You Agree With The Ring Logic?

[NetShrine]

Rickey Henderson Returns to Shea

By BEN WALKER
.c The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Rickey Henderson is having the last laugh, for now.

Sent packing from Shea Stadium almost exactly a year ago, Henderson came back Tuesday night with a smile and his trademark heh-heh-heh cackle.

At 42, he's become a sparkplug for the San Diego Padres. His old team, the New York Mets, owned the second-worst record in the NL.

``They haven't had a leadoff hitter that's been steady since I left,'' he said. ``They had a leadoff hitter when I was there, but I guess they didn't want a leadoff hitter. They didn't have anybody to replace me.''

Still, Henderson insisted he was not looking for revenge in this three-game series. One thing he was sure not to get: An NL championship ring.

Henderson will be the only Mets' player from last season who will not get the jewelry, New York general manager Steve Phillips said.

So while Padres teammates Bubba Trammell and Bobby Jones will receive rings during this visit, Henderson will leave empty-handed.

``It doesn't bother me. I don't wear them anyhow,'' Henderson said. ``If Steve Phillips has a personal reason, that's his business.''

Even guys like Ryan McGuire and Jerrod Riggan, who played only one game for the Mets last season, will get one of the three types of rings the team presents.

Officially, Phillips said the Mets decided their players from 2000 who wound up in the postseason for other clubs would be excluded. Coincidentally, Henderson was the only player who fit that category.

``Everyone else will get a ring,'' Phillips said.

This week, Phillips said Henderson already had gotten enough from the Mets when they gave him $1.8 million in termination pay after releasing him on May 13, 2000.

Rickey's response?

``Tell him he underpaid me the year before for the great year I had,'' he said.

Henderson, who hit .315 with 37 stolen bases for the Mets in 1999, found himself in trouble with the team that October. The problems began after it was revealed he was playing cards in the clubhouse when New York was eliminated by Atlanta in a tense NL championship series.

Henderson feuded with Phillips and manager Bobby Valentine last year and was released. At the time, he was batting .219 with two RBIs.

Seattle quickly signed him, and Henderson hit .238 with 31 stolen bases. The Mariners made it to the AL championship series, where they lost to the New York Yankees and cost themselves a chance to play the Mets in the World Series.

Henderson spent most the offseason waiting for a job offer. The Padres signed him in mid-March, and Henderson started the year at Triple-A to get ready for the majors.

Since joining the Padres, Henderson has broken Babe Ruth's career record for walks. He went into Tuesday night's game needing 50 runs to break Ty Cobb's record and was 63 hits shy of 3,000.

Henderson began the night batting .291 with two homers and five RBIs. Baseball's career stolen base leader also was 8-for-9 on steal attempts.

Booed by the small crowd in his first at-bat, Henderson led off the game and flied out.

``I'm doing the same things now that I did with the Mets,'' he said. ``I'm just having fun.''

``If someone says something bad about Rickey Henderson, I'm not going to worry. Rickey is going to enjoy himself.''

Phillips could hardly argue with that.

``He's an amazing athlete,'' he said. ``He's great.''

AP-NY-05-15-01 1951EDT

[jpalexa]

I don't have a problem with Rickey not getting the ring (Why do they even have rings for league championships? Sounds like my daughter's middle school -- everybody gets a trophy for *something*!). Trickey hit .219 in 31 games and spent the rest of the year in Seattle.

However, Trammell doesn't deserve one, either (.232 in 31 games).

This is just Phillips continuing his classless ways. Another fab GM.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Trammell was there at the end of the season and was traded away during the off-season. He most defintely deserves one.

[Jen]

In all fairness, if he was part of the team during the season, then why shouldn't he get one? Why draw more attention to him by singling him out as the ONE person who won't be receiving one? This smells of playground antics, with the Mets conveniently deciding how and who should get a ring.
I also agree with jpalexa, though, why do the 1st place losers get jewelry? Sure they won their league championship, but isn't a flag enough?
They can do what they want, and will, but it's really never ok to slight people over petty issues.

[BuzzBuzzard]

As a Met fan, I have no issue with Rickey not getting a ring. Had they decided to give him one, I would have no issue with that either. I guess what I am trying to say is that is a non-event, as far as I am concerned.

But the poker incident still burns me, and put in the same situation, I think I would have wound up where Steve Phillips wound up. No ring for Rickey.

[NetShrine]

OK here goes - -
Shoot, Bubba gets a ring - - he probably had the best WS of any Met.

The thing with Rickey is - yes, he left, as did some others who got a ring. The logic that he doesn't get one becuase he went to a post-season team, well, not logic. I would think that a NLCS Champ ring is better than a ALDS Champ ring? Now, if he went to the Yanks, who beat the Mets, that I could understand - - but, just because he got an AL ALDS ring he gets nada from the Mets?

While he was with the Mets, did Rickey do completely nothing towards a Met win in 2000 - ever? If so, no ring. But, more than likely he contributed to at least one win - so, he should get a ring like the others.

This is really a no class move by the Mets, IMHO.

[jpalexa]

Well, if they insist on doing this silly, "We're #2" ring thing, then it is obvious from a consistency standpoint that either everybody gets one or everybody doesn't. You can impose a "minimum number of games" rule, but whether you played those games at the beginning of the season vs. the end of the season should be irrelevant. Using that "logic," Trickey gets a ring.

Again, this is simply Phillips and Rickey doing what they do best -- being whining babies trying to have a pi$$ing contest that we all have given way too much thought to....

[willyg]

Bubba Trammel doesn't deserve a ring?????

Please, that guy played in the World Series. Got I believe two huge hits off Andy Pettitte to knock in runs, plus he was on the darn roster.

Henderson absolutely positively does not deserve a ring. He was only a met until the middle of March. I don't even think guys who get dealt at the deadline deserve rings (Gereld Williams, Bob Wickman for the '96 Yanks) but at least I can understand that one.

As for Ricky's comment about how he was underpaid, can it Ricky. You signed the damn contract, deal with it.

Have fun going into the hall of fame with no team.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by willyg
Bubba Trammel doesn't deserve a ring?????

Please, that guy played in the World Series. Got I believe two huge hits off Andy Pettitte to knock in runs, plus he was on the darn roster.

Henderson absolutely positively does not deserve a ring. He was only a met until the middle of March. I don't even think guys who get dealt at the deadline deserve rings (Gereld Williams, Bob Wickman for the '96 Yanks) but at least I can understand that one.

As for Ricky's comment about how he was underpaid, can it Ricky. You signed the damn contract, deal with it.

Have fun going into the hall of fame with no team.

Count of times you and I agree on a topic now at 2. Look out.

[NetShrine]

But, it will be a hell of a HOF class!

Rickey, Ripken, Gwynn.............

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by NetShrine
But, it will be a hell of a HOF class!

Rickey, Ripken, Gwynn.............

Nope. This will not be Rickey's last year. He's going to need some ABs next season for 3,000 hits. He may squeek out the runs record this year, but that, too, may need to wait until next year.

[NetShrine]

Rickey had to beg and crawl for a job this year. Imagine next? He may have to enroll in the Lewinsky Intern Sucess School over the off-season?

OK, I know that was bad.........sorry.

[BuzzBuzzard]

He's playing good ball right now. He keeps it up and convincing a team to take a shot will not prove as difficult as this year.

[NetShrine]

You think his 2001 will be like his 1999?

1999 was pretty good - and at age 40, no?
in 2002, Rickey will be 43 at the end of the year. How many players have been productive at 43? Let me see if I can get a list/

[BuzzBuzzard]

He hasn't proven he can't do it yet.