Henderson, Rice Voted Into Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Rickey Henderson on his first ballot selection into Baseball's Hall of Fame, and to Jim Rice on his 15th and final try.

Rice wasn't a favorite of the press in general but despite the pettiness of the sports writers, finally was accepted. His career is deserving of the Hall of Fame. Henderson is probably the best leadoff hitter in baseball history. He was a likable but flaky player, referring to himself in the third person and notorious for not knowing some of his teammates' names.

There's a story I heard (I can't remember where so I can't give credit) regarding former ballplayer and teammate John Olerud and Rickey on the 1999 New York Mets. Olerud used to wear a helmet in the infield at his first base defensive position, and was questioned about it by Rickey.

"Hey, O-lee," said Rickey. He gave everyone nicknames. "Why do you wear a helmet when you're on the field?"

"Well, when I was a kid I had a head injury," responded Olerud. "My mom made me promise to wear a helmet even when I was fielding. I got used to it and still do it to this day."

"That's funny. When I played in Toronto, someone on that team did the same thing," Rickey said.

"I know," said Olerud with a quizzical look. "That was me."

Rickey Henderson and John Olerud were teammates on the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.