A quick nod from the footysphere to Rickey

As many of you know by now, Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today.

Now, about Jim Rice, much has been written about his qualifications, but that's not why I'm penning this little piece on a soccer site.

Quite simply, Rickey Henderson dominated a sport in a way that just doesn;t come along very often. The guy had an ego a mile and half wide. And as a matter of fact, Rickey, being Rickey, would probably maintain to the last that his ego was and is bigger than any other Hall of Famer. And I would have to agree.

With Rickey's speed and conditioning, not to mention his sheer mental stamina and strength, can you imagine what kind of soccer player he would have been? I see him as a central attacking midfielder, a bit on the short side, but making up for that with a will like no other.

So a tip of the hat to you Rickey, easily one of the best single-namers in American sports history. I only hope American soccer can eventually produce an athlete of your caliber.