“I never said most of the things I said.” ~ Lawrence “Yogi” Berra
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I posted about “Yogi-isms” originally on January 4, 2021, when this blog was on my business website and then reposted that blog as a #ThrowBackThursday on May 19, 2022, on this platform. CLICK HERE if you’d like to read it. It concerned the many comical quotes of the fine Hall of Fame catcher, Lawrence “Yogi” Berra. Today I thought we’d look at another amazing player, Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson, along with some quotes attributed to him (whether he really said them or not is of course up for debate).
Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson was born on Christmas day, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois. His mother delivered Rickey on the way to the hospital in the back of their car, which he joked about, saying “I was already fast. I couldn’t wait.”
Henderson was a left fielder for 24 seasons in the majors. He made his debut with the Oakland Athletics on June 24, 1979, and played his final game with the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 19, 2003. He batted right-handed and threw left-handed. Rickey is 5’10” and played at 180lbs.
Over his 24 seasons he amassed 3,055 hits, had a .279 batting average, hit 297 home runs, had 1,115 runs batted in, a record 1,406 stolen bases of which 130 were in a single season (1982, another record), and scored a record 2,295 runs.
(Rickey Henderson during one of his stints with the Oakland Athletics. Found on the internet. Assuming Public Domain.)
Rickey is considered as one of the best leadoff hitters in the history of the game. He hit 81 leadoff home runs and walked a record leading 2,129 times. He was electric on the base paths and was always a threat to steal at least one base.
Henderson was a 10-time All-Star, a World Series Champion (1989 and 1993), lead the American League in stolen bases 12-times (1980-86, 1988-91 and 1998). The Oakland Athletics retired his uniform number “24”. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot with 94.8% of the vote in 2009.
Rickey played for the Oakland Athletics (1974-1984), the New York Yankees (1985-1989), the Oakland Athletics (1989-1993), the Toronto Blue Jays (1993), the Oakland Athletics (1994-1995), the San Diego Padres (1996-1997), the Anaheim Angels (1997), the Oakland Athletics yet again (1998), the New York Mets (1999-2000), the Seattle Mariners (2000), the San Diego Padres (2001), the Boston Red Sox (2002), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (2003).
Henderson is known as an outstanding player but had his quirks. He frequently referred to himself in the third person. Rickey did this or Rickey did that. He also didn’t always remember his teammates, but he could flat out play the game. Here are some of the stories and quotes attributed to or about him.
Regarding referring to himself in the third person he said, “Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.” But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might hear me saying something when I’m upset with myself, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, what are you saying ‘Rickey” for, why don’t you just say ‘I’?’ But I’ve always said ‘Rickey,” and now it’s something they joke about.
Henderson was once asked by a reporter if he talked to himself. He said, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself, so how can I be talking to myself?”
One story that’s been told time and again. John Olerud, who wore a batting helmet while playing first base, played with Henderson on the N.Y. Mets in 1999. The next year they both were playing for the Seattle Mariners and supposedly Henderson told Olerud that he once played with another guy that wore a helmet all the time and John told Rickey it was him. Both deny it happened, but you just never know.
“Nothing’s impossible for Rickey. You don’t have enough fingers and toes to count out Rickey.”
Supposedly he left a message on San Diego’s General Manger Kevin Towers’ voicemail. “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”
Harold Reynolds said that Rickey called him in 1987 after Reynolds stole 60 bases with the Mariners and led the AL. Rickey had been injured and missed a big portion of the season. He said, the phone rang, and he heard, “Henderson here.” Reynolds, “Hey, what’s going on Rickey?” Thinking he’d called to congratulate me. Rickey says, “Sixty stolen bases? You ought to be ashamed. Rickey would have 60 at the break.” Then he hung up.
After striking out in a game in Seattle, the next hitter says he heard him say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”
Ken Caminiti, a former third baseman for several teams once said that 50 percent of MLB’s players were using steroids. A report asked Henderson about it. He replied, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”
While playing for the Athletics, Henderson received a one-million-dollar bonus. After a while the A’s accounting department let their general manager know that it seemed the bonus check had never been cashed. Apparently, Rickey framed it and hung it on a wall in his house.
Rickey once missed three games because he fell asleep on an icepack and got frostbite; it happened in August.
“Just because I believed in what I was doing on the field and dedicated myself to playing the game, does that mean I’m cocky? Does that mean I’m arrogant?”
Supposedly Ricky asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.
“I’m a walking record.”
While playing in San Diego in 1996, Henderson boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley an outfielder for the team said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson replied, “Ten years? Rickey’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”
Billy Beane’s locker was next to Rickey’s in Oakland. He made the team but was eventually sent down to the minors. Beane said he was back with the big club about six weeks later and Rickey said to him, “Hey man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in a while.”
“To all the kids out there: follow your dream. Believe in your dream. Because dreams do come true.”
While negotiating a contract. “All I’m asking for is what I want.”
One of the most famous quotes and my personal favourite, someone quoted John 3:16 to Henderson and he said, “I don’t wanna hear about John hittin’ .316, Rickey’s hittin’ .330.”
Sportswriter, Tom Verducci said that for years, before every game that he plays, Henderson would stand completely naked in front of a full-length mirror in the locker room for several minutes and say, “Rickey’s the best.”
Now there is no way of knowing how many of these and other stories / quotes occurred or not. Was Henderson goofing on people, were they made-up? At times reality and myth have thin lines. What I do know is that Rickey was one of the very best players of not only his era, but of all time. He did things on the field that not many others, if any, could do. His legend will live on along with the stories.
On a personal note, I may have to try standing naked in front of the mirror and do a “Mike’s the best” thing before my games; at least it will be in the privacy of my own bedroom or bathroom. We’ll see.
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~ Coach Mike
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Another fun read‼️ Thank you for starting my day with a smile😉 Standing in front of the mirror is very interesting for sure😂
What a fun blog! You really have a wealth of great stories about players! Loved the Rickey quotes! By the way, I don't recommend standing in the mirror nude and saying “Mike’s the best” thing before my games". lol