Rickey Henderson Story..

[Co. Aytch]

As we wait for the season to begin.....

Everybody has/needs a good Rickey story. This is a story I came by from a buddy.
This was an email his friend sent him. He is a musician and was traveling when....
***********

Yesterday, I boarded my Southwest Airlines connecting flight, Dallas to Houston, then on to LA I was unfortunately relegated to the "B 30-60" boarding group, meaning it was highly likely that I would be getting a middle seat. I boarded as B 59 and was looking for the first available overhead bin for my bags when I stepped onto the plane - it happened to be the first seat as I walked on - in the middle. Upon taking my seat and getting situated I realized that I was sitting next to Hall of Famer and greatest lead off man and base stealer ever, Rickey henderson. UNreal. Though my interaction with Rickey was brief, it contained a few of the following bits of information and dialogue which solidified him as one of the best pro athletes ever, OFF the field.....hope you get as much of a laugh out of this as I did........

**When I realized he was Rickey henderson, I simply said, "hey, are you Rickey henderson?" (great opening line) And he said, "yeah man" and then kept looking out the window (he was wearing terminator style sunglasses - the full reflector kind ....on the plane - it was raining outside) and some leather loafers with no socks with a few tasteful gold chains and he is still totally jacked up like a pro athlete.

**I asked him where he was headed and he said "LA" and then proceeded to mumble that he was mad because there was no first class on Southwest and that...."Rickey always flies 1st class". I followed that up by asking him if he was going to try and play again and about his stint with the Newark Bears... he simply said, "Nah man, I'm in the Hall of Fame, I ain't doing that no more". I didn't have much response after that. Meanwhile I was trying to think of a way to get a picture with him without acting like a putz - I didn't get the picture because I think he would have pummeled me if i had asked - the guy just did not look happy -- However.....

**When we landed I handed him one of my CDs (like Rickey henderson would give a damn about my CD), and I said, "I don't know if you are much of a music fan or not, but I wanted you to have one of my new CDs because I have been a big fan of you throughout the years".....at that moment, he took a pen out of his pocket and signed my own CD with HIS name and handed it back to me and walked off the plane without really saying anything else. Let me recap. I gave him my CD then he signed it with HIS name and gave it BACK to me.......CLASSIC - one of the smoothest and best moves ever......RICKEY IS TRULY THE GREATEST.

 

[GAVol]

My favorite Rickey story is still the one where one of the teams he played for reconciled their books and realized they were $1 million off due to an uncashed signing bonus check. They called Rickey asking why he hadn't cashed it and found out it was because he had framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

 

[NYYVol]

My favorite Rickey story is still the one where one of the teams he played for reconciled their books and realized they were $1 million off due to an uncashed signing bonus check. They called Rickey asking why he hadn't cashed it and found out it was because he had framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

True story. Funny as hell too.

 

[JokermanVol]

hilarious, thanks for posting, true or not. i know there are a lot of fabricated stories out there. him signing the CD and handing it back has me in tears.

he's the only man who can pull his antics and not be labeled a douche.

 

[GAVol]

There are a ton of these stories, but the only other one that I can remember is when he played with the Mariners and asked Jon Olerud why he was wearing a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he always wore it because of a childhood brain injury. Rickey then told him that a few years ago in Toronto he had played with another guy that did the same thing. The player he had played with in Toronto that wore the batting helmet was . . . Jon Olerud.

 

[volfanbill]

My favorite Rickey story is still the one where one of the teams he played for reconciled their books and realized they were $1 million off due to an uncashed signing bonus check. They called Rickey asking why he hadn't cashed it and found out it was because he had framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

It was the Yanks and Brian Cashman, who was working in the finance dept, supposedly made the call. My second favorite A of all time.
Posted via VolNation Mobile

 

[GAVol]

Here's a compilation of Rickey stories I found. You can't make this stuff up:

1) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”

2) Rickey... on referring to himself in the third person:
“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

3) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

4) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

5) This one might be my second favorite. This wasn’t too long ago, I think it was the year he ended up playing with the Red Sox. Anyway, he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

6) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”

7) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.

8) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd – with Brock mere feet next to him – “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”

9) Henderson once fell asleep on an ice pack and got frostbite – which forced him to miss three games — in mid-August.

10) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

11) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.

12) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”

13) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.

Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.

14) I didn’t believe this one at first. However, I emailed a few contacts within the Sox organization and they claim it actually happened. This is priceless, it really is.

The morning after the Sox finished off their 2004 World Series sweep against St. Louis, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

15) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after they arrived — again it was less than a mile – the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.

Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.

16) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”

17) OK, I know everyone has been waiting for it. Alas, according to both parties involved, it’s not true. I wish it were. Heck, both Rickey Henderson and John Olerud have said they wish it were true. But it just didn’t happen.

The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.” Legend also goes that Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”

Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.

18) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

19) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

20) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed. Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman – then a low-level nobody with the organization – called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said, “I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”

21) This is my all-time favorite. Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, “Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

 

[TennesseeFan07]

Priceless.

 

[Co. Aytch]

These stories are the best. Seriously, cannot get enough of them. They got me laughing so hard cant stand it!

Anybody else have any?

 

[Co. Aytch]

Glad I could find this...Jimmy Rollins has that turn at first down. For all those that can remember that turn!

YouTube - Jimmy Rollins is Ricky Henderson www.thecmsb.com

"Lark, Keep your eye on the highlights, Rickey bout to get hot!"