Baseball player "oddballs" ; colorful stories to get some WS/baseball flavor up in here.

[HymanKaplan]

I'll start with one of the most enigmatic players that I grew up watching George Hendrick:

Joggin' George/Silent George/Captain Easy/Pants On The Ground (because, for some reason, he didn't want anyone to see his socks, LOL, which started a trend that persists to this day.)

After the final out of the 1982 WS, which the Cardinals won; Hendrick jogged off the field, while his teammates were celebrating, out of the clubhouse, and got straight into a car that he had arranged earlier, and left; w/o even changing out of his uniform. 😆 😆

When he played in HS, sometimes he'd forget his uniform, borrow a jersey and play in jeans. When his team was up, but he didn't anticipate getting an at bat that inning, instead of going back to the dugout, he'd just walk over into foul territory (he played RF), and just lay down and take a nap. 😆

 

[august-west]

Rickey Henderson was quite a character if one is to believe the stories about Rickey being Rickey

 

[berniecarbo]

Rube Waddell. He played in the early 1900's. He is a HOF pitcher who had large strikeout totals in an era when hitters didn't strike out much. Bill James suggested he was likely mentally retarded. Opposing fans would bring puppies to games to distract him. He left once during a game to follow a fire truck. In exhibition games, he would call everyone but the catcher off the field and strike out the side. He caught pneumonia and died after helping save the city of Hickman KY fighting a flood.

 

[UK_Dallas]

I'll start with one of the most enigmatic players that I grew up watching George Hendrick:

Joggin' George/Silent George/Captain Easy/Pants On The Ground (because, for some reason, he didn't want anyone to see his socks, LOL, which started a trend that persists to this day.)

After the final out of the 1982 WS, which the Cardinals won; Hendrick jogged off the field, while his teammates were celebrating, out of the clubhouse, and got straight into a car that he had arranged earlier, and left; w/o even changing out of his uniform. 😆 😆

When he played in HS, sometimes he'd forget his uniform, borrow a jersey and play in jeans. When his team was up, but he didn't anticipate getting an at bat that inning, instead of going back to the dugout, he'd just walk over into foul territory (he played RF), and just lay down and take a nap. 😆

That was a fun team. Remember watching those WS games as a 10 year old. The day games at any rate. Would watch them at my dads office.

Never heard that about Hendrick. He was one of my favorites behind Ozzie and Willie.

From the team the previous year, my dad had 9 year old me convinced that Sixto Lezcano did indeed have 6 toes!!