The Yankees and Mets were getting ready for a mid-summer Subway Series in 1999. Tension between the two franchises was increasing, even if a World Series matchup was still a year away.
I questioned Ricky Henderson about going up against Andy Pettitte. I was particularly curious about the Man of Steal’s approach to the Yankees’ iconic pick-off move.
I thought that was a reasonable inquiry. Pettitte was a skilled magician. He did more than trick base runners. They were stopped in their tracks by him.
But Henderson wasn’t concerned. In fact, he found our talk amusing. The thought that Pettitte could stop him made him laugh.
Henderson said, “He’s easy.” When he threw over for the first time, I told myself, I got him.
As it happens, I was hearing a prophet. That evening, Henderson went 3-for-3 and stole three bases on Pettitte as the Mets defeated the Yankees 9–8.
Henderson will always be remembered for a million reasons, this being one of them. The industry was shocked by his death on Saturday, but nowhere is the grief more intense than in New York.
There aren’t many times in life when you feel older right away. Among them is Henderson’s passing.
Yankees supporters will recall his heyday in the Bronx in the mid-1980s. When Henderson brought the playoffs to Shea Stadium for the first time in eleven years in 1999, Mets fans knew he was a pillar.
A superstar. A myth. A cleat-wearing cult hero. All of the titles are appropriate. Henderson is no longer there. Two months ago, Henderson, who was only 65, was in his best possible condition.
Henderson reportedly passed away with pneumonia. He couldn’t have been taken by any sickness, it seems. Despite his advanced age, the man maintained his athletic appearance.
A legacy that will never be equaled is left behind.
According to Ron Guidry over the phone, “I thought Dave Winfield was one of the few true five-tool players of my era, but Rickey was the best I ever saw.” In addition to having all the equipment, Rickey was a base stealer, something Winfield lacked.
Henderson was the game’s all-time base stealer and played for 24 seasons before retiring in 2003. His 1406 swipes were far more than Lou Brock’s 938, who came in second. Aging backwards, Henderson was baseball’s Benjamin Button. Even at age 39, he stole 66 bases.
Henderson’s game was much more than just his legs, though. With 297 career home runs, including a career-high 84 in his first at-bat, he was a veritable power merchant. He redefined what a leadoff batter is.
Talk about catching pitchers off guard. According to Buck Showalter, Henderson would enter the box and assume his trademark squat, coiling like a snake and creating a thimble-sized strike zone.
The opposition had to choose their poison. Put Henderson to the test and run the risk of being taken deep. When you made a cautious pitch, you found yourself on first base in your worst nightmare.
David Cone stated that it was hopeless in any case. It was crucial to keep Rickey off the bases because of this. Everyone in the opposing dugout would be aware of your vulnerability if you lost that struggle. You would always be haunted by it.
Henderson was aware of his greatness. From 1985 to 1989, I covered him as a Yankee, then in 1999 and 2000, I covered him as a Met. Henderson was gregarious and exuberant. He was distant, though. He might not have been aware of all his teammates’ names.
Henderson played alongside Al Leiter during the end of his career in New York. At one point, he explained how Henderson lived in his own universe.
When Rickey arrived at the ballpark in 1987, Leiter remarked, “I doubted he had any idea who the starting pitcher was.” And I’m referring to his own group.
When Leiter was reunited with Henderson in Flushing ten years later, he had observed a shift.
He would approach me prior to the game and tell me, “It’s you and me tonight,” if I was starting. Or simply stay near me, and I’ll handle the rest.
In 1999, Henderson, then 40, stole a respectable 37 bases while hitting.315 for the Mets. Bobby Valentine led the team to the NL Championship Series with his assistance.
Despite the fact that Henderson and Valentine, the quintessential alphas, never really clicked, the Mets were on the rise following a difficult period in the mid-1990s. In the closing seconds of Game 6 of the NLCS in Atlanta, the relationship broke down.
While the Mets were finishing their season with a devastating 11th-inning loss, Henderson and Bobby Bonilla were found playing cards in the clubhouse.
According to one veteran, the Mets were devastated by the loss, which was so emotional that players sobbed as they entered the clubhouse.
The player claimed, “We wanted to take a bat to their heads” when he saw Henderson and Bonilla at the poker table.
Valentine’s decision to remove Henderson from the game in the eighth inning might have infuriated Henderson. Or perhaps he had simply returned to his own world.
Henderson disputed that a game of cards was being played. Henderson was refuted by Bonilla, who acknowledged that they had been playing. But he pointed out there were five Mets pitchers in the clubhouse, too.
Either way, Henderson was forgiven by 2006, when he returned to the Mets as a special instructor. At the age of 48, he was elevated to first base coach in 2007.
Henderson joked about making a comeback before his 50th birthday, although I m not sure he was entirely kidding. Crazy as it sounds, I m not convinced Henderson couldn t have pulled it off.
If nothing else, seeing Henderson step into the batter s box again would ve been a gift to a generation of fans who weren t around for his prime.
You can always watch Henderson s highlights on YouTube but, trust me, video clips don t do justice to the way he toyed with pitchers. They sensed Henderson s danger in the batter s box. They feared him even more at first base.
That was Henderson s gift to the sport. Baseball is lesser today without him.
Bob Klapisch may be reached [email protected].
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