Rent-a-Rickey is on the move.
For the third time in his career, Rickey Henderson was traded during a season, this time from the San Diego Padres to the Anaheim Angels for three prospects. His previous two trades took him to the eventual World Series winners, and Henderson wouldn't mind keeping the streak alive."I like that challenge, I like that fire," Henderson, 38, said after Wednesday's trade. "I like that psyche that each and every day you're going out there and it's a do-or-die situation. I want to be in that situation."
The Angels entered Wednesday's game tied for the AL West lead with Seattle, but lost to the Chicago White Sox and fell one-half game back. Henderson helped San Diego win the NL West last year and said he'd have liked to have played in a World Series with Tony Gwynn as a teammate. But the Padres are 91/2 games behind San Francisco.
Angels general manager Bill Bavasi, in Chicago for Wednesday night's game against the White Sox, said the Phillips situation played a role in the trade.
"We had been trying to acquire another bat. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't speed it up a little bit," he said.
Henderson was dealt from the New York Yankees back to Oakland on June 20, 1989, and the Athletics beat San Francisco in the World Series that year. He was traded from Oakland to Toronto on July 31, 1993 and helped the Blue Jays beat Philadelphia in the World Series.
San Diego received minor league pitchers Ryan Hancock, the former BYU baseball and football standout, and Stevenson Agosto. The player believed to be the key to the deal, third baseman George Arias, still must clear waivers.