Hof:2009

[weams]

Rickey and Rice

[Migrant Redbird]

We're sorry. The requested article is not available at the moment.

Just the headline. I guess that's OK, but I don't understand why the story couldn't have been written previously and updated just before the voting results were announced.

[Sports Guy]

What a joke that Rice got in but not Raines.

[mweb]

Rice is not worthy. The vote % for Raines is disturbing, I didn't expect him to get in on the first shot, but this vote doesn't look good for him in the future. Of course it's absurd that Blyleven still can't get in. The lack of support for Trammell is also disappointing.

[bigbird]

Why does Dale Murphy not get more consideration????

[mweb]

Why does Dale Murphy not get more consideration????

Failed to do well outside of his peak, which had a couple so-so years mixed in. Poor counting stats and batting avg doesn't help either.

[Ruzious]

It's travesty (travesty, I say) that Rice made it ahead of Andre Dawson. The Hawk was an all-around great player - if not for the knee injury, he would have been a first ballot guy. Even still, he was a better all-around player than Rice - who was arguably the 3rd best OFer on his team some years.

And Blyleven clearly belongs.

[mweb]

It's travesty (travesty, I say) that Rice made it ahead of Andre Dawson. The Hawk was an all-around great player - if not for the knee injury, he would have been a first ballot guy. Even still, he was a better all-around player than Rice - who was arguably the 3rd best OFer on his team some years.

And Blyleven clearly belongs.

Rice was a more productive hitter than Dawson, even when adjusting for park. What really hurts Dawson for me is the .323 OBP, a corner OF needs to do a lot to make up for that imo.

I don't think either should be in, but I'd probably go with Dawson over Rice.

[weams]

Today, Rickey is the greatest of all time...

[Boy Howdy]

Very happy for Rickey, a true great.

If anyone cares, here's an article I wrote about his 130-stolen base season.

http://urbanshocker.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/25-years-ago-rickey-henderson-his-130-stolen-bases/

[weams]

The only things really bothering Rickey were infielders that intentionally dropped on his hands with their knees when he slid into a base. He rated Baltimore lefties Scott McGregor and Mike Flanagan as the pitchers with the toughest pickoff moves for him to decipher. Another Oriole, catcher Rick Dempsey, was his most difficult catcher to run on, though he successfully swiped thirteen in eighteen tries against the O’s by season’s end.

Earlier in Rickey’s career, an umpire had to bear hug Dempsey to prevent a fight when Rickey followed him to the pitcher’s mound to listen in on a conference. “He ain’t really a bad guy,” said Dempsey. “But he always has something to say, and he’s always trying to do something to try to irritate you.”

Very happy for Rickey, a true great.

If anyone cares, here's an article I wrote about his 130-stolen base season.

http://urbanshocker.wordpress.com/2007/09/05/25-years-ago-rickey-henderson-his-130-stolen-bases/

Good stuff man!

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://deadspin.com/5129728/

Earlier, Henderson had confessed to me, “Last night, I dropped down on my knees and I asked God, ‘Why are you doing this to Rickey? Why did you put me here?’ ”

Referring to yourself in the third person when talking to God ... you get my Hall of Fame vote for that alone.

Reading this may well have been the highlight of my life.