Henderson is known for a lot of things. He was a character of
the game — sometimes referring to himself in the third person —
and played with a signature flair. He also has more stolen bases
than any player in history and might be the most proficient
lead-off hitter ever. For that, he will be inducted into the Hall
of Fame next month. But nothing he accomplished on the field is as
impressive as the gumption he showed that long-ago night in Kansas
City when he stood up to Billy Martin and his coaches simply
because he thought it was the right thing to do
Paul Hagan, McClatchy Newspapers
It happened in Kansas City, in 1982, after the Athletics played a game against the Royals.
As WFAN’s Wayne Hagin — who called Oakland’s games back then — tells the story, combative manager Billy Martin was waiting for pitcher Brian Kingman after he emerged from the hotel bar.
There was “constant friction” between the two men, Hagin wrote recently on a blog for the Mets flagship station’s Web site. “Billy simply did not understand the cerebral Kingman and the two had knocked heads about his pitching style, effort and results.”
On the night in question, Martin was ready for a fight. Hagin described the scene. Martin, wearing a black cowboy hat. The manager and his coaching staff “waiting like vultures” for Kingman to emerge. Martin making it clear that they were going to settle the issue right now.
Martin and four of his coaches stepped outside with Kingman. Five-on-one. The other coach stood at the door, making sure that no players tried to interfere.
There were several players in the lobby while all this was going on. Only one tried to help. When he got to the door, the coach said, “You don’t want to get involved.” The player didn’t back off. If the manager had his coaches with him, then he insisted he should be there to support his teammate.
The player was the star of the team, Rickey Henderson.
Henderson is known for a lot of things. He was a character of the game — sometimes referring to himself in the third person — and played with a signature flair.
He also has more stolen bases than any player in history and might be the most proficient lead-off hitter ever. For that, he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame next month.
But nothing he accomplished on the field is as impressive as the gumption he showed that long-ago night in Kansas City when he stood up to Billy Martin and his coaches simply because he thought it was the right thing to do.
The hot corner
White Sox general manager Kenny Williams sounds like he could be close to staging a fire sale. “If this team doesn’t pick it up at some point, I’m going to have to do some things that maybe aren’t the most popular but are in the best interests of the club,” he said. “Those things are a little ways away. We’ve still got some time to right the ship. But if we don’t, hey, it is what it is.” Williams’ comments could resonate down on Citizens Bank Way. Two teams the Phillies have been shadowing recently are the White Sox and Blue Jays.
One reason for the Padres not to trade Jake Peavy, says general manager Kevin Towers, is the impact it could have on attendance. “For fans to see him go elsewhere is kind of a kick in the gut to them,” he said.
Around the bases
Oakland’s Jason Giambi eats yams before every game, according to the San Jose Mercury News, a habit he says he picked up when he and Alex Rodriguez were Yankees teammates. “It not only fuels you, but makes you feel kind of light,” Giambi said.
Pirates first-base coach Perry Hill is unhappy about being ejected for arguing a call Tuesday, insisting that he did or said nothing to deserve being tossed. “It’s ridiculous. It’s uncalled for,” he grumbled. “They expect you to be an unemotional cigar-store Indian.”
The Marlins faced four Cy Young winners (Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, Randy Johnson and Chris Carpenter) in five games recently and should see Roy Halladay and John Smoltzin the next week.
Finally
Remember several years ago when Terry Francona, then the Phillies’ manager, was ridiculed for not playing third baseman Scott Rolen on a day when the giveaway item was a Rolen T-shirt?
Well, it was Brian McCann Bat Day last Sunday in Atlanta. Oops. Manager Bobby Cox had chosen that day to give McCann a rest. “Maybe he’ll get the game-winner off the bench,” Cox suggested when the situation was pointed out to him.
Wouldn’t you know? McCann entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the eighth with the Braves trailing Milwaukee by two. And his RBI double helped ignite a three-run rally that gave Atlanta the win.
