Rickey Henderson’s Induction Signals the End of a Baseball Era In Oakland

July 24th, 2009

My disdain for Lew Wolff, because of his desire to get out of Oakland, has been well-documented on this site.  Many probably wonder why I’m making such a big deal out of something considering the A’s, if they go to San Jose, won’t be moving very far away.  My issue is that the A’s have historically been a huge part of Oakland’s community.  As Rickey Henderson is enshrined in the Hall, I think of the great impact he had on that community, particularly African-Americans.  You almost never see a community produce the local team’s greatest player, but that’s the case in Oakland.  The greatest Athletic is clearly Rickey Henderson.  If you don’t think that made a big deal to fans going to games in the 80’s and early 90’s, then you weren’t paying attention.  Sadly, there haven’t been many good African-American players playing for this team in the past decade plus.  That, along with Lew Wolff’s greed and the team playing in the worst stadium in the league, explains the dwindling A’s attendance numbers.        

Much has been made about the lack of African-Americans in baseball, but the East Bay has been an exception to the rule in this country.  Some of the biggest African-American names in baseball are the East Bay’s own Jimmy Rollins, C.C. Sabathia, and, despite his struggles, Dontrelle Willis.  These players, and other local products, undoubtedly were impacted by Henderson and other outstanding black A’s players from the 80’s and early 90’s.  In fact, in an article by ESPN’s Tim Keown a couple of years ago, Sabathia spoke of this very impact:          

The reason I wanted to play baseball was the A’s. They had Dave Parker, Rickey Henderson, Dave Henderson, Dave Stewart—guys I could look up to. Right now, the A’s have Milton Bradley, and that’s about it. I don’t think I’d be playing baseball. I think it would probably be football, because that’s what I see.

I’m sure Rickey Henderson, while at Oakland Tech, was just as impacted by the championship teams of the early 70’s, and African-Americans such as Vida Blue, Reggie Jackson, and Billy North.  Maybe Sabathia and Henderson would have liked those same great A’s teams the same if they played in San Jose, but I doubt it.  Part of the appeal for many East Bay African-Americans to go to A’s games in the past, outside of the cultural familiarity, was the team being in their backyard, BART made the games even more accessible, and the games are very affordable. 

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Categories: Oakland A's | Tags: 49ers, A's, Adam Dunn, Adam Kennedy, Alan Johnson, Alex Smith, Barry Zito, Billy North, Brett Anderson, C.C. Sabathia, C.J. Watson, Conor Gillaspie, Dave Henderson, Dave Stewart, Don Nelson, Dontrelle Willis, Giants, Jimmy Rollins, Jonathan Sanchez, Justin Duchscherer, Kevin Pucetas, Lew Wolff, Madison Bumgarner, Mark Cuban, Raiders, Rajai Davis, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, San Jose State, Sharks, Stanford, Thomas Neal, Tim Alderson, Vida Blue, Vin Mazzaro, Warriors | 1 Comment

Better to be Steph than Sorry

June 24th, 2009

In professional sports drafts, nobody really wants to make the safe pick.  Usually, teams should take whomever they think is the best player.  Sometimes, though, that is also the safe pick.  If Stephen Curry is there for the Warriors at #7, they should take him. 

The only argument I hear against Curry in these parts, is that he is too similar of a player to Monta Ellis.  That’s a dumb argument to make against a draft prospect because we don’t know if Ellis is going to be here for the long term.  Why should we hold Ellis in such high regard and think he’s here for the long haul when he has been upset with the organization before?  With or without Curry, Ellis could, at any point, demand a trade and force his way to another organization.  Then, not selecting Curry, could really look stupid.  Ellis is also a type of “special needs” player.  I say this because he’s not a point guard, will never play on a winning team as a point guard, yet he thinks he’s a point guard.  The best case for Ellis to play on a winning team is to be a shooting guard, playing next to a big point guard… like Baron Davis.  This way, the defensively deficient Ellis can guard point guards, while someone like Davis can guard the twos.  Big point guards like Davis, however, are extremely hard to find.

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Categories: Golden State Warriors | Tags: A's, Baron Davis, Brandon Morrow, Brian Sabean, Buster Posey, Cal, Dave Stewart, DeMar DeRozan, Don Nelson, Giants, Jahvid Best, Jordan Hill, Jose Canseco, Kevin Frandsen, Madison Bumgarner, Matt Downs, Matt Holliday, Monta Ellis, Pablo Sandoval, Richard Jefferson, Sharks, Stephen Curry, Tim Alderson, Tim Lincecum, Vernon Davis, Warriors | No Comments