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 Wednesday, October 13
Ill Henderson taken out of game
 
Associated Press

  ATLANTA -- Even before the game, Darryl Hamilton knew something was wrong with Rickey Henderson.

The usually loquacious Henderson wasn't jabbering with his teammates before the New York Mets played Game 2 of the NL Championship Series against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson leaves the field after being pulled in the second inning.

And after Henderson was taken out in the middle of the second inning with nausea and light headedness, everyone knew the Mets' sparkplug wasn't right.

"Before the game he said he had a migraine," Hamilton said after the Mets lost 4-3 and fell behind 2-0 in the NLCS. "He looked down. That's not Rickey. Usually he's pumping everyone up. It got worse in the first couple of innings."

Henderson was lying on his back in the runway behind the Mets' dugout with ice packs on his head before coming to bat in the second inning. He told manager Bobby Valentine that he had the stomach flu.

Henderson was late to the on-deck circle before coming to bat with runners on second and third and two out. He hit a grounder in the hole between first and second that second baseman Bret Boone fielded on the outfield grass and threw to pitcher Kevin Millwood to just get Henderson.

Henderson, 0-for-6 in the series, jogged down the baseline with a pained expression on his face. He went out to play left field in the bottom of the inning but looked ill.

He slowly fielded two hits to left and didn't engage in his usual banter with the fans.

"He really looked down," Bobby Bonilla said. "You knew there was a problem when he wasn't having fun with the crowd."

In an unusual sight during the inning, Melvin Mora played catch with Matt Franco in the dugout to loosen up his arm as the Mets were concerned about Henderson.

"I've never done that. I've never ever warmed up in the dugout," Mora said. "They told me to get loose quick because I might need to make a throw on a hit."

With two runners on and a 2-0 count on Walt Weiss, Valentine and trainer Fred Hina ran out to check on Henderson. Hamilton, who was in center, and right fielder Roger Cedeno also came over to check on their teammate.

After a brief discussion, Henderson was taken out of the game and replaced by Mora, who hit his first career homer in the fifth inning to give New York a 2-0 lead.

"I have to be ready for anything," Mora said. "I never know when I'm going to get in the ballgame."

 


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