In an almost unimaginable flash of decisiveness and creativity, the Mets have apparently whacked hitting coach Rick Down and will begin the second half with Rickey Henderson as their hitting coach.
I know! It’s not like the Mets to go with relatively inexperienced braintrust, as evidenced by the piles of potential managerial material with Met bloodlines seeking their big-league opportunities elsewhere (Ron Gardenhire, John Gibbons, John Stearns, Wally Backman, etc.). And it’s not like they offer opportunities to those who leave them on bad terms very freely, as we noticed when Darryl Strawberry finally made it back to town last year. And it’s not like they go around firing guys, though Down ought to absorb at leastr some blame for an offense that has only been good in stretches since last August.
But Rickey is Rickey, nothing if not unique. He got the Mets to break No. 24 out of a limbo that, Kelvin Torve notwithstanding, dated back to Mays’ retirement in 1973. For the Mets in 1999, Henderson had what would be the last great year of his great career.
We’ll be watching to see whether they break 24 out of mothballs again for Rickey, or dress him in a coachy number like Down’s departed 54. Bet its the former.
Welcome back Rickey!
“Rickey Don’t Lose That Number…”
It’s the only one you own!
Here’s hoping the only “ace” on the Mets is their No. 1 starter and not the one he’s got up his sleeve…remember, Rickey, card games in the clubhouse while the game is going on are only tolerated if you’re a Hall of Famer in waiting as a player…coaches have to log in long, tedious hours prepping themselves and their charges!
Comment by fanof41 :: July 13, 2007 @ 7:02 pm | Edit This
I think Rickey gets a bad rap for the card game. His attitude went in the toilet when he was removed for defense, it’s true, but the act of repairing to the clubhouse for cards as a thing wasn’t any worse than say, sitting there smoking and drinking Budweiser, as Keith Hernandez was doing when his teammates won a Game 6. I have less sympathy for Bonilla since he was a bum all year. Rickey was great in 99.
They said on the TV broadcast the other day Henderson had paid 25 grand to buy 24 from Turner Ward when he was a Blue Jay.
Comment by Jon :: July 14, 2007 @ 11:55 am | Edit This
[…] Here’s something else I’d forgotten about Rickey, he was a Mets’ coach in 2007. […]