Reason 3: Clubhouse chemistry

"Rickey needs to help Alex out... Rickey's got to help Alex understand these fans"
- Rickey Henderson

As a Mets special instructor this past season, Rickey has shown that he'll never lose respect for the game or his fellow players. Since the All Star break, the New York media and fans have bombarded Alex Rodriguez with an unrelenting stream of criticism and insults despite his outstanding numbers in 2006. Yet here is Rickey, after mentoring Jose Reyes to an MVP-like season, offering to restore a lost and battered crosstown rival to MVP form.

Orange Julius of Everything2.com describes Rickey:
"One thing you should know about Rickey Henderson... is that if anyone tells you that Rickey is a selfish player, or that he's a "cancer in the clubhouse", or any of that nonsense... they don't know a thing about Rickey Henderson. Does Rickey have a high opinion of himself? Yes. Does he say goofy shit from time to time? Yes. But this is a guy who plays for $3,000 a month in the Atlantic League, picks up balls during BP, and gives all of the free equipment and apparel that he gets to his teammates."

It's been proven time and time again that one of the key components of a winning team is a good chemistry. When players get along, they play harder for one another. Between his genius, kindness and honesty, Rickey would surely have an even bigger impact on the Mets team chemistry as a player in 2007.