Yankees Rotation Set, Joba Questions Remain

Just as the Sox shored up their starting rotation sending Clay Buchholz down to Pawtucket this week, the Yankees made a similarly expected move with Phil Hughes. It wasn't much of a spring competition, but any doubts about where Joba will start the season now appear to be answered. The Yankees opening 5 will be, in order of appearance, CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Andy Pettite, and Joba Chamberlain.

Not bad, but that doesn't mean the questions aren't still swirling around Joba, who had his first encouraging start of the spring only yesterday. Joba went 5 and 1/3, throwing 87 pitches, 53 for strikes.

More important, though, was the increased velocity. Yesterday, he was generally in the 90-96 range, working his way up as the innings went on, but losing his accuracy before getting bounced in the fifth. This is a significant improvement over the majority of the spring, when he has generously been clocked in the high 80's, only occasionally breaking 90. But, scouts watching the game still had their questions about arm strength. Granted it's March, but word was he got noticeably tired after 65-70 pitches. The Yankees are reportedly going to limit him to 140 innings over the season.

The rest of the staff has looked strong throughout the spring. Wang hasn't been his usual efficient self in each start, but there doesn't seem to be too much concern. Pettitte has had his usual outings and will likely be a very strong 4th starter. All in all, the Yankees are optimistic about their rotation, even if some within the organization are still questioning whether Joba belongs in the rotation, rather than the pen. That move might still not be foreclosed, as Hughes had some encouraging spots this spring and looks like he could fill in as a good option in the 5th position.

The question remains, though: with Joba's velocity and arm stregth in question, Wang battling back to form, and injuries still a concern for AJ Burnett (nevermind the aging Pettitte, how does this rotation stack up against the Rays and Sox? Every sports writer in NY seems to have accepted the company line that the Yankees have the premier rotation in the league, but so far I'm just not seeing it. Time will tell.

Further note---Melky has lost his spot in center. That guy just can't buy a break.

Don't jump off the Tobin, Dusty is alright...

It could have been much, much worse. Julio Lugo's injury news didn't have me worked up much, but when boston.com produced a headline a few hours later it nearly put me on route 1 towards that big ugly bridge that spans over the Mystic river. "Pedroia Injured, done at WBC" it read... "#$*%" was my reaction, not only had I just taken him in the third round of my fantasy baseball draft, but he's one of the most significant parts of this Red Sox team, both on and off the field.

But by this morning, the feared "oblique strain" that could have kept him out 6 weeks or so was tossed aside as Pedey joked around with reporters. He had a smile on his face, informed everyone he was feeling pretty good, and expects to be back in just a few days.... "When you have a physique like this," Pedroia said, "when you're shredded and everything, something might happen." Does this guy ever come out of character?? God I hope not.

So while the US team got douched on by Puerto Rico last night 11-1, Dusty was home healing up for April 6th. He'll be fine, breathe a sigh of relief Red Sox nation (and fantasy owners), we dodged a small-sized bullet on that one.

Lugo on the other hand, will require surgery on what is likely a torn meniscus. That injury usually requires about a month or so to heal, which would put Lugo back on the field right around, or just after opening day. I'd expect to see Lowrie at shortstop on the 6th, but Lugo and his studly pre season average will force his way back out there soon after.....can't believe I just wrote "Lugo" and "studly" in the same sentence.

Spring Training MVP, Lugo Has MRI

I knew it. ITM was clearly too optimistic on Julio Lugo for 2009. "Grapefruit League MVP" we said, "he finally got the wake up call" we thought....we'll take the blame for this one. Julio Lugo, who is batting .450 thus far in spring training, played in the top half of the first inning in tonight's 8-4 win against the Yanks, but was quickly taken out and replaced by Ivan Ochoa. (Random thought, remember Alex Ochoa the right fielder?...guy had a cannon, is he still alive these days?)

Anyways, Lugo complained of recent knee pain that really sparked up early in tonight's game. It's unclear how serious the injury is, in all likelihood this is mainly a procausionary measure, but we'll know more when the results come in. Most likely tomorrow.

Somewhere in Ft Myers, Jed Lowrie is dreaming of the starting role.... More as it develops.

Breaking News: Lester signed to a five year extension

There are reports flying around Red Sox camp that Jon Lester has been signed to a five year contract extension worth $30 million with a team option for 2014 that would pay the lefty another 13 million.

Reports have yet to be confirmed, and we've asked around down here in Ft Myers without getting an honest answer, but if this is indeed true, the Sox have locked up another key young talent long term for relatively cheap money.

It's unclear if the the deal is full of incentives to increase the ultimate value, but paying a top left-handed pitcher 6 million per year throughout the prime of his career is a great business move by the Sox. It falls in line with their recent moves to sign Pedey and Youk to long term deals. While the tanking economy certainly has had its effects on contract values, the Sox are clearly selling the "let's stick together long term as a team" approach to sign their young talent.

Keep checking back with ITM as we'll have some more pictures and a wrap up of today's game against the Rays at City of Palms Park....we just need to sink a few more beers and do some cannon balls first...

Wide World of Baseball

In a warm-up game of some interest to Sox fans, Team USA got ready for the WBC with a game against the Yankees. That means Youk and Pedroia were in action (made a couple of nifty plays together) and helped Team USA to a 6-5 victory.

Just as notable, though, were a couple of continuing story lines from the Sox rivals. Warning---if want to believe the hype about the Yankees' weak offensive projections going into the season, don't read any further.

First, and this is shaping up as one of the biggest stories of the spring, Jorge Posada continues to stroke the ball like it's 2007. If that's a harbinger, it could be real trouble for the AL East. Other factors will play in of course---can Posada still catch, and how will that strain affect his hitting? (Posada is now at DH with our old friend Kevin Cash doing most of the catching.) But there's no denying Posada's numbers. Posada went 2 for 3 in the game and looked like he owned American stud Roy Oswalt. That brings Posada to 5 for 8 for the spring, with a home run and 3 rbis, all that on top of the daily gift he's been giving fans and teammates at BP. Stick a hot-hitting Posada into the middle-end of the Yankees lineup, and all of a sudden run production isn't looking like much of a concern.

Derek Jeter was the star of the game, going 2 for 4 and driving in 2. He's had a nice spring, though the numbers might be a little misrepresentative---he's getting on base, but the contact hasn't been too solid.

Another point of interest---the Yanks are officially in the middle of an all-out battle for the center-field position between Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner. Gardner continues on a tear, going 5 for 10 this spring, with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, and a lot of speed on the basepaths. Melky's been decent, but not spectacular. If the competition ended today, you'd see Gardner patrolling the new centerfield at Yankee Stadium III.

And finally, I'd also add that Robinson Cano looks great this spring, but I just can't stomach the idea of Posada and Cano both having bounce-back seasons, so I'm just gonna assume without any real basis that his numbers (you can see for yourself) mean nothing. And I'll try to pretend that every time I flip by YES he isn't cranking the ball.

So, there you have it. A small sample, yes, but troubling nonetheless. But, on the bright side, it could just be a spring mirage, and all you Bostoners who have sources of tv baseball besides the pinstripes can just pretend it's not happening. I'll try to do the same.


---Side note. Before the game, Kevin Cash passed Dustin Pedroia and announced for everyone to hear that he thought it was really great that Team USA was bring its own ball boys along for the WBC.

Manny, Dodgers are near a deal...I swear, kinda

Nearly every publication has at one time or another posted that the Manny saga out in LA was over and a deal was almost complete. ITM chose not to cover the west coast drama in the off season....no need to rehash some serious hatred right?

As a result, we'll say this, the deal is "just about done"....reportedly for 45 million over 2 years....undoubtedly Manny will have issue with something...from not enough blue M&M's in his locker, to no personal assistent who deposits his checks for him....something will hold it up for a day or two more....(really it's the amount of deferred money, but I imagine Manny has some ridiculously outrageous demands as well).

So that's it, I'm done with the Manny story...even if the report of a done deal turns out to be false rumors, I don't care, I'm not writing about it. Do me this one favor though, as of right now, forget about Manny....he's going to RAKE out there in the NL West, some of you will wish he was back in Boston, but be sure to remember all of the bad times you had with him. He's like that hot ex girlfriend who cheated on you and left you out to dry, yeah she's still hot, but there is no way you could ever take her back....never.....and in Manny's case, he's on the decline anyways....I think.

Don't Forget About This Guy....

Maybe it's because no one can properly spell or pronounce his name, but Junichi Tazawa has flown under the radar all winter and continues to do so into the spring. Not much is known about Boston's 4th new Japanese pitcher in the last three years....but from what we've seen this spring, he could be a value-added contribution to an already stacked bullpen, as soon as this year.

Like Dice-K, Saito and Oki, Tazawa comes from Japan and requires a translator, but that's where the similarities end. His acquisition had 1/1000th of the fanfare Dice-k's did and he doesn't have a cool nickname like Oki, but Tazawa does have significant upside potential. He is the first pitcher to come to the US prior to playing any pro ball in the Japanese league. At just 22 years old, Tazawa played the past four years in the Japan Industrial League where he was 14-3 with 11 saves and a 1.99 ERA in 53 games....impressive numbers at any age.

So far this spring he's had two outings, both against collegiate kids (BC and Northeastern, neither of which are as good as BU), he dominated both appearances and has made a great first impression with his teammates...including Tito; “I guess I didn’t quite expect him to be this polished, at first blush there’s a lot to like.” The next step is to see how he fares against big league hitters this week, which could be an all-together different story.

At such a young age, in a new culture and environment, and without any pro baseball experience, look for Tazawa to start the season in Double-A Portland.....but remember his name because you might be looking up its spelling again sooner than later.

Buchholz Looking Confident

Many in Red Sox nation are not expecting much out of Clay Buchholz this season. Most believe he'll start the year in Triple A, especially given the current level of pitching depth as a result of off season acquisitions and other young talent. That said; the still skinny pitcher, who looks like he's closer to 12 than 24, had his second straight solid performance, going two innings, not giving up a run and allowing just one hit.

After the game, Buchholz sounded confident in his abilities and ready to put last year's difficult season completely behind him: “There’s no doubt in my mind I know I have the physical ability to do anything I want to do in this game. It’s a lot harder than a lot of people think it is as far as the mental side of the game. That’s where I had to build a lot on this offseason, talking to people and listening to what their past experiences were as a big leaguer back in the day or even now guys on this team. It was a struggle for last year but at the same time I learned a lot from it and I definitely know when I get in a certain situation this year I’ll know what I need to get through.”

Throughout the off season, Buchholz saw a sports psychologist to help him move beyond a difficult year and focus on the mental challenges he faces on the mound. In what is a very small sample this spring, it seems to have worked. Buchholz appears comfortable and more confident on the mound. Let's hope they tell Pedroia to not zing Clay too hard about seeing a psychologist...because you know he's dying to jump all over him about it.

Most believe Clay will start the season in Triple A regardless, and barring any injuries, I can't say I disagree. Building on some of this momentum will only help in his long term development. The question I have in my mind however, is that if Buchholz continues to improve and throw well, do the Red Sox try to move him at a high value come the trade deadline this summer? I think it'll depend on injuries and offensive production. Anything can happen from now until late July, but early signs point to an improved Clay Buchholz, which is certainly not a bad thing.

Lars Anderson: Coming to a Left Field Near You?

Currently, Lars Anderson only has a first baseman's glove, but that could all change soon. Rumors are flying around the organization that Boston's number one prospect could be moving to the outfield in order to increase future position flexibility.

According to Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen “Right now he’s a first baseman. We feel like he’s going to be good at that position,” ........“But if he’s the best guy available (in the minors) and his only way onto the team is to play left field, even to stand in left field, I have a hard time thinking we’re not going to run him out there for a few games to see what he looks like.”
Anderson has never played anything but first base in the pros, but admits to occasionally manning the outfield in high school (along with pitching at times). He is still learning the nuances of the first base position, but some believe the organization will experiment with him in the outfield once he reaches Pawtucket (which in all likelihood will be this year). There remains a lot to be hammered out on the big league club before finding a place for Lars, as Jason Bay and others will have upcoming contract negotiations, perhaps this is the Red Sox merely being proactive.

Personally, I understand many players are shifted around once they reach Triple A, in part to align their skills with the big league club's positional needs, but I don't think tossing Anderson in left is the best idea here. Let's be honest, everyone is extremely excited to see this kid come up to the bigs, he's one of the most hyped prospects within the Red Sox system in sometime, and certainly the best power-hitting option to come up through the minor league ranks in years.....but forcing a young kid into a new position may prove damaging. If this was Pittsburgh; with no media spotlight and an easy left field to handle, that would be one thing, but running a 21 year old out to play left field at Fenway, an extremely difficult position to play, and under the extreme pressure that is baseball in Boston, that's a totally different world. So much of young player's success is contributed to overall confidence and comfort levels, why challenge that at this point?

For now, I'm perfectly fine with Lars continuing to build on his skills and test his talent against upper minor league players. The 6'4", sweet-swinging lefty has been performing well thus far, and could provide a much needed, long term power solution for the Red Sox lineup....let's keep running with that and see where it takes us over the next year or two, and as Tito says "things will fall into place".

161 Million for this???

Remember last year, when Red Sox Nation was freaking out over a pudgy Josh Beckett? Well by that standard, Yankee fans should be burning down entire apartment buildings in the Bronx after looking at this picture of their 161 million dollar "ace" down in spring training.

You know how really fat guys with huge beer guts often take pictures with women who are 9 months pregnant in a contest to see who has the bigger stomach? (if you don't, then maybe I'm just weird, because I've seen it way too many times) ...well in this case, the Yankee "savior" would demolish the competition, even that chick who had 8 babies but no money to pay for them. But seriously, what happened here? Did he go on an eating rampage after signing the most lucrative deal for a pitcher in MLB history? What happened to putting on the pinstripes and becoming a different person? It doesn't look like CC took the off season as serious as many of our beloved Red Sox did (see Lugo, Dusty, Ortiz, Beckett, Lester, Tek, Jacoby and more).

Sure Yankee fans brush off the injury concerns, or the fact that he'll be pitching in a much better AL East division, or his post season struggles.....but how do you brush off the fact that he's 700 lbs?

A lot can change over the next month or two, and perhaps this is just a picture showing CC's "bad side", either way, I'm personally pretty happy that the Red Sox are not holding a 161 million dollar bag on this guy.

Ft. Myers Update:

Pitchers and catchers officially reported to spring training this morning in Ft. Myers, however many players have been there all week (or even earlier in Jon Lester's case). Here are some of the biggest takeaways thus far....

-We'll lead off with a video of Tito commenting on the health of Ortiz/Lowell....

(thanks to boston.com for the video)

- Brad Penny threw a successful bullpen session yesterday and did not show any evidence of the injuries problems that plagued him last year. In addition, pitching coach John Farrell said both Brad Penny and Takashi Saito would follow the same pitching schedule as the rest of the hurlers in camp. Don't be surprised however to see Penny receive a few extra days of rest during the season in an attempt to keep him healthy for the long haul. Personally, I'm trying to keep my optimism surrounding Brad Penny in 2009 in check, but the aforementioned update is reason to be a little excited.

- Josh Beckett appears to look more like the JB of 07' and not 08' . His shoulder strength tests registered higher than 07' and he came into camp at 228 pounds....in much better shape than the "fat JB" from early 08'.

- I'm sorry, but the 41 year old John Smoltz looks like he could pitch on April 6th. Saw a video of him throwing a football and going through long toss drills and he showed no signs of injury. Granted it was not throwing off a mound or trying any of his breaking stuff, but he looked to be in good shape and throwing easily and with good velocity.

- Lastly, "Old Reliable", Tim Wakefield stated he is 100 percent healthy and "feels great". He also had a very interesting quote in regards to Josh Bard.... “Three years ago I never had somebody work as hard as he did to try and catch me and do the right things. He was truly a professional in his attitude and the way he went about his work … My comfort level with him never changed from spring training into the season … He’ll admit this as well, I think his biggest mistake was trying to catch like Dougie caught.”


All of this gets me pumped for ITM's trip down to Ft. Myers in early March. The trip will include lots of baseball, sun, chain restaurants, beer, and Heidi Watney updates.

Abreu to Angels

Bobby Abreu has reportedly signed a 1 year deal with the Angels, worth approximately $5 m. Abreu began the offseason (after the Yankees declined to offer him arbitration) asking for multiple years at somewhere around his Yankees salary of $16m, but it soon became apparent that the corner outfielder market just didn't have the legs of seasons-past, especially when you didn't have the Yankees contending for your services.

Abreu joins a solid Angels outfield that already includes Guerrero, Hunter, Rivera, and (sometimes) Matthews, Jr. Abreu may very well provide the Angels with something of the added pop they've been looking for the last couple years.

While he doesn't reproduce what they got from Texeira the last few months of '08, Abreu has been an extremely consistent run producer. He's currenly running a streak of 6 seasons in a row driving in over 100 rbis. His power numbers have generally hovered between 20 and 30 homers.

Not bad for $5m. This may very well prove to be one of the biggest steals of the offseason.

A-Rod's Admission Video

So by now most of us have seen this, but given how big this is (and because he's a Yankee), I couldn't resist pulling it from ESPN and posting....

What are your thoughts? Glad he came clean? Still just have too much hate for the guy to think he did the right thing? Will you ever think of him again in the same manner?....

I sure won't.

A-Rod Admits Use

In an interview to air on tonight's 6pm SportsCenter, A-Rod admits to Peter Gammons that he used illegal substances when he was with the Rangers.

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure, felt all the weight of the world on top of me to perform, and perform at a high level every day," A-Rod says in the interview.

A-Rod also makes several apologies for his behavior. "I am sorry for my Texas years. I apologize to the fans of Texas."

He tells Gammons that the illegal use ended in 2004, and that it was purely a phenomenon of his Texas days: "all my years in New York have been clean."

Tune in tonight for the full interview.

A-rod: A cheat and a liar...

Yesterday's somewhat shocking news that A-rod tested positive for steroids back in 2003 forced me to dig out this video. Keep in mind this is from just after the Mitchell Report was released back in 2007....

LIAR!

It's Officially Baseball Season...

The Superbowl and it's ridiculous hype is finally over. Thank god, now we can sincerely start worrying about baseball and more importantly, the Red Sox. Not that anyone in New England really cared about last night's game, but there is something about the end of football season that officially accelerates all of us into thinking about spring training and the boys of summer. Sorry Celtics and Bruins, we love you and all, but we'll really pay attention come playoff time.

As we draw closer and closer to both the warm weather and the start of the 2009 baseball season, ITM will be taking a look at the 2009 Red Sox in closer detail. Of course we'll offer our predictions once the season is close to kicking off, but we'll also take a look at Boston's off season moves, trade deadline possibilities, and where we stand against our AL East rivals.

An intricate part of ITM's ramp up to the 2009 season is our trip down to Ft. Myers to take in some spring training baseball. We'll be headed down in early March and will likely travel with away games as well. It's likely we'll hit up every chain restaurant and bar on the way, but that's part of the Floridian experience....and there will surely be a ton of fantasy baseball trash talk between us.....but hopefully, we'll be able to provide some of you back here in New England with some thoughts, opinions and stories from City of Palms Park and beyond.

Pitchers and catchers report in just 9 days.....ITM reports in about a month...it's baseball season Red Sox Nation, get excited.

Offer on the Table

According to multiple outlets, the Red Sox have made a formal offer to Varitek. The Sox are waiting to hear, but if, as reports indicate, the deal includes a guaranteed second year, or even incentives that could yield a guaranteed second year, then it's difficult to imagine 'Tek turning them down again.

News is expected soon. This appears to be a firm offer, not a jumping off point for negotiations. Frankly, the Sox are in a very good negotiating position and 'Tek is probably just hoping for an offer that allows him to save some face out of this debacle. Pitchers and catchers is right around the corner, and both sides are eager to have this behind them.

Much more from ITM on the Sox catcher situation as the story develops.

Varitek Talks Continue....No Deal in Sight.

According to the Boston Herald this morning, discussions between the Red Sox, Scott Boras and Jason Varitek continue, however there is no potential deal in sight. According to super agent (and super chooch) Scott Boras; “(Red Sox general manager) Theo (Epstein) and I are talking and we are exchanging offers." Theo himself declined to comment at all....and so the saga continues.

Boras has clearly dropped the ball on the Varitek negotiations, after declining arbitration that would have likely paid the 37 year old captain 10-12 million this season, no other serious offers have come in from around the league. With no significant offers out there in the market, the Red Sox appear to be holding strong in not increasing their offer. Regardless of how it plays out and what uniform he is wearing come April, Varitek will be taking a significant pay cut this year.

The Red Sox appear to be willing to take their time in resolving perhaps their last remaining issue of the off season. Their efforts to acquire a young, talented catcher have been slowed by high demands. The Sox are loaded with young pitching prospects but Theo seems unwilling to part with more than one for any potential catcher. Most in Red Sox Nation favor acquiring Jarrod Saltalamacchia (Salty) as he holds the biggest offensive upside while being solid defensively. Plus, the guy has an awesome name, married one of his high school teachers, and is only 23 years old...what's not to love?

My opinion remains strong on this one, bring back Tek at a reduced (but acceptable) rate, and if it takes sacrificing two of your young arms to bring in Salty, do it. A talented and young catcher carries far more value than a young arm these days. Split Salty and Tek's time over the 2009 season to keep Tek fresh and Salty on a steep learning curve......but maybe that's too much to ask.

To be perfectly honest, I'm sick and tired about writing about this topic, either put negotiations on hold until spring training when you can reassess your young pitchers or get something done in the near future so ITM can move on. Do it for us at this point will ya?

Lars Anderson: So Who is This Guy?

Many of us have read a lot about some guy named Lars Anderson this offseason. From expectations to be the next Mark Teixeira to admissions he is still just a young prospect, there are varying degrees of excitement for this guy. The issue is, not many of us have actually seen him play or have even heard him speak. He is perhaps the biggest jewel in a Red Sox farm system chalk full of talented prospects.

Personally, given the right situation, I'm usually in favor of taking the proven player over prospects. However, after doing some additional research on Anderson, this is one guy I may deem untouchable...too many memories of the Jeff Bagwell come to mind. Here is a summary of some of the information I've dug up over the last few days:

ITM Spotlight: Lars Anderson
Born: Sept. 25th, 1987, Oakland California
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210lbs
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Drafted: 18th round, 2006

Attitude:
Anderson is a California surfer guy through and through. At such a young age and with so much pressure on his shoulders, he retains the "i'm just having fun attitude". He understands he has the skills to be special and according to his coaches, puts in extra work to make sure he reaches his really high potential. Work ethic is certainly not an issue here.

Hitting:
According to Soxprospects.com, he has a great hitter's fram with an "elite power ceiling"...I love typing the phrase. The Red Sox have had many good prospects come up through their system lately, but none have had the same level of power of Anderson. Many fear an upcoming lack of lineup power over the next few years for the Red Sox, but Anderson could change all that. His smooth and fluid swing is said to be "tailor-made" for Fenway Park as he has great opposite field power. Anderson has great plate discipline and high OBP numbers, something Boston management surely loves. He swings and misses a little too much, especially against off-speed pitches, but that is something the Sox can both deal with and try to fix as he matures.

Fielding:
At 6'4", he's a big target at firstbase, but has limited range as a result of his size. Overall position presence is solid with good hands and the ability to digg out many low throws coming across the diamond. While he has played firstbase throughout his short time in the Sox farm sytsem, he played the bulk of his high school baseball in left field, so while unlikely, that has not been ruled out as a possible location should firstbase be blocked in the long term.

Future:
Most basball scouts compare Anderson to Justin Morneau, nothing wrong with that. Most expect to see Anderson up with the big league club this season when the rosters expand in September. That said, injuries or an explosive year from Anderson in double A could push things along faster than expected.

After writing this I have to remind myself that he is still just potential, that's all, nothing proven, nothing etched in stone....but it's tough not to get excited about this guy.

Rickey Henderson, It's Your Day Too

In order to truly honor Rickey Henderson, the best lead off hitter of all time, ITM was forced to share some of the best stories/quotes you will ever hear (or in this case, read). I've read through this three or four times and it never gets old. Congrats to Rickey, we're all looking forward to your introduction speech......

Enjoy:

1) Rickey… on referring to himself in the third person:“Listen, people are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, ‘I?’ But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

2) In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.

3) In 1996, Henderson’s first season with San Diego, he boarded the team bus and was looking for a seat. Steve Finley said, “You have tenure, sit wherever you want.” Henderson looked at Finley and said, “Ten years? Ricky’s been playing at least 16, 17 years.”

4) This could be the best one of all....he called San Diego GM Kevin Towers and left the following message: “This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

5) This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”

6) Rickey once asked a teammate how long it would take him to drive to the Dominican Republic.

7) Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd – with Brock mere feet next to him – “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”

8) Henderson once fell asleep on an ice pack and got frostbite – which forced him to miss three games — in mid-August.

9) A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”

10) Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.

11) On being Nolan Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout: “It gave me no chance. He (Ryan) just blew it by me. But it’s an honor. I’ll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I’m already in the books three or four times.”

12) San Diego GM Kevin Towers was trying to contact Rickey at a nearby hotel. He knew Henderson always used fake names to avoid the press, fans, etc. He was trying to think like Rickey and after several attempts; he was able to get Henderson on the phone.Rickey had checked in under Richard Pryor.

13) This is priceless, it really is.The morning after the Sox finished off the sweep against St. Louis last October, Henderson called someone in the organization looking for tickets to Game 6 at Fenway Park.

14) The Mets were staying in a hotel less than a mile from Cinergy Field in Cincinnati. While some players walked, most took the team bus. A few minutes after they arrived — again it was less than a mile – the last players off the bus noticed a stretched limo that had just pulled up.Of course, Rickey emerged from the back seat.

15) A reporter once asked Rickey if he talked to himself, “Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I’m trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?”

16) OK, I know everyone has been waiting for it. Alas, according to both parties involved, it’s not true. I wish it were. In fact, both Rickey Henderson and John Olerud have said they wish it were true. But it just didn’t happen.The story went that a few weeks into Henderson’s stint with the Mariners, he walked up to Olerud at the batting cage and asked him why he wore a batting helmet in the field. Olerud explained that he had an aneurysm at nine years old and he wore the helmet for protection. Legend goes that Henderson said, “Yeah, I used to play with a guy that had the same thing.”Legend also goes that Olerud said, “That was me, Rickey.”Henderson played with Olerud on the Blue Jays and the Mets.

17) Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”

18) During a contract holdout with Oakland in the early 1990s, Henderson said, “If they want to pay me like Mike Gallego, I’ll play like Gallego.”

19) In the late 1980s, the Yankees sent Henderson a six-figure bonus check. After a few months passed, an internal audit revealed the check had not been cashed. Current Yankees GM Brian Cashman – then a low-level nobody with the organization – called Rickey and asked if there was a problem with the check. Henderson said, “I’m just waiting for the money market rates to go up.”

20) In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”

21) Perhaps an all time great...Rickey was pulled over by a San Diego police officer for speeding. As the officer was approaching Rickey’s car, the window went down a few inches and a folded $100 bill emerged. The officer let Rickey and his money head home without a ticket.

22) When he was on the Yankees in the mid-1980s, Henderson told teammates that his condo had such a great view that he could see, “The Entire State Building.”

23) During one of his stays with Oakland, Henderson’s locker was next to Billy Beane’s. After making the team out of spring training, Beane was sent to the minors after a few months. Upon his return, about six weeks later, Henderson looked at Beane and said, “Hey, man, where have you been? Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

24) To this day and dating back 25 years, before every game he plays, Henderson stands completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and says, “Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

25) In the last week of his lone season with the Red Sox, Chairman Tom Werner asked Henderson what he would like for his ‘going-away’ gift. Henderson said he wasn’t going anywhere, but he would like owner John Henry’s Mercedes. Werner said it would be tough to get the same make and model in less than a week and Henderson said, “No, I want his car.” Turns out the Sox got Henderson a Red Thunderbird and when he saw it on the field before the last game of the season, Rickey said, “Whose ugly car is on the field?”

...Put this guy and Manny in a room together and it would be endless entertainment.