This is the first I'm hearing about this, and I am - and I use this word very rarely - devastated. I first saw Rickey Henderson play in his rookie season with my father and we were both absolutely captivated by him. The unique batting stance, the threatening leadoff from the bag...the pure speed and power of the man.
I came to Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1979 to see Dwayne Murphy and left with a different hero, whose stature in my mind (unlike with so many of our heroes) only grew throughout the years. It seemed if each season every team wanting to win it all acquired Rickey at the deadline because they knew... knew that he was a force unlike any seen in baseball before or after. Even in the beginning, he made watching the lowly A's required television.
Sadly, baseball has never been entirely fair to Rickey Henderson in my view. His quirky personality, glove snapping at fly balls and carefree style distracted from the sheer awesomeness of his play, which the media seemed somehow to take for granted over the years.
It was often said that Henderson could have hit 500 home runs - if he wanted to - and to those who saw him in person actually try on the first bat of the game it was clear the answer was "absolutely." When asked why he didn't try more often, he said that it was runs that mattered and that getting on base was more important to winning as a leadoff hitter.
His focus was always on winning. Yes, rarely has such a historic talent been so forward looking as your beautiful tribute makes clear:
"...Henderson was so good, so ahead of the curve, that he could bridge the gap between baseball’s past and its future — performing all of the traditional roles of the classical leadoff hitter while also embodying all of the traits that subsequent iterations of the game would prize from the top of the batting order. He wasn’t just the greatest leadoff hitter of all time; he was the blueprint for what a leadoff hitter could be, redefining the role for generations to come."
It seems time that we now stop saying that every player with above average speed who steals a few bases is the "next Rickey Henderson." This minimizes who he was and what he accomplished on the field. There has only been and will only be, one Rickey Henderson.
In the inevitable end, it's less about what you do, and more about the legacy you leave behind in inspiring others. From that long car ride home in 1979, it truly has been my privilege to see this man play baseball.
This is the first I'm hearing about this, and I am - and I use this word very rarely - devastated. I first saw Rickey Henderson play in his rookie season with my father and we were both absolutely captivated by him. The unique batting stance, the threatening leadoff from the bag...the pure speed and power of the man.
I came to Cleveland Municipal Stadium in 1979 to see Dwayne Murphy and left with a different hero, whose stature in my mind (unlike with so many of our heroes) only grew throughout the years. It seemed if each season every team wanting to win it all acquired Rickey at the deadline because they knew... knew that he was a force unlike any seen in baseball before or after. Even in the beginning, he made watching the lowly A's required television.
Sadly, baseball has never been entirely fair to Rickey Henderson in my view. His quirky personality, glove snapping at fly balls and carefree style distracted from the sheer awesomeness of his play, which the media seemed somehow to take for granted over the years.
It was often said that Henderson could have hit 500 home runs - if he wanted to - and to those who saw him in person actually try on the first bat of the game it was clear the answer was "absolutely." When asked why he didn't try more often, he said that it was runs that mattered and that getting on base was more important to winning as a leadoff hitter.
His focus was always on winning. Yes, rarely has such a historic talent been so forward looking as your beautiful tribute makes clear:
"...Henderson was so good, so ahead of the curve, that he could bridge the gap between baseball’s past and its future — performing all of the traditional roles of the classical leadoff hitter while also embodying all of the traits that subsequent iterations of the game would prize from the top of the batting order. He wasn’t just the greatest leadoff hitter of all time; he was the blueprint for what a leadoff hitter could be, redefining the role for generations to come."
It seems time that we now stop saying that every player with above average speed who steals a few bases is the "next Rickey Henderson." This minimizes who he was and what he accomplished on the field. There has only been and will only be, one Rickey Henderson.
In the inevitable end, it's less about what you do, and more about the legacy you leave behind in inspiring others. From that long car ride home in 1979, it truly has been my privilege to see this man play baseball.
Rest in peace hero.
The rare player who was very famous, and thought to be very, very good . . . but was still underrated.