Mickey Rivers--1976
There was never a dull moment,
either on the field or off, when Mickey
Rivers was around. One of the
premier leadoff hitters of the 1970s
and early 1980s, the center fielder
toiled for the Angels, Yankees and
Rangers, where he often served as
leader of the clubhouse kangaroo
courts and helped fill reporters’
notebooks with his off-the-wall quotes
that at times contained hints of Yogi
Berra and Casey Stengel.
For example, prior to the 1983
season with the Rangers, Rivers said
of his goals for the campaign, “I’d like
to hit .300, score 100 runs and stay
injury-prone.” Regarding the
difficulties of manning the middle
garden in Arlington Stadium during a
particularly breezy contest, Rivers
said, “Man, it was tough. The wind
was blowing about 100 degrees.” As
a member of the Yankees, Reggie
Jackson was bragging to Rivers while
claiming his IQ was 160. Said Rivers,
“Out of what, Buck, a thousand?”
Called the “Almighty Tired Man” by
teammate Sandy Alomar, Rivers
shuffled along as if he was severely
injured, yet had excellent speed and
instincts on the field that allowed the
line-drive hitter to lead the American
League in triples in 1974 and 1975
and in stolen bases in 1975.
Acquired by the Yankees at the end
of 1975, he became one of the key
ingredients to New York’s three
consecutive pennant-winning clubs.
Traded to Texas in 1979, he posted
a .333 batting average in 1980
before knee and ankle injuries led to
his retirement in 1984.
A lifetime .295 hitter, Rivers had a
philosophy about everything,
including hitting in the clutch. “I can’t
tell you why one man hits better
under pressure than another,
because I don’t think you can reduce
hitting to a formula. But I can tell you
this: The best hitters do their thinking
before they get to the plate. After
that, they hit by reading; and they
don’t just make contact, they drive
the ball.”
You may be scratching your head,
but it worked for Mickey.
(10/31/08)
either on the field or off, when Mickey
Rivers was around. One of the
premier leadoff hitters of the 1970s
and early 1980s, the center fielder
toiled for the Angels, Yankees and
Rangers, where he often served as
leader of the clubhouse kangaroo
courts and helped fill reporters’
notebooks with his off-the-wall quotes
that at times contained hints of Yogi
Berra and Casey Stengel.
For example, prior to the 1983
season with the Rangers, Rivers said
of his goals for the campaign, “I’d like
to hit .300, score 100 runs and stay
injury-prone.” Regarding the
difficulties of manning the middle
garden in Arlington Stadium during a
particularly breezy contest, Rivers
said, “Man, it was tough. The wind
was blowing about 100 degrees.” As
a member of the Yankees, Reggie
Jackson was bragging to Rivers while
claiming his IQ was 160. Said Rivers,
“Out of what, Buck, a thousand?”
Called the “Almighty Tired Man” by
teammate Sandy Alomar, Rivers
shuffled along as if he was severely
injured, yet had excellent speed and
instincts on the field that allowed the
line-drive hitter to lead the American
League in triples in 1974 and 1975
and in stolen bases in 1975.
Acquired by the Yankees at the end
of 1975, he became one of the key
ingredients to New York’s three
consecutive pennant-winning clubs.
Traded to Texas in 1979, he posted
a .333 batting average in 1980
before knee and ankle injuries led to
his retirement in 1984.
A lifetime .295 hitter, Rivers had a
philosophy about everything,
including hitting in the clutch. “I can’t
tell you why one man hits better
under pressure than another,
because I don’t think you can reduce
hitting to a formula. But I can tell you
this: The best hitters do their thinking
before they get to the plate. After
that, they hit by reading; and they
don’t just make contact, they drive
the ball.”
You may be scratching your head,
but it worked for Mickey.
(10/31/08)
