Rickey just wants to be happy.
“I’m gonna play because I love baseball,” Rickey Henderson said yesterday after the Mets worked out at Shea. “I try to make it my business to not get involved in these things. We’ve got a great team here, but if I’m not happy, then it’s not good.”
Henderson said he has never been happy with his contract with the Mets and he plans to talk to GM Steve Phillips about it today.
“I can’t comment on anything right now until I talk to Steve,” Henderson said. “I expect to talk to him, but he knows I’ve never been pleased with my situation here. I didn’t like my contract from the first day of spring training last year. But I love to play baseball. If I don’t do it here, I’ll do it somewhere else.”
Henderson was particularly displeased that his contract was still an issue after the season he had in 1999.
“I had an outstanding year for the Mets,” said Henderson, who hit .315 last year. “If they don’t think I’m worthy of being here, then trade me. In the meantime, I’m just going to play baseball.”
And he made sure everyone was aware of how valuable he is to the organization.
“I can play with anybody here. I ain’t the weakest guy on this ballclub,” Henderson accurately stated in the Mets clubhouse. “I know more baseball than anybody in here. I’ve probably forgot more baseball than anyone in here knows.”
But Henderson is also aware that he is virtually powerless in this situation. If Phillips doesn’t want to trade him or work on his contract that pays slightly more the $2 million, there is nothing the 41-year-old can do.
“I wasn’t happy at the end of last season,” Henderson said. “And I wasn’t happy in the middle of the season. I was confused about what they wanted from me. You can’t be happy when you’re confused. But I went out there and performed and performed well. My mind is too strong. I overcame. And that’s what I’ll do again this year if I have to. But why have me then?”
One thing you don’t have to worry about Henderson doing is hanging up his spikes. He has the third-most walks in baseball history and has scored the fifth-most runs. Both are records he plans to eclipse.
“I’m gonna accomplish what I want to accomplish,” Henderson said. “I’ll play until I’m 50 if I have to.”
Whether he is in a Mets uniform for much longer is the issue. Henderson is eagerly awaiting his conversation with Phillips today.
“I would have done it today, but [Phillips is] not here,” Henderson said. “Then you can go to him or to me to find out the answer of what’s going on. If he tells me something that doesn’t fit me right, then it won’t be good. But things might get ironed out tomorrow.”
Henderson mentioned two other spring trainings when he didn’t feel comfortable. In 1984 in Oakland and in 1989 with the Yankees.
“I couldn’t play with the A’s anymore and I didn’t like being with the Yankees in 1989,” Henderson said. “I don’t like to play like that.”
And in both situations, he didn’t. The 1984 season was his last in Oakland; he was traded to the Yankees after the season. In ’89, Henderson was shipped back to the A’s from the Yankees in midseason after batting just .247 for the Bombers.
“I love this club and these guys,” Henderson said. “Last year we were close to doing something special and we let it slip away. But I put too much heart and soul into what I do to be unhappy.”
