Last call: Rickey Henderson and Ricardo Montalban

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Today’s last call deals with perhaps the most egocentric athlete of all time, Rickey Henderson, and perhaps the most unassuming star of all time, Ricardo Montalban.

Henderson was deservedly elected to the Hall of Fame on Monday. And when he gives his induction speech on July 26, it might be worth watching. Why? Well, check out faniq.com’s list of the 25 greatest Rickey Henderson stories of all time, and you’ll see why.

Legendary actor Ricardo Montalban passed away today. What kind of guy was he? Well, if my one encounter with him was any indication, he was a pretty classy individual.

About 20 years ago, I went with some friends to a hotel in the Hollywood area that was hosting some sort of dinner or benefit. Many, many stars were expected to attend, and my friends wanted to hang around outside and watch them arrive. There were a couple hundred people outside, also hoping to glimpse someone famous. I went about 300 yards away and sat on a bench next to the public parking lot, reading a book, since I really didn’t care about waiting in a crowd to glimpse Rutger Hauer for three seconds. As the time for the benefit neared, limo after limo arrived, and many celebrities indeed attended. Milton Berle, Tony Bennett, Johnny Carson and many others all arrived to the thrill of the crowd. As I was sitting there reading, I glanced to my left and noticed somebody walking toward the hotel from the public parking lot. It was Ricardo Montalban. He had driven his own car to the event, and parked with the common people. I loved Montalban in ‘Fantasy Island’ and ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.’ As he neared, I started applauding quietly, just to let him know I was a fan. He immediately walked over to me, shook my hand and thanked me. We spoke for about 15 seconds, and then he continued on his way. But for those 15 seconds, he made me feel like he was a fan of mine, rather than the other way around. It’s something I’ve never forgotten.

God bless you, Ricardo Montalban, and thanks for the memories.

Mark Evanier at newsfromme.com also has a great Ricardo Montalban story here.

-- Houston Mitchell