

8. Russ Posted: July 02, 2007 at 08:14 AM (#2426220)

As I said before, the game owes it to its stars to tell them when to go. If they ever wanted to stop playing, then they wouldn't be as good as they were. It's drastically unfair to expect them to be obsessed with playing when they're youner and then also expect them to know when to hang it up.

9. Russ Posted: July 02, 2007 at 08:14 AM (#2426222)

[double post]

10. Marty Winn Posted: July 02, 2007 at 08:53 AM (#2426251)

Bunyon, you have so many extra base hits that you don't give him enough room to steal 4 bases unless he steals home once. There must be a walk in there, it wouldn't be Rickey without some walks.

11. JoeHova Posted: July 02, 2007 at 08:59 AM (#2426260)

I wonder why Rickie doesn't give Japan (or Mexico) a shot. If he did well either of those places, some team probably would give him a camp invite at least.

12. AROM Posted: July 02, 2007 at 09:09 AM (#2426271)

Or play for Atlantic city again.

So he can't hit or throw. His last few years he could run and get on base. If he can still do those things, he could be useful. But, that was 4 years ago, and its quite possible that Rickey can't do anything anymore.

I'd offer him a minor league spot, maybe he's a pleasant surprise, probably not, but if he doesn't completely embarrass himself he gets a September callup, a few AB's, and we put his locker next to Erick Aybar, teach the kid how to use his speed. If he can help the speedy Aybar not be an automatic CS, he's worth the investment.

13. McCoy Posted: July 02, 2007 at 09:35 AM (#2426298)

What would have been the big deal about inviting him to spring training? Hell I would invite him to spring training every year until he is dead. Have him work with the hitters and who knows if he shows he has something left and somebody goes down because of injuries or there is a spot available I'd give it to him.

14. Juan V has had a good baseball year Posted: July 02, 2007 at 09:42 AM (#2426307)

Everyone is looking forward to his HOF induction speech. That's the thing.

15. IronChef Chris Wok Posted: July 02, 2007 at 09:47 AM (#2426313)

I wonder why Rickie doesn't give Japan (or Mexico) a shot. If he did well either of those places, some team probably would give him a camp invite at least.

RICKEY FOR SINON BULLS LF 2008!!!

16. scareduck Posted: July 02, 2007 at 09:48 AM (#2426316)

Why is he not playing for an indy league team? I saw a thing on "This Week in Baseball" about Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd's Traveling All-Star team. Among the players were Bill Lee and Delino DeShields. Why isn't Rickey playing for them?

He was. He played for a while with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League, but the ignominy of that gig...

BTW, I should add that the Surf Dawgs no longer exists. Maybe that's why he's not playing for them...

17. villageidiom Posted: July 02, 2007 at 10:02 AM (#2426326)

I saw the headline and thought Henderson was lamenting the introduction of CharlieCards.

18. Replacement-Level Primate Posted: July 02, 2007 at 10:07 AM (#2426330)

On behalf of the Twins, I'd like to offer him Jason Tyner's roster spot.

19. JoeHova Posted: July 02, 2007 at 10:48 AM (#2426343)

whoops, I misspelled one of my favorite players names. I can't believe that. I was simultaneously working on a post about Rickie Weeks on another site, which explains the faux pas (but doesn't excuse it). ;)

20. bunyon Posted: July 02, 2007 at 11:01 AM (#2426351)

Bunyon, you have so many extra base hits that you don't give him enough room to steal 4 bases unless he steals home once. There must be a walk in there, it wouldn't be Rickey without some walks.

Are you saying that Rickey Henderson can't steal home?

21. Craig Calcaterra Posted: July 02, 2007 at 11:10 AM (#2426356)

I agree with Juan V. A benevolent conspiracy to bar Rickey from major league baseball is afoot so that Rickey can get into Cooperstown while there are still some sportswriters around who remember when he represented all that was wrong with baseball.

I can just picture it: Rickey doing everything he can to muster controversy, and the old men doing everything they can to muster outrage.

22. Jonk Posted: July 02, 2007 at 03:46 PM (#2426534)

"One day? Could you believe that? One day?" Rickey told me during his brief time with the Mets last week.

He was with the Mets last week?

23. JJ1986 Posted: July 02, 2007 at 03:52 PM (#2426537)

Rickey would have to be better than Julio Franco. And he's younger.

24. vortex of dissipation Posted: July 02, 2007 at 04:20 PM (#2426561)

Rickey don't do Indy.

Rickey's signed with a Champ Car team?

25. Jose Canusee Posted: July 02, 2007 at 04:50 PM (#2426589)

Rickey don't do Indy.

Rickey's signed with a Champ Car team?

Indy has some superficial resemblance to baseball, going fast and turning left. But Rickey's all about the quick start and timing, going in a straight line so drag racing would be his gig.

26. PepTech Posted: July 02, 2007 at 06:17 PM (#2426649)

Rickey said that his fire for the bigs was stoked again recently when the Yankees signed a guy just three years younger than he, Roger Clemens.

"Why does Roger keep getting a chance and not me?" he said.

It's funny how questions can answer themselves.

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Rickey not ready for token farewell

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