Showing posts with label Rickey Henderson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rickey Henderson. Show all posts

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Book Review: Billy Sample 'A Year in Pinstripes ... And Then Some'

Many athletes shy away from the opportunity to play under the spotlight of the New York City media, but when you play baseball for the New York Yankees, it provides a social cache that is unlikely any other in professional sports. Billy Sample only played one season for the Yankees, but the experience provided a lifetime of memories that he has captured in his autobiography, “A Year in Pinstripes … And Then Some.”

Billy Sample - A Year in Pinstripes

A veteran of nine seasons in Major League Baseball with the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves, Sample peppers the reader with a range of colorful anecdotes that he manages to deliver in the same conversational tone that made him a successful on-air personality after his career ended. He displays his talents to make serious situations palatable when he takes an early passage about his high school teammates refusing to swim in the same pool with him in the early 1970s and find a sliver of humor by telling how he would announce before he went to swim that he was going downstairs, “to clear the pool.”

The aforementioned passage is probably the heaviest social commentary that Sample makes in the entire book. A lighter vibe is maintained of vivid tales explaining how flashbacks of Don Robinson’s curveball still wakes him up in a cold sweat at night and how he served as a radio DJ during the strike-shortened season of 1981.

Yankee fans will get their fix by hearing Sample relay stories of Billy Martin’s antics, George Steinbrenner’s reign, Don Mattingly’s MVP season, and Rickey Henderson, well, being Rickey. Sample manages to humbly sneak in a few of his own highlights, including how his not-so-graceful handling of a carom off the wall while playing left field in Kansas City warranted early morning outfield practice, even though he held the runner to a double.

Baseball enthusiasts will appreciate how Sample tells the story of his career mainly through his experiences with his teammates, ranging from the legendary Hall of Famers, to those who never reached the majors. He places the spotlight on his achievements only when necessary and often in a self-deprecating way, showing that Sample is not above putting his own career in perspective. If you have ever watched Sample as a broadcaster, or met with him in-person, his conversational tone is evident throughout the entire book and what makes his story of, “A Year in Pinstripes,” a worthy one to experience.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Harold Reynolds shares hilarious Rickey Henderson stories at Concordia College baseball dinner

Harold Reynolds, current MLB Network analyst and 12-year major league veteran was the guest of honor January 30, 2015 at the Concordia College baseball dinner. The two-time All-Star made himself very accessible to the members of the Concordia team, holding an impromptu private Q+A where he answered a multitude of questions ranging from his famous play involving Bo Jackson, to advice on how they can improve individual areas of their game.
Harold Reynolds at the 2015 Concordia Baseball Dinner

When it was time to address the crowd, Reynolds warmed them up with some sidesplitting stories about one of baseball's most colorful characters, Rickey Henderson. In 1987, Reynolds won the American League stolen base title as Henderson was sidelined with an injury most of the season. Listen as Reynolds recounts the congratulatory phone call from Henderson at the end of the season.


Monday, July 27, 2009

Will 2010 bring the election of the next designated hitter to the Hall of Fame?

Yesterday's induction of Joe Gordon, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice into the Baseball Hall of Fame now gives us almost an entire year to contemplate the candidacy of the new crop of players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010. The list of includes (in alphabetical order): Roberto Alomar, Kevin Appier, Andy Ashby, Ellis Burks, Andres Galarraga, Pat Hentgen, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Barry Larkin, Edgar Martinez, Fred McGriff, Shane Reynolds, Robin Ventura, and Todd Zeile.

A name that jumps off of this list, certain to be a hot topic of debate is Edgar Martinez. Martinez spent his last 10 seasons exclusively as a designated hitter, only appearing in 33 games in the field from 1995-2004. Paul Molitor is the only player in the Hall of Fame who spent nearly half of his career as a designated hitter. However, a quick comparison of Martinez to Molitor shows that Molitor spent substantially less time as a DH, playing 900 more games in the field. Molitor is also 9th all-time in hits with 3,319, over 1,000 more than Martinez.

Offensively, Martinez is only one of 15 players that has a lifetime BA of over .300, a lifetime OBP of over .400, and a lifetime SLG of over .500. 13 of the 15 players are in the Hall of Fame. The two that aren't are Joe Jackson and Martinez. While Martinez was one of the most feared hitters of the mid-late 1990's, are his offensive numbers dominant enough to overshadow the fact that he didn't pick up a glove for his last 10 seasons in the Majors?

When fans and voters discuss the merits of the forthcoming Hall of Fame candidates, how significant will defensive play be factored into the equation? If you only have to go up there and hit 4 times a game without the grind of playing in the field 9 innings, do you have an unfair advantage over the players who are expending their energy on both offense and defense? How far ahead offensively does one need to be for public consensus to deem them Hall of Fame worthy if you are primarily a DH? These are the questions will be investigating as Edgar Martinez begins his campaign for the Hall of Fame. There is already a website dedicated to promoting his candidacy for the Hall of Fame. You can read all about it, here.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Berke Aims High With Queens Memorabilia Show

Promoter Jack Berke is looking to tap the Queens autograph and sports collectors market by bringing the big gatherings back to the home of the Mets. Berke, founder of Jack Berke Sports has been in the business of player representation and promotion for 20 years. His clients include baseball Hall of Famers Orlando Cepeda, Bobby Doerr, Ralph Kiner and Juan Marichal.

During a recent interview Berke discussed the need for a return of shows to Queens, as the "location is central to Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut." His most recent show during the Super Bowl weekend at the LaGuardia Crowne Plaza contained over 100 dealer tables and appearances from, the aforementioned Marichal, Bert Blyleven, Lee Smith, former Met heroes Jon Matlack, Jack Fisher, Craig Swan and Yankee All-Star Roy White.

Berke says that people attending his shows can expect, "good prices, a friendly atmosphere and well stocked dealers. We're offering future Hall of Famer Lee Smith for free with admission during the show. How many other promoters can make that offer? I am able to offer these type of value deals because of my close relationships with the players. I want the customers to feel like they are getting something for their admission."

If you aren't able to attend Berke's shows in-person, no worry, he offers reliable mail order service for your favorite player's autograph. "I personally handle every mail order item, to ensure that it is properly taken care of and returned to my customers."

Upcoming shows include Saturday February 7th and Sunday February 8th, 2009 with Hall of Famers Goose Gossage and Monte Irvin in Albany, NY , and Saturday February 28th and Sunday March 1st, 2009 with newly minted Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, Jim Bunning, Bobby Doerr, Ralph Kiner, and Robin Yount in Teaneck, NJ. As with both shows, there will also be free autograph guests with admission. "I'm bringing new players to the metropolitan area. I will be the first promoter to have Rickey Henderson since the announcement of his induction to the Hall of Fame. I also expect Robin Yount to do well since he hasn't done a show here in some time."

For more information on upcoming shows and events from Jack Berke Sports, check out their website: www.jackberkesports.com