Goose Gets Nod for Cooperstown

Players battle for spot with political-style campaigns

(NEWSER) - This weekend, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice are headed for baseball’s Hall of Fame—and a life without financial headaches, the Wall Street Journal reports. Retired players make money with autographs, speeches, and endorsements, and a place in Cooperstown means their values skyrocket. “‘HoF’ after a signature is the single best predictor of baseball price,” a memorabilia expert says. More»

Aaron, others want disgraced player in Hall of Fame

(NEWSER) - Pete Rose may yet have a shot at baseball’s Hall of Fame: Commissioner Bud Selig is weighing ending Rose’s lifetime ban for gambling on the sport, the New York Daily News reports. Hank Aaron, whose opinion counts heavily with Selig, told reporters over the weekend he’d like to see Rose in the Hall; members of its board of directors also want the suspension tossed. More»

(AP) - Jim Rice's icy glare melted into a wide smile. Brash, flamboyant Rickey Henderson was humbled by it all. The former left fielders were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame today along with the late Joe Gordon, and Henderson, baseball's all-time leading base stealer, was briefly overcome before evoking some hearty laughs. "My journey as a player is complete," he said. More»

(NEWSER) - With Rickey Henderson set to enter the Baseball Hall of Fame next month, the Pepper blog rehashes top Rickey-being-Rickey moments. Some highlights:

• “People are always saying, ‘Rickey says Rickey.’ But it’s been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I’m ticked off, saying, ‘Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?’ They say, ‘Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don’t you just say, 'I'?' But I never did. I always said, ‘Rickey,’ and it became something for people to joke about.”

Prototype leadoff hitter elected to Baseball Hall on first try; Rice gets in on last try

(NEWSER) - Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, MLB reports today. Henderson, often cited as the best leadoff hitter ever, was considered a shoe-in, and captured 94.8% of votes in his first year on the ballot. Rice, a Boston stalwart, squeaked in with 76.4% of the vote in his final year of eligibility. The cutoff is 75%. More»