Rickey to be a Spring Instructor

[Guest SI Metman]

http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20060210&content_id=1309563&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym

He's going to teach the kids how to be Rickey and how to improve at seven card stud.

[metirish]

Well with 'Texas Hold-em' being so popular with the kids now having Rickey at ST can only improve their game.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Does that mean that, gulp, he's retired?

[Guest SI Metman]

Edgy DC wrote: Does that mean that, gulp, he's retired?

Yup, he officially announced it during the Winter Meetings.

[metirish]

Good question Edgy, in Rickey's world he might see Spring Training instructor as a chance to go 'North' with the Mets.....

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, he actually said earlier this winter that he was done playing at any level.

Interesting that he's being brought back, even if only for a short stint.
Not that I don't think his goofy personally can't adapt to teaching but he and the org parted on really bad terms. Guess he either forgot or figures that those he was butting heads with are no longer here (Phillips).
Remember they didn't give him a NL Ch ring for his partial 2000 seasons (or eventually did so reluctantly) even though they did give them out to others with lesser contributions.

[Guest Bret Sabermetric]

Frayed Knot wrote: he and the org parted on really bad terms.

And about twelve other orgs.

Professor Henderson, teaching seminars in "Egotism 101," "Acheiving Personal Goals in a Team Sport," and a special graduate course in "Jaking and Peevishness" (prerequisite: "Running Out Grounders at 3/4ths Speed")

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

He's an interesting guy to look at in respect to Julio Franco, since both guys were super-vets expected to contribute for a year but had to be offered 2 years to come.

To Rickey's credit he understood the game the Mets were playing and knowing they knew Rickey would be Rickey, they probably should have made an exception and given him that raise for '01.

[Centerfield]

Awesome.

[Guest Edgy DC]

For what it's worth, his tutelage was a reportedly a big part of that All-Star-quality year that Cedeño turned in in 1999.

Of course, that leaves one to wonder why whatever Roger supposedly learned didn't stick so well.

So, is this possibly a signal that Mookie is not going to be in camp, and is perhaps off the payroll entirely?

[MFS62]

With his "informal" coaching, Roger Cedeno stole at a success rate of something like 60 of 66.
Who knows what he can do for Carlos Delgado?

Later

[metirish]

]So, is this possibly a signal that Mookie is not going to be in camp, and is perhaps off the payroll entirely?

Yeah I read and posted that Mookie left the organization a few weeks back, as did Tim Teufel, no reasons were given .

[Willets Point]

Artistic differences?

[Guest Edgy DC]

Yeah, the "left the organization" thing seemed to be an ambiguous report though. Not managing a team this year didn't necessarily mean they were cutting ties and looking to hook up with on-field jobs elsewhere.

On the other hand, if Mookie moves back into a pr/community relations role, he'd get another year of people telling him that they named their dog/cat/guinea pig/tarantula/lemming and he'd eventually snap.

[Theoldmole]

This is good. Rickey is smart and knowledgeable.

[Frayed Knot]

Yeah, but he hides it so well.

[metirish]

Rickey ain't done yet.....

] "In my mind, I'm not really done playing," Henderson said Friday in a conference call. "Anything can happen this year. I'm going to play it by ear. If I get the opportunity to play, or get the opportunity to try out, I'm willing to do that, too."

[Guest Johnny Dickshot]

Free Rickey! Release Endy Chavez!

[Zvon]

You sure you got that quote right metirish?
Sure it didnt read:

] "In Rickey's mind, Rickey's not really done playing," Henderson said Friday in a conference call. "Anything can happen this year. Rickey's going to play it by ear. If Rickey gets the opportunity to play, or gets the opportunity to try out, Rickey's willing to do that, too."

[metirish]

Brilliant...

[Guest abogdan]

Am I the only one who'd rather have a 83-year old Rickey as the 5th OF than Endy Chavez, Tike Redman, or Ice Williams?

Nice to see Rickey as part of the Mets organization. Hopefully he'll be willing to take on a larger role, at least to be a roving minor league instructor to help teach the prospects how to run the bases and the importance of getting on base.

[Theoldmole]

If they decide to sign Rickey, he won't be the oldest guy on the team.

[nymr83]

it is PATHETIC that a guy who doesnt run hard on groundballs and watches what he thinks is a homer become a single that shoulda been a double/triple gets to coach. this guy is the epitome of the "me me me" ballplayer and the LAST guy who should be instructing anyone. there are hundreds of ex-players more worthy of this job.

[MFS62]

As long as the players follow "do as I say and not what I did" when it comes to baseball and his other antics, I'm ok with that.
Later

[metirish]

From Jon Heyman in Newsday...funny

] Rickey being Rickey Beyond providing baserunning and card-playing tips, Rickey Henderson adds a humorous touch to the Mets' spring coaching ranks. One Rickey story: When one Padre explained to another that Henderson always got the best seat on the bus because he had "tenure," Henderson corrected the fellow. "Ten year?" Rickey said incredulously and quite seriously. "What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years."

[Guest Edgy DC]

Sounds a little apocryphal.

[metirish]

True , there are probably a hundred Rickey stories that are fiction.

[nymr83]

the olerud story takes the cake

[Guest abogdan]

]it is PATHETIC that a guy who doesnt run hard on groundballs and watches what he thinks is a homer become a single that shoulda been a double/triple gets to coach. this guy is the epitome of the "me me me" ballplayer and the LAST guy who should be instructing anyone. there are hundreds of ex-players more worthy of this job.

Henderson is the greatest base stealer of all time and the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. If he never stole a base he'd be in the hall of fame because of his amazing ability to get on base. I'm happy the Mets saw that and invited him to impart some knowledge, hopefully on the team's leadoff hitter with a .300 OBP, instead of focusing on a few times where he didn't run to first base as hard as some would have liked.

[Elster88]

Nymr83 wrote: it is PATHETIC that a guy who doesnt run hard on groundballs and watches what he thinks is a homer become a single that shoulda been a double/triple gets to coach. this guy is the epitome of the "me me me" ballplayer and the LAST guy who should be instructing anyone. there are hundreds of ex-players more worthy of this job.

Rickey had a incredible influence on Roger Cedeno in '99. If that is an indication of his coaching ability then he is the FIRST player who should be teaching baserunning. What is PATHETIC is someone like Matsui, who has excellent speed but can't steal bases.

We SHOULD bring RICKEY up TO the MAJORS to HELP with THE varsity.