Rickey Henderson
Encyclopedia
Rickey Henley Henderson (born Rickey Nelson Henley, December 25, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball
left fielder
who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics
. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter
and baserunner
. He holds the major league records for career stolen base
s, runs scored
, unintentional walks
and leadoff home run
s. At the time of his last major league game in 2003, the ten-time American League
(AL) All-Star
ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in bases on balls
. In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame
.
In addition to the career steals record, Henderson also holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982) and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. His 1,406 career steals is 50% higher than the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock
. Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A's and previously held the New York Yankees
' franchise record from 1988-2011. He was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.
Henderson was named the AL's Most Valuable Player
in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's
and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays
. A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs five times. His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bat
s, games, and outfield putout
s and total chances
. His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era. He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.
Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James
replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers."
, to John L. and Bobbie Henley on Christmas Day, 1958, in Chicago, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. Henderson later joked, "I was already fast. I couldn't wait." When he was two years old, his father left home, and his family moved to Oakland, California
, when he was seven. His father died in an automobile accident ten years after leaving home. His mother married Paul Henderson in Rickey Henley's junior high school year and the family adopted the Henderson surname. As a child learning to play baseball in Oakland, Henderson developed the ability to bat right-handed although he was a naturally left-handed thrower — a rare combination for baseball players, especially non-pitcher
s. In the entire history of Major League Baseball through the 2008 season, only 57 non-pitchers are known to have batted right and thrown left, and Henderson is easily the most successful player in this exclusive group. Henderson later said, "All my friends were right-handed and swung from the right side, so I thought that's the way it was supposed to be done."
In 1976, Henderson graduated from Oakland Technical High School
, where he played baseball, basketball and football
, and was an All-America
n running back
with a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He also ran track, but did not stay with the team as the schedule conflicted with baseball. Henderson received over a dozen scholarship offers to play football, but turned them down on the advice of his mother, who argued that football players had shorter careers. Henderson married his high-school sweetheart, Pamela. They have three children: Angela, Alexis, and Adriann.
in the fourth round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft
. He spent the first season of his minor league career with the Boise A's of the Northwest League
. In 46 games, Henderson batted .336 and hit three home runs and two triples
. Henderson spent the following season with the Modesto A's
. He batted .345 in 134 games during his record-setting season with Modesto. Henderson, along with Darrell Woodard
, nearly broke the league record for team stolen bases. The Modesto A's finished the season with 357 stolen bases, just shy of the league record of 370. While Woodard tied the single-season player record with 90 stolen bases, Henderson beat the record by stealing 95 bases, and was awarded the Sundial Trophy, given to the Modesto A's Most Valuable Player.
Henderson spent the 1978 season with the Jersey City A's
of the Eastern League. After the minor league season ended, he played the 1978–1979 winter season for the Navojoa Mayos
of the Mexican Pacific League
. He played in six games for the team, which won its first championship. In 1979, Henderson started the season with the Ogden A's
of the Pacific Coast League
. In 71 games for Ogden, he had a batting average of .309 and stole 44 bases.
's 104 in 1962 and Lou Brock
's 118 in 1974 had preceded him). His 100 steals set a new American League
(AL) record, surpassing Ty Cobb
's 96 set in 1915. That winter, Henderson played in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
; his 42 stolen bases broke that league's record as well.
Henderson was a Most Valuable Player
candidate a year later, in a season shortened by a players' strike. He hit .319, fourth in the AL, and led the league in hits (135) and in steals (56). In so doing, he became the emblematic figure of Oakland manager Billy Martin
's aggressive "Billyball" philosophy, which received much media attention. Finishing second to the Milwaukee Brewers
' Rollie Fingers
in the MVP voting, Henderson's fielding that season also earned him his only Gold Glove Award
. He later became known for his showboating "snatch catches," in which he would flick his glove out at incoming fly balls, then whip his arm behind his back after making the catch.
In 1982, Henderson broke Lou Brock
's major league single season record by stealing 130 bases, a total which has not been approached since. He stole 84 bases by the All-Star break; no player has stolen as many as 84 bases in an entire season since 1988, when Henderson himself stole 93. Henderson's 130 steals outpaced nine of the American League's 14 teams that season. As his muscular frame developed, Henderson continued to improve as a hitter. His increasing power-hitting ability eventually led to a record for home runs to lead off a game. During his career, he hit over 20 home runs in four different seasons, with a high of 28 in 1986 and again in 1990.
Henderson adopted an exaggerated crouch as his batting stance, which reduced his strike zone
without sacrificing much power. Sportswriter Jim Murray
described Henderson's strike zone as being "smaller than Hitler's heart". In 1982, he described his approach to Sports Illustrated
:
In December 1984, Henderson was traded to the New York Yankees
along with Bert Bradley
for five players: Tim Birtsas
, Jay Howell
, Stan Javier
, Eric Plunk
, and José Rijo
. That year he led the league in runs scored (146) and stolen bases (80), was fourth in the league in walks (99) and on-base percentage (.419), and had 24 home runs while hitting .314. He also won the Silver Slugger Award, and was third in the voting for the MVP award. His 146 runs scored were the most since Ted Williams
had 150 in 1950, and he became the first player since Jimmie Foxx
in 1939 to amass more runs scored than games played. Henderson became the first player in major league history to reach 80 stolen bases and 20 home runs in the 1985 season. He matched the feat in 1986, as did the Reds' Eric Davis; they remain the only players in major league history who are in the "80/20 club".
In 1986, he led the AL in runs scored (130) and stolen bases (87) for the second year in a row, and was seventh in walks (89). In 1987 he had a below-average season by his standards, fueling criticism from the New York media, which had never covered Henderson or his eccentricities kindly. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
issued a press release claiming that manager Lou Piniella
wanted to trade Henderson for "jaking it" (playing lackadaisically). Still, Henderson had his best on-base percentage to that point in his career (.423), and was fifth in the AL in stolen bases (41) despite playing only 95 games. It was the only season from 1980–1991 in which Henderson did not lead the AL in steals. Seattle's Harold Reynolds
led the league with 60 steals; Reynolds tells the story of getting an impish phone call from Henderson after the season:
In 1988, Henderson led the AL in steals (93), was third in runs scored (118), fifth in OBP (.394) and seventh in walks (82), while hitting .305. Though only in New York for four and a half seasons, Henderson set the Yankees' franchise record with 326 stolen bases; the previous high (248) had been held by Hal Chase
. On May 28, 2011, Henderson's total was surpassed by Derek Jeter
, who'd played 1,700 more games as a Yankee than Henderson.
; he hit .400 while scoring eight runs and delivering two home runs, five runs batted in (RBI), seven walks and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Leading the A's to a four-game sweep over the San Francisco Giants
and the franchise's first World Series
title since 1974
, Henderson hit .474 with an .895 slugging average (including two triples
and a homer), while stealing three more bases. On August 22, 1989, he became Nolan Ryan
's 5,000th strikeout victim, but Henderson took an odd delight in the occurrence, saying, "If you haven't been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you're nobody."
A year later, Henderson finished second in the league in batting average with a mark of .325, losing out to the Kansas City Royals
' George Brett
on the final day of the season. Henderson had a remarkably consistent season, with his batting average falling below .320 for only one game, the third of the year. Reaching safely by a hit or a walk in 125 of his 136 games, his on-base percentage was a league-leading .439. With 119 runs scored, 28 homers, 61 RBI and 65 stolen bases, Henderson won the AL's MVP
award and helped Oakland to another pennant. He again performed well in the World Series
(.333 batting, .667 slugging, three steals in four games), but the A's were swept by the underdog Cincinnati Reds
.
On May 1, 1991, Henderson broke one of baseball's most noted records when he stole the 939th base of his career, one more than Lou Brock
's total compiled from 1963 to 1979, mainly with the St. Louis Cardinals
.
for Steve Karsay
and José Herrera. He was involved in the final play of the World Series
that year, as he and Paul Molitor
scored on Joe Carter
's Series-ending home run
. After winning his second World Series ring with Toronto, he re-signed as a free agent with Oakland in December 1993.
He signed with the San Diego Padres
in the offseason, where he had another respectable year in 1996, again finishing in the top ten in the National League
(NL) in walks, OBP, steals and runs. In August 1997, he was traded by the Padres to the Anaheim Angels
; his brief stint as an Angel was uneventful. In January 1998, he signed as a free agent with the Athletics, the fourth different time he played for the franchise. That season he led the AL in stolen bases (66) and walks (118), while scoring 101 runs.
A year later, Henderson signed as a free agent with the New York Mets
. In 1999, he batted .315 with 37 steals and was seventh in the NL in on-base percentage — his .423 OBP was his ninth year in a row above .400. He wore number 24, which—although not officially retired—had not been regularly worn by a Mets player since Willie Mays
' retirement in 1973. Nonetheless, Henderson and the Mets were an uneasy fit. Following the Mets' loss in the 1999 NLCS
, the New York press made much of a card game between Henderson and Bobby Bonilla
. Both players had been substituted out of the lineup, and they reportedly left the dugout before the playoff game had concluded.
In May 2000 he was released by New York, and quickly signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners
. In his second game as a Mariner, on May 20, Henderson hit a leadoff home run, thus becoming the third player to hit a home run in four different decades (Ted Williams
and Willie McCovey
were the others, and Omar Vizquel
became the fourth in 2010). Despite the late start, Henderson finished fourth in the AL in stolen bases (31).
's record of 2,062 career walks, Ty Cobb
's record of 2,246 career runs, and Zack Wheat
's record of 2,328 career games in left field, and on the final day of the season collected his 3,000th career hit, a leadoff double off Rockies pitcher John Thomson. That final game was also Padre legend Tony Gwynn
's last major league game, and Henderson had originally wanted to sit out so as not to detract from the occasion, but Gwynn insisted that Henderson play. After scoring the game's first run, Henderson was removed from the lineup. With Gwynn having 3,141 hits, it was just the second time in Major League history that a pair of teammates each had 3,000 career hits; Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker had previously played many games together for the 1928 A's.
At the age of 42, in his last substantial major league season, Henderson finished the year with 25 stolen bases, ninth in the NL; it also marked his 23rd consecutive season with more than 20 steals. Of the ten top base stealers who were still active as of 2002, the other nine each stole fewer bases in 2002 than the 42-year-old Henderson.
In February 2002, he signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox
, where at age 43 he became the oldest player to play center field
in major league history when he replaced Johnny Damon
for three games in April and another in July. Henderson's arrival was marked by a statistical oddity. During the 22-1/2 years from his June 1979 debut through the end of the 2001 season, he had stolen more bases by himself than his new team had: 1,395 steals for Henderson, 1,382 for the Boston franchise. The Red Sox finally "passed" Henderson on April 30, 2002. At 43, Henderson was the oldest player in the American League.
As the 2003 season began, Henderson was without a team for the first time in his career. He played in the independent Atlantic League
with the Newark Bears
, hoping for a chance with another major league organization. After much media attention, the Los Angeles Dodgers
signed him over the All-Star break.
Henderson played his last major league game on September 19, 2003; he was hit by a pitch
in his only plate appearance, and came around to score his 2,295th run. Though it became increasingly unlikely that he would return to major league action, his status continued to confound, as he publicly debated his own official retirement from professional baseball. After leaving the Dodgers, Henderson started his second consecutive season with the Newark Bears
in the spring of 2004. In 91 games he had a .462 OBP, with more than twice as many walks (96) as strikeouts (41), and stole 37 bases while being caught only twice. On May 9, 2005, Henderson signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs
of the Golden Baseball League
, an independent league. This was the SurfDawgs' and the Golden Baseball League's inaugural season, and Henderson helped the team to the league championship. In 73 games he had a .456 OBP, with 73 walks while striking out 43 times, and 16 steals while being caught only twice. It would be his final professional season.
Henderson would not accept the end of his major league career. In May 2005, he was still insisting that he was capable of playing in the major leagues. NBC
and ESPN
reported that Henderson had announced his much-delayed official retirement on December 6, 2005, but his agent denied the report the following day. On February 10, 2006, he accepted a position as a hitting instructor for the Mets, while leaving the door open to returning as a player. In July 2006, Henderson discussed an offer he'd received to rejoin the SurfDawgs for the 2006 season, which would have been his 31st in professional baseball, but suggested he'd had enough. But six weeks later, on August 11, he claimed "It's sort of weird not to be playing, but I decided to take a year off," adding, "I can't say I will retire. My heart is still in it... I still love the game right now, so I'm going to wait it out and see what happens."
On May 18, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle
reported that Oakland general manager Billy Beane
was considering adding Henderson to the roster for one game in September, provided it did not "infringe on the integrity of the roster or of the season," so that Henderson could retire as an Oakland A's player. A month later, Henderson appeared to reject the overture, saying, "One day? I don't want one day. I want to play again, man. I don't want nobody's spot... I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. If I don't, just get rid of me, release me. And if I belong, you don't have to pay me but the minimum — and I'll donate every penny of that to some charity. So, how's that hurtin' anybody?... Don't say goodbye for me... When I want that one day they want to give me so bad, I'll let you know." The Athletics retired Henderson's #24 on August 1, 2009.
Henderson finally conceded his "official retirement" on July 13, 2007: "I haven't submitted retirement papers to MLB, but I think MLB already had their papers that I was retired." Characteristically, he added, "If it was a situation where we were going to win the World Series and I was the only player that they had left, I would put on the shoes."
Contrary to speculation, Henderson's refusal to officially retire had not been delaying his eligibility for Hall of Fame
induction. Since the 1970s, the five-year waiting period has been based on major league service only. Henderson was elected as part of the 2009 Hall of Fame vote
, in his first appearance on the ballot. At a press conference two days after his election, the 50-year-old Henderson told reporters, “I believe today, and people say I’m crazy, but if you gave me as many at-bats that you would give the runners out there today, I would outsteal every last one of them... they can always ring my phone and I'll come on down and help their ballclub, that's how much I love the game."
In 2011, on the 20th anniversary of his record-breaking stolen base, the Oakland A's held "Rickey Henderson Bobblehead Day." At Henderson's insistence, the giveaway plastic dolls had one atypical modification: "I told them, put a little dirt on mine, make sure that [it looks] like I'm playing the game." Almost eight years after his final game, Henderson also reiterated his desire to return: "Sometimes when I sit around and look at the game and things ain't going right, I just think, 'Just let me put on the uniform and go out there and take a chance'."
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The New York Mets
hired Henderson as a special instructor in 2006, primarily to work with hitters and to teach base stealing. Henderson's impact was noticeable on José Reyes, the Mets' current leadoff hitter. "I always want to be around the game," Henderson said in May 2007. "That's something that's in my blood. Helping them have success feels just as good."
On July 13, 2007, the Mets promoted Henderson from special instructor to first base coach, replacing Howard Johnson, who became the hitting coach. Henderson was not retained as a coach for 2008. Henderson has periodically been a special instructor in the Athletics' spring training camps. In 2010, he worked on base stealing (most notably with Rajai Davis
and Coco Crisp
) and outfield drills.
s Tom Verducci
wrote in 2003, "There are certain figures in American history who have passed into the realm of cultural mythology, as if reality could no longer contain their stories: Johnny Appleseed
. Wild Bill Hickok
. Davy Crockett
. Rickey Henderson. They exist on the sometimes narrow margin between Fact and Fiction."
Henderson was known for being an illeist
, referring to himself in the third person. One unconfirmed story reports seeing him standing naked in front of a mirror before a game, practicing his swing, and declaring, "Rickey's the best! Rickey's the best!" According to Verducci, during one off-season, Henderson called Padres general manager Kevin Towers
and left this message: "Kevin, this is Rickey. Calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball." However, Henderson denied that this happened in a February 26, 2009 interview on Mike and Mike in the Morning
. In 2003, he discussed his unusual phraseology, saying, "People are always saying, 'Rickey says Rickey.' But it's been blown way out of proportion. I say it when I don't do what I need to be doing. I use it to remind myself, like, `Rickey, what you doing, you stupid....' I'm just scolding myself." Henderson did use the first person pronoun on occasion, such as when he defended his position during a contract dispute: "All I'm asking for is what I want."
Henderson was so proud of a $1 million signing bonus that he framed it instead of cashing it, thus losing several months' interest. In 2002, following an argument with pitcher Orlando Hernández
, Henderson stated, "He needs to grow up a little bit. I ain't a kid. When I broke into the game, he was crawling on his hands and knees. Unless he's as old as I am. He probably is."
There are many unconfirmed stories about Henderson. A Padres teammate (variously reported as Steve Finley
or Tony Gwynn
) once offered him a seat anywhere on the bus, saying that Henderson had tenure
. Henderson supposedly replied, "Ten years? What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years." One widely reported story was a fabrication that began as a clubhouse joke made by a visiting player. While playing for Seattle in 2000, Henderson was said to have commented on first baseman John Olerud
's practice of wearing a batting helmet while playing defense, noting that a former teammate in Toronto did the same thing. Olerud was reported to have replied, "That was me." The two men had been together the previous season with the 1999 Mets, as well as with the 1993 World Champion Blue Jays. Several news outlets originally reported the story as fact.
Verducci wrote, "Rickey is the modern-day Yogi Berra
, only faster." Henderson himself is resigned to his persona: "A lot of stuff they had me doing or something they said I had created, it's comedy. I guess that's how they want to judge me, as a character."
and become the sport's all-time stolen base leader. Henderson's speech (at right) after breaking Brock's record was similar to the standard victory or award speech. He thanked God and his mother, as well as the people that helped him in baseball. Because his idol was Muhammad Ali
, Henderson decided to use the words "greatest of all time." These words have since been taken by many to support the notion that Henderson is selfish and arrogant, although years later, Henderson revealed that he had gone over his planned remarks ahead of time with Brock, and the Cardinals Hall of Famer "had no problem with it. In fact, he helped me write what I was going to say that day." On the day of the speech, Brock later told reporters amiably, "He spoke from his heart." Brock and Henderson had had a friendly relationship ever since their first meeting in 1981. Brock pronounced the young speedster as the heir to his record, saying, "How are we gonna break it?"
Henderson has mixed feelings about his comments:
At the end of his July 2009 Hall of Fame induction, Henderson alluded to his earlier speech, saying:
Asked if he believes the passage of time will improve his reputation, Henderson said:
Henderson had 468 more stolen bases in his career than Brock, one short of 50% more than the game's second-most prolific basestealer. In 1993, Henderson stole his 1,066th base, surpassing the record established ten years earlier by Yutaka Fukumoto
for the Hankyu Braves in Japan's Pacific League
. In his prime, Henderson had a virtual monopoly on the stolen base title in the American League. Between 1980 and 1991, he led the league in steals every season except 1987, when he missed part of the season due to a nagging hamstring
injury, allowing Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds
to win the title. Henderson had one more league-leading season after that stretch, when his 66 steals in 1998 made him the oldest steals leader in baseball history. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Henderson also owns the record for times caught stealing (335). Due to incomplete historical recordkeeping for that statistic, though, it is unknown whether he is the actual career leader. However, Henderson's overall 81% success rate on the basepaths is among the highest percentages in history. (Tim Raines
ranks first among players with at least 300 career attempts, at 84%.) On July 29, 1989, Henderson stole five bases against the Mariners' left-handed Randy Johnson, his career high, and one shy of the single-game major league record. Unusually, Henderson was hitless in the game (he had four walks). Henderson had 18 four-steal games during his career. In August 1983, in a three-game series against the Brewers and a 2-game series versus the Yankees, Henderson had 13 stolen bases in five games. Baltimore Orioles
third baseman Floyd Rayford
described the confusion he felt during a particular game, when Henderson was leading off first base and signalling him with two fingers. Henderson quickly stole second base, then third, and Rayford understood the gesture.
Longtime scout Charlie Metro
remembered the havoc caused by Henderson: '"I did a lot of study and I found that it's impossible to throw Rickey Henderson out. I started using stopwatches and everything. I found it was impossible to throw some other guys out also. They can go from first to second in 2.9 seconds; and no pitcher catcher combination in baseball could throw from here to there to tag second in 2.9 seconds, it was always 3, 3.1, 3.2. So actually, the runner that can make the continuous, regular move like Rickey's can't be thrown out, and he's proven it."
Joe Posnanski
of the Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated
wrote:
Henderson was a headfirst slider. In September 2008, Henderson discussed his base stealing technique at length with Sports Illustrated:
Padres closer Trevor Hoffman
said, "I don't know how to put into words how fortunate I was to spend time around one of the icons of the game. I can't comprehend that yet. Years from now, though, I'll be able to say I played with Rickey Henderson, and I imagine it will be like saying I played with Babe Ruth
." Padres general manager Kevin Towers
said, "I get e-mails daily from fans saying, 'Sign Rickey.' ...I get more calls and e-mails about him than anybody... We've had some special players come through San Diego. But there's an aura about him nobody else has."
Tony La Russa
, Henderson's manager in the late 1980s in Oakland, said, "He rises to the occasion—the big moment—better than anybody I've ever seen." Coach Rene Lachemann
said, "If you're one run down, there's nobody you'd ever rather have up at the plate than Rickey." Teammate Mitchell Page said, “It wasn't until I saw Rickey that I understood what baseball was about. Rickey Henderson is a run, man. That's it. When you see Rickey Henderson, I don't care when, the score's already 1–0. If he's with you, that's great. If he's not, you won't like it.”
A's pitching coach Dave Duncan
said of Henderson, "You have to be careful because he can knock one out. But you don't want to be too careful because he's got a small strike zone and you can't afford to walk him. And that's only half the problem. When he gets on base he's more trouble still." Sportswriter Tom Verducci
wrote, "Baseball is designed to be an egalitarian sort of game in which one player among the 18 is not supposed to dominate... Yet in the past quarter century Henderson and Barry Bonds
have come closest to dominating a baseball game the way Michael Jordan
could a basketball game."
In July 2007, New York Sun
sportswriter Tim Marchman
wrote about Henderson's accomplishments:
; Henderson is now second. He also holds the record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 81; Alfonso Soriano
of the Chicago Cubs
is tied for the second-most ever with Craig Biggio
, with 53. During the 2003 season, Henderson surpassed Babe Ruth for the career record in secondary bases (total bases compiled from extra base hit
s, walks, stolen bases, and times hit by pitch
). In 1993, he led off both games of a doubleheader with homers. At the time of his last major league game, Henderson was still in the all-time top 100 home run hitters, with 297. Bill James
wrote in 2000, "Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don't own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson."
Henderson's eight steals during the 1989 ALCS broke Lou Brock's postseason record for a single series. His record for the most postseason stolen bases was broken by Kenny Lofton
's 34th career steal during the 2007 ALCS; however, Lofton accomplished his total in 95 postseason games compared to Henderson's 60. Henderson is the only American League player to steal more than 100 bases in a single season, and he is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A's.
In 1999, before breaking the career records for runs scored and walks, Henderson was ranked number 51 on The Sporting News
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
. In 2005, The Sporting News updated their 100 Greatest Players list, and Henderson had inched up to number 50. On January 12, 2009, Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, receiving 94.8% of the vote. This was the 13th highest percentage in major league history.
Asked to choose the best player in history, Henderson declined, saying, "There are guys who have done different things very well, but I don't know of anyone who mastered everything." Offered the chance to assess his own placement among the game's greats, he said, "I haven't mastered the homers or RBI. The little things, I probably mastered." Of his various records and achievements, he values his career runs scored mark the most: "You have to score to win."
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
. Nicknamed The Man of Steal, he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter
Leadoff hitter
In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in an inning.- Strategy :...
and baserunner
Baserunning
In baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting is generally to produce baserunners, or help move...
. He holds the major league records for career stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s, runs scored
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, unintentional walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
and leadoff home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. At the time of his last major league game in 2003, the ten-time American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in bases on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
. In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
.
In addition to the career steals record, Henderson also holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982) and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. His 1,406 career steals is 50% higher than the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
. Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A's and previously held the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
' franchise record from 1988-2011. He was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.
Henderson was named the AL's Most Valuable Player
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's
1989 Oakland Athletics season
The Oakland Athletics season saw the A's finish in first place in the American League West division, with a record of 99 wins and 63 losses, seven games in front of the Kansas City Royals. It was their second consecutive AL West title, as well as the second straight year in which they finished...
and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays
1993 Toronto Blue Jays season
The Toronto Blue Jays season involved the Blue Jays finishing first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses. They were shut out only once in 162 regular-season games. The Blue Jays would repeat as World Champions and become the first back-to-back champions since the New...
. A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs five times. His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s, games, and outfield putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s and total chances
Total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances , also called chances offered, represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is calculated as follows: Total Chances = assists + putouts + errors. Chances accepted refers to the total of putouts and assists only. Fielding...
. His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era. He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.
Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers."
Early years
Henderson was born Rickey Nelson Henley, named after singer-actor Ricky NelsonRicky Nelson
Eric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
, to John L. and Bobbie Henley on Christmas Day, 1958, in Chicago, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. Henderson later joked, "I was already fast. I couldn't wait." When he was two years old, his father left home, and his family moved to Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, when he was seven. His father died in an automobile accident ten years after leaving home. His mother married Paul Henderson in Rickey Henley's junior high school year and the family adopted the Henderson surname. As a child learning to play baseball in Oakland, Henderson developed the ability to bat right-handed although he was a naturally left-handed thrower — a rare combination for baseball players, especially non-pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
s. In the entire history of Major League Baseball through the 2008 season, only 57 non-pitchers are known to have batted right and thrown left, and Henderson is easily the most successful player in this exclusive group. Henderson later said, "All my friends were right-handed and swung from the right side, so I thought that's the way it was supposed to be done."
In 1976, Henderson graduated from Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School
Oakland Technical High School, known locally as Oakland Tech, or just simply "Tech", is a public high school in Oakland, California, and is operated under the jurisdiction of the Oakland Unified School District.-Background:...
, where he played baseball, basketball and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and was an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
with a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He also ran track, but did not stay with the team as the schedule conflicted with baseball. Henderson received over a dozen scholarship offers to play football, but turned them down on the advice of his mother, who argued that football players had shorter careers. Henderson married his high-school sweetheart, Pamela. They have three children: Angela, Alexis, and Adriann.
Minor leagues
Henderson was drafted by the Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in the fourth round of the 1976 Major League Baseball Draft
1976 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1976 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The 1976 Arizona State University team, considered by many to be the best collegiate team ever, played a major role in the draft. Floyd Bannister was picked number one...
. He spent the first season of his minor league career with the Boise A's of the Northwest League
Northwest League
The Northwest League of Professional Baseball is a Class A-Short Season minor baseball league. The league is the descendant of the Western International League which ran as a class B league from 1937-1951 and class A from 1952-1954...
. In 46 games, Henderson batted .336 and hit three home runs and two triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. Henderson spent the following season with the Modesto A's
Modesto Nuts
The Modesto Nuts are a minor league baseball team in Modesto, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the California League and a farm team of the Colorado Rockies. The Modesto Nuts play home games at John Thurman Field. Opened in 1955 and renovated in 1997, the park seats 4,000 fans...
. He batted .345 in 134 games during his record-setting season with Modesto. Henderson, along with Darrell Woodard
Darrell Woodard
Darrell Lee Woodard is a former American Major League Baseball infielder. He played for the Oakland Athletics during the season.-References:...
, nearly broke the league record for team stolen bases. The Modesto A's finished the season with 357 stolen bases, just shy of the league record of 370. While Woodard tied the single-season player record with 90 stolen bases, Henderson beat the record by stealing 95 bases, and was awarded the Sundial Trophy, given to the Modesto A's Most Valuable Player.
Henderson spent the 1978 season with the Jersey City A's
Jersey City A's
The Jersey City A's were a minor league baseball team based in Jersey City, New Jersey which played in the Eastern League for the 1978 season and was the AA affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. The team changed their name from the Jersey City Indians after being affiliated with the Cleveland Indians...
of the Eastern League. After the minor league season ended, he played the 1978–1979 winter season for the Navojoa Mayos
Mayos de Navojoa
The Mayos de Navojoa is a Mexican baseball team in the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico .They have been champions of the league twice. The first time was at the 1978–79 season, with Chuck Goggin as coach...
of the Mexican Pacific League
Liga Mexicana del Pacífico
The Mexican Pacific League is a winter minor baseball league in Mexico. The eight-team league's regular season runs from October to December and is followed by a playoff series in January to determine the league champion...
. He played in six games for the team, which won its first championship. In 1979, Henderson started the season with the Ogden A's
Ogden A's
The Ogden A's were a former minor league baseball team located in Ogden, Utah. They played as the Triple-A farm club of the Oakland Athletics. The team only played for two seasons, and...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. In 71 games for Ogden, he had a batting average of .309 and stole 44 bases.
Oakland Athletics (1979–84)
Henderson made his major league debut with Oakland on June 24, 1979, getting two hits in four at bats, along with a stolen base. He batted .274 with 33 stolen bases in 89 games. In 1980, Henderson became the 3rd modern-era player to steal 100 bases in a season (Maury WillsMaury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
's 104 in 1962 and Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
's 118 in 1974 had preceded him). His 100 steals set a new American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) record, surpassing Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's 96 set in 1915. That winter, Henderson played in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League
The Puerto Rico Baseball League formerly known as Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico or LBPPR, is the main professional baseball league in Puerto Rico. In 2007, the LBPPR recessed for the first time since its creation...
; his 42 stolen bases broke that league's record as well.
Henderson was a Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
candidate a year later, in a season shortened by a players' strike. He hit .319, fourth in the AL, and led the league in hits (135) and in steals (56). In so doing, he became the emblematic figure of Oakland manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
's aggressive "Billyball" philosophy, which received much media attention. Finishing second to the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
' Rollie Fingers
Rollie Fingers
Roland Glen Fingers is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher. During his 18-year baseball career, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics , San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers . He became only the second reliever to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992...
in the MVP voting, Henderson's fielding that season also earned him his only Gold Glove Award
Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
. He later became known for his showboating "snatch catches," in which he would flick his glove out at incoming fly balls, then whip his arm behind his back after making the catch.
In 1982, Henderson broke Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
's major league single season record by stealing 130 bases, a total which has not been approached since. He stole 84 bases by the All-Star break; no player has stolen as many as 84 bases in an entire season since 1988, when Henderson himself stole 93. Henderson's 130 steals outpaced nine of the American League's 14 teams that season. As his muscular frame developed, Henderson continued to improve as a hitter. His increasing power-hitting ability eventually led to a record for home runs to lead off a game. During his career, he hit over 20 home runs in four different seasons, with a high of 28 in 1986 and again in 1990.
Henderson adopted an exaggerated crouch as his batting stance, which reduced his strike zone
Strike zone
In baseball, the strike zone is a conceptual right pentagonal prism over home plate which defines the boundaries through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike when the batter does not swing.-Definition:...
without sacrificing much power. Sportswriter Jim Murray
Jim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray was an American sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 to 1998.Many of his achievements include winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times...
described Henderson's strike zone as being "smaller than Hitler's heart". In 1982, he described his approach to Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
:
New York Yankees (1985–89)
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
along with Bert Bradley
Bert Bradley
Steven Bert Bradley is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Oakland Athletics during the season.-References:...
for five players: Tim Birtsas
Tim Birtsas
Timothy Dean Birtsas , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1985–1986 and from 1988–1990...
, Jay Howell
Jay Howell
Jay Canfield Howell is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds , Chicago Cubs , New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers .Howell was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1988 World Series...
, Stan Javier
Stan Javier
Stanley Julián Antonio Javier [hah-ve-ERR] is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitter who played with the New York Yankees , Oakland Athletics , Los Angeles Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , San Francisco Giants , Houston...
, Eric Plunk
Eric Plunk
Eric Vaughn Plunk , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1986-1999.Plunk was involved in two trades for Rickey Henderson...
, and José Rijo
José Rijo
José Antonio Rijo Abreu is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds .-Playing career:...
. That year he led the league in runs scored (146) and stolen bases (80), was fourth in the league in walks (99) and on-base percentage (.419), and had 24 home runs while hitting .314. He also won the Silver Slugger Award, and was third in the voting for the MVP award. His 146 runs scored were the most since Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
had 150 in 1950, and he became the first player since Jimmie Foxx
Jimmie Foxx
James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx , nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was a right-handed American Major League Baseball first baseman and noted power hitter....
in 1939 to amass more runs scored than games played. Henderson became the first player in major league history to reach 80 stolen bases and 20 home runs in the 1985 season. He matched the feat in 1986, as did the Reds' Eric Davis; they remain the only players in major league history who are in the "80/20 club".
In 1986, he led the AL in runs scored (130) and stolen bases (87) for the second year in a row, and was seventh in walks (89). In 1987 he had a below-average season by his standards, fueling criticism from the New York media, which had never covered Henderson or his eccentricities kindly. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
issued a press release claiming that manager Lou Piniella
Lou Piniella
Louis Victor Piniella is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He has been nicknamed "Sweet Lou," both for his swing as a major league hitter and, facetiously, to describe his demeanor as a player and manager...
wanted to trade Henderson for "jaking it" (playing lackadaisically). Still, Henderson had his best on-base percentage to that point in his career (.423), and was fifth in the AL in stolen bases (41) despite playing only 95 games. It was the only season from 1980–1991 in which Henderson did not lead the AL in steals. Seattle's Harold Reynolds
Harold Reynolds
Harold Craig Reynolds is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played from 1983–1994, primarily for the Seattle Mariners.-High school:...
led the league with 60 steals; Reynolds tells the story of getting an impish phone call from Henderson after the season:
- "The phone rings. 'Henderson here.' I say, 'Hey, what's going on, Rickey?' I think he's calling to congratulate me, but he goes, Sixty stolen bases? You ought to be ashamed. Rickey would have 60 at the break.' And then click, he hung up."
In 1988, Henderson led the AL in steals (93), was third in runs scored (118), fifth in OBP (.394) and seventh in walks (82), while hitting .305. Though only in New York for four and a half seasons, Henderson set the Yankees' franchise record with 326 stolen bases; the previous high (248) had been held by Hal Chase
Hal Chase
Harold Homer Chase , nicknamed "Prince Hal", was a first baseman in Major League Baseball, widely viewed as the best fielder at his position...
. On May 28, 2011, Henderson's total was surpassed by Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
, who'd played 1,700 more games as a Yankee than Henderson.
Back to Oakland (1989–1993)
Following a mid-season trade to Oakland in 1989, Henderson reasserted himself as one of the game's greatest players, with a memorable half-season in which his 52 steals and 72 runs scored led the A's into the postseason; his 126 walks for the year were the most for any AL hitter since 1970. With a record eight steals in five games, he was named MVP of the American League Championship Series1989 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 3, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CaliforniaThe A's went off as heavy favorites largely due to their status as defending American League champions. The Blue Jays had been in second place much of the year before catching and passing the Baltimore Orioles...
; he hit .400 while scoring eight runs and delivering two home runs, five runs batted in (RBI), seven walks and a 1.000 slugging percentage. Leading the A's to a four-game sweep over the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
and the franchise's first World Series
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
title since 1974
1974 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 12, 1974 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaReggie Jackson put the A's on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second off 20-game winner Andy Messersmith...
, Henderson hit .474 with an .895 slugging average (including two triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and a homer), while stealing three more bases. On August 22, 1989, he became Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
's 5,000th strikeout victim, but Henderson took an odd delight in the occurrence, saying, "If you haven't been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you're nobody."
A year later, Henderson finished second in the league in batting average with a mark of .325, losing out to the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
' George Brett
George Brett (baseball)
George Howard Brett , nicknamed "Mullet", is a former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th...
on the final day of the season. Henderson had a remarkably consistent season, with his batting average falling below .320 for only one game, the third of the year. Reaching safely by a hit or a walk in 125 of his 136 games, his on-base percentage was a league-leading .439. With 119 runs scored, 28 homers, 61 RBI and 65 stolen bases, Henderson won the AL's MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
award and helped Oakland to another pennant. He again performed well in the World Series
1990 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
(.333 batting, .667 slugging, three steals in four games), but the A's were swept by the underdog Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
.
On May 1, 1991, Henderson broke one of baseball's most noted records when he stole the 939th base of his career, one more than Lou Brock
Lou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
's total compiled from 1963 to 1979, mainly with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
.
Toronto Blue Jays, 1993
In July 1993, the Athletics traded Henderson to the playoff-bound Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for Steve Karsay
Steve Karsay
Stefan Andrew Karsay is a former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher for the Oakland Athletics , Cleveland Indians , Atlanta Braves , New York Yankees , and Texas Rangers .Karsay grew up in the College Point neighborhood in Queens, New York City, just a few miles from Shea...
and José Herrera. He was involved in the final play of the World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
that year, as he and Paul Molitor
Paul Molitor
Paul Leo Molitor , nicknamed "Molly" and "The Ignitor", is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitter and infielder. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for the Milwaukee Brewers , Toronto Blue Jays , and Minnesota Twins...
scored on Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
's Series-ending home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
. After winning his second World Series ring with Toronto, he re-signed as a free agent with Oakland in December 1993.
1994–2000
In 1994 and 1995, Henderson finished in the top 10 in the league in walks, steals and on-base percentage. His .300 average in 1995 marked his sixth and final season in the AL with a .300 or better average.He signed with the San Diego Padres
San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
in the offseason, where he had another respectable year in 1996, again finishing in the top ten in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL) in walks, OBP, steals and runs. In August 1997, he was traded by the Padres to the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
; his brief stint as an Angel was uneventful. In January 1998, he signed as a free agent with the Athletics, the fourth different time he played for the franchise. That season he led the AL in stolen bases (66) and walks (118), while scoring 101 runs.
A year later, Henderson signed as a free agent with the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. In 1999, he batted .315 with 37 steals and was seventh in the NL in on-base percentage — his .423 OBP was his ninth year in a row above .400. He wore number 24, which—although not officially retired—had not been regularly worn by a Mets player since Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
' retirement in 1973. Nonetheless, Henderson and the Mets were an uneasy fit. Following the Mets' loss in the 1999 NLCS
1999 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves began their eighth consecutive NLCS with a 4–2 victory over the Mets, defeating a team they left for dead two weeks earlier...
, the New York press made much of a card game between Henderson and Bobby Bonilla
Bobby Bonilla
Roberto Martin Antonio "Bobby" Bonilla is a former player in Major League Baseball who played from 1986 to 2001. Known in his playing days as "Bobby Bo," Bonilla is of Puerto Rican descent.-Playing career:...
. Both players had been substituted out of the lineup, and they reportedly left the dugout before the playoff game had concluded.
In May 2000 he was released by New York, and quickly signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. In his second game as a Mariner, on May 20, Henderson hit a leadoff home run, thus becoming the third player to hit a home run in four different decades (Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
and Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
were the others, and Omar Vizquel
Omar Vizquel
Omar Enrique Vizquel González , nicknamed "Little O", is a Venezuelan Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. Vizquel has played for the Seattle Mariners , the Cleveland Indians , the San Francisco Giants , the Texas Rangers and the Chicago White Sox...
became the fourth in 2010). Despite the late start, Henderson finished fourth in the AL in stolen bases (31).
2001–03
A free agent in March 2001, he returned to the Padres. During the 2001 season, Henderson broke three major league career records and reached an additional major career milestone. He broke Babe RuthBabe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's record of 2,062 career walks, Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's record of 2,246 career runs, and Zack Wheat
Zack Wheat
Wheat played his first full season in . He played every game for the Superbas that season as the regular left fielder, leading the league in games played. He batted .284 that season, the second-lowest average of his career, which led the team, and was among the league leaders in hits, doubles, and...
's record of 2,328 career games in left field, and on the final day of the season collected his 3,000th career hit, a leadoff double off Rockies pitcher John Thomson. That final game was also Padre legend Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
's last major league game, and Henderson had originally wanted to sit out so as not to detract from the occasion, but Gwynn insisted that Henderson play. After scoring the game's first run, Henderson was removed from the lineup. With Gwynn having 3,141 hits, it was just the second time in Major League history that a pair of teammates each had 3,000 career hits; Ty Cobb and Tris Speaker had previously played many games together for the 1928 A's.
In February 2002, he signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, where at age 43 he became the oldest player to play center field
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
in major league history when he replaced Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
for three games in April and another in July. Henderson's arrival was marked by a statistical oddity. During the 22-1/2 years from his June 1979 debut through the end of the 2001 season, he had stolen more bases by himself than his new team had: 1,395 steals for Henderson, 1,382 for the Boston franchise. The Red Sox finally "passed" Henderson on April 30, 2002. At 43, Henderson was the oldest player in the American League.
As the 2003 season began, Henderson was without a team for the first time in his career. He played in the independent Atlantic League
Atlantic League of Professional Baseball
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball is a professional, independent baseball organization located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, especially the greater metropolitan areas of the Northeast megalopolis. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League...
with the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
, hoping for a chance with another major league organization. After much media attention, the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
signed him over the All-Star break.
Retirement
Before the 2003 season, his last in the majors, Henderson discussed his reputation for hanging onto his lengthy baseball career:Henderson played his last major league game on September 19, 2003; he was hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
in his only plate appearance, and came around to score his 2,295th run. Though it became increasingly unlikely that he would return to major league action, his status continued to confound, as he publicly debated his own official retirement from professional baseball. After leaving the Dodgers, Henderson started his second consecutive season with the Newark Bears
Newark Bears
The Newark Bears are an American professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 1999 season, the Bears have played their home games at Bears &...
in the spring of 2004. In 91 games he had a .462 OBP, with more than twice as many walks (96) as strikeouts (41), and stole 37 bases while being caught only twice. On May 9, 2005, Henderson signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs
San Diego Surf Dawgs
The San Diego Surf Dawgs are an independent professional baseball team representing San Diego, California, that play in the short-season instructional Arizona Winter League and Arizona Summer League, based out of Yuma, Arizona. They played for two seasons in the now-defunct Golden Baseball League,...
of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
, an independent league. This was the SurfDawgs' and the Golden Baseball League's inaugural season, and Henderson helped the team to the league championship. In 73 games he had a .456 OBP, with 73 walks while striking out 43 times, and 16 steals while being caught only twice. It would be his final professional season.
Henderson would not accept the end of his major league career. In May 2005, he was still insisting that he was capable of playing in the major leagues. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Henderson had announced his much-delayed official retirement on December 6, 2005, but his agent denied the report the following day. On February 10, 2006, he accepted a position as a hitting instructor for the Mets, while leaving the door open to returning as a player. In July 2006, Henderson discussed an offer he'd received to rejoin the SurfDawgs for the 2006 season, which would have been his 31st in professional baseball, but suggested he'd had enough. But six weeks later, on August 11, he claimed "It's sort of weird not to be playing, but I decided to take a year off," adding, "I can't say I will retire. My heart is still in it... I still love the game right now, so I'm going to wait it out and see what happens."
On May 18, 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
reported that Oakland general manager Billy Beane
Billy Beane
William Lamar "Billy" Beane III is a former Major League Baseball player and the current general manager and minority owner of the Oakland Athletics...
was considering adding Henderson to the roster for one game in September, provided it did not "infringe on the integrity of the roster or of the season," so that Henderson could retire as an Oakland A's player. A month later, Henderson appeared to reject the overture, saying, "One day? I don't want one day. I want to play again, man. I don't want nobody's spot... I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. If I don't, just get rid of me, release me. And if I belong, you don't have to pay me but the minimum — and I'll donate every penny of that to some charity. So, how's that hurtin' anybody?... Don't say goodbye for me... When I want that one day they want to give me so bad, I'll let you know." The Athletics retired Henderson's #24 on August 1, 2009.
Henderson finally conceded his "official retirement" on July 13, 2007: "I haven't submitted retirement papers to MLB, but I think MLB already had their papers that I was retired." Characteristically, he added, "If it was a situation where we were going to win the World Series and I was the only player that they had left, I would put on the shoes."
Contrary to speculation, Henderson's refusal to officially retire had not been delaying his eligibility for Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
induction. Since the 1970s, the five-year waiting period has been based on major league service only. Henderson was elected as part of the 2009 Hall of Fame vote
Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2009
Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2009 proceeded according to revised rules enacted in 2001 and further revamped in 2007. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to select from among recent players...
, in his first appearance on the ballot. At a press conference two days after his election, the 50-year-old Henderson told reporters, “I believe today, and people say I’m crazy, but if you gave me as many at-bats that you would give the runners out there today, I would outsteal every last one of them... they can always ring my phone and I'll come on down and help their ballclub, that's how much I love the game."
In 2011, on the 20th anniversary of his record-breaking stolen base, the Oakland A's held "Rickey Henderson Bobblehead Day." At Henderson's insistence, the giveaway plastic dolls had one atypical modification: "I told them, put a little dirt on mine, make sure that [it looks] like I'm playing the game." Almost eight years after his final game, Henderson also reiterated his desire to return: "Sometimes when I sit around and look at the game and things ain't going right, I just think, 'Just let me put on the uniform and go out there and take a chance'."
Coaching
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
hired Henderson as a special instructor in 2006, primarily to work with hitters and to teach base stealing. Henderson's impact was noticeable on José Reyes, the Mets' current leadoff hitter. "I always want to be around the game," Henderson said in May 2007. "That's something that's in my blood. Helping them have success feels just as good."
On July 13, 2007, the Mets promoted Henderson from special instructor to first base coach, replacing Howard Johnson, who became the hitting coach. Henderson was not retained as a coach for 2008. Henderson has periodically been a special instructor in the Athletics' spring training camps. In 2010, he worked on base stealing (most notably with Rajai Davis
Rajai Davis
Rajai Davis [RAH-jay] is an American professional baseball center fielder with the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball....
and Coco Crisp
Coco Crisp
Covelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp is an American professional baseball center fielder. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed...
) and outfield drills.
Image and personality
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
s Tom Verducci
Tom Verducci
Tom Verducci is an American sportswriter who is currently writing for Sports Illustrated and its online magazine SI.com. He writes primarily about baseball. He is also a field reporter for the MLB postseason on TBS...
wrote in 2003, "There are certain figures in American history who have passed into the realm of cultural mythology, as if reality could no longer contain their stories: Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed
Johnny Appleseed , born John Chapman, was an American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois...
. Wild Bill Hickok
Wild Bill Hickok
James Butler Hickok , better known as Wild Bill Hickok, was a folk hero of the American Old West. His skills as a gunfighter and scout, along with his reputation as a lawman, provided the basis for his fame, although some of his exploits are fictionalized.Hickok came to the West as a stagecoach...
. Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
. Rickey Henderson. They exist on the sometimes narrow margin between Fact and Fiction."
Henderson was known for being an illeist
Illeism
Illeism is the act of referring to oneself in the third person instead of the more appropriate first person.Illeism is sometimes used in literature as a stylistic device...
, referring to himself in the third person. One unconfirmed story reports seeing him standing naked in front of a mirror before a game, practicing his swing, and declaring, "Rickey's the best! Rickey's the best!" According to Verducci, during one off-season, Henderson called Padres general manager Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
and left this message: "Kevin, this is Rickey. Calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball." However, Henderson denied that this happened in a February 26, 2009 interview on Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning
Mike and Mike in the Morning is an American sports-talk radio show hosted by Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg on ESPN Radio and simulcast on television, normally on ESPN2. If ESPN is broadcasting a live sporting event during the show's timeslot, Sportscenter will air on ESPN2, and the show's...
. In 2003, he discussed his unusual phraseology, saying, "People are always saying, 'Rickey says Rickey.' But it's been blown way out of proportion. I say it when I don't do what I need to be doing. I use it to remind myself, like, `Rickey, what you doing, you stupid....' I'm just scolding myself." Henderson did use the first person pronoun on occasion, such as when he defended his position during a contract dispute: "All I'm asking for is what I want."
Henderson was so proud of a $1 million signing bonus that he framed it instead of cashing it, thus losing several months' interest. In 2002, following an argument with pitcher Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández
Orlando Hernández Pedroso , nicknamed "El Duque", is a former Cuban right-handed baseball pitcher....
, Henderson stated, "He needs to grow up a little bit. I ain't a kid. When I broke into the game, he was crawling on his hands and knees. Unless he's as old as I am. He probably is."
There are many unconfirmed stories about Henderson. A Padres teammate (variously reported as Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
or Tony Gwynn
Tony Gwynn
Anthony Keith "Tony" Gwynn, Sr. , nicknamed Mr. Padre and Captain Video, is a former Major League Baseball right fielder. He is statistically one of the best and most consistent hitters in baseball history. He played his entire 20-year baseball career for the San Diego Padres...
) once offered him a seat anywhere on the bus, saying that Henderson had tenure
Tenure
Tenure commonly refers to life tenure in a job and specifically to a senior academic's contractual right not to have his or her position terminated without just cause.-19th century:...
. Henderson supposedly replied, "Ten years? What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years." One widely reported story was a fabrication that began as a clubhouse joke made by a visiting player. While playing for Seattle in 2000, Henderson was said to have commented on first baseman John Olerud
John Olerud
John Garrett Olerud , is a former American first baseman in Major League Baseball. Olerud played with the Toronto Blue Jays , New York Mets , Seattle Mariners , New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox ....
's practice of wearing a batting helmet while playing defense, noting that a former teammate in Toronto did the same thing. Olerud was reported to have replied, "That was me." The two men had been together the previous season with the 1999 Mets, as well as with the 1993 World Champion Blue Jays. Several news outlets originally reported the story as fact.
Verducci wrote, "Rickey is the modern-day Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, only faster." Henderson himself is resigned to his persona: "A lot of stuff they had me doing or something they said I had created, it's comedy. I guess that's how they want to judge me, as a character."
Legacy
On May 1, 1991, Henderson stole his 939th base to pass Lou BrockLou Brock
Louis Clark "Lou" Brock is an American former professional baseball player. He began his Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs but, spent the majority of his career as the left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. Brock was best known for breaking Ty Cobb's all-time major league...
and become the sport's all-time stolen base leader. Henderson's speech (at right) after breaking Brock's record was similar to the standard victory or award speech. He thanked God and his mother, as well as the people that helped him in baseball. Because his idol was Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Henderson decided to use the words "greatest of all time." These words have since been taken by many to support the notion that Henderson is selfish and arrogant, although years later, Henderson revealed that he had gone over his planned remarks ahead of time with Brock, and the Cardinals Hall of Famer "had no problem with it. In fact, he helped me write what I was going to say that day." On the day of the speech, Brock later told reporters amiably, "He spoke from his heart." Brock and Henderson had had a friendly relationship ever since their first meeting in 1981. Brock pronounced the young speedster as the heir to his record, saying, "How are we gonna break it?"
Henderson has mixed feelings about his comments:
At the end of his July 2009 Hall of Fame induction, Henderson alluded to his earlier speech, saying:
Asked if he believes the passage of time will improve his reputation, Henderson said:
Henderson had 468 more stolen bases in his career than Brock, one short of 50% more than the game's second-most prolific basestealer. In 1993, Henderson stole his 1,066th base, surpassing the record established ten years earlier by Yutaka Fukumoto
Yutaka Fukumoto
Yutaka Fukumoto is a retired Japanese professional baseball player in Nippon Professional Baseball born in Osaka, Osaka.After a brief career at the company team of Matsushita, he was drafted seventh overall by the Hankyu Braves in 1968. In only his second season, he stole 75 bases, setting the...
for the Hankyu Braves in Japan's Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
. In his prime, Henderson had a virtual monopoly on the stolen base title in the American League. Between 1980 and 1991, he led the league in steals every season except 1987, when he missed part of the season due to a nagging hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...
injury, allowing Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds
Harold Reynolds
Harold Craig Reynolds is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He played from 1983–1994, primarily for the Seattle Mariners.-High school:...
to win the title. Henderson had one more league-leading season after that stretch, when his 66 steals in 1998 made him the oldest steals leader in baseball history. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Henderson also owns the record for times caught stealing (335). Due to incomplete historical recordkeeping for that statistic, though, it is unknown whether he is the actual career leader. However, Henderson's overall 81% success rate on the basepaths is among the highest percentages in history. (Tim Raines
Tim Raines
Timothy Raines , nicknamed "Rock", is a former American professional baseball player. He played as a left fielder in Major League Baseball for six teams from 1979 to 2002 and was best known for his 13 seasons with the Montreal Expos...
ranks first among players with at least 300 career attempts, at 84%.) On July 29, 1989, Henderson stole five bases against the Mariners' left-handed Randy Johnson, his career high, and one shy of the single-game major league record. Unusually, Henderson was hitless in the game (he had four walks). Henderson had 18 four-steal games during his career. In August 1983, in a three-game series against the Brewers and a 2-game series versus the Yankees, Henderson had 13 stolen bases in five games. Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
third baseman Floyd Rayford
Floyd Rayford
Floyd Kinnard Rayford is a retired professional baseball player who played for seven seasons in the Major leagues. He primarily played third base and catcher during his career. He served as batting coach for two seasons with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League until his firing on...
described the confusion he felt during a particular game, when Henderson was leading off first base and signalling him with two fingers. Henderson quickly stole second base, then third, and Rayford understood the gesture.
Longtime scout Charlie Metro
Charlie Metro
Charlie Metro was an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Athletics, as well as a manager for the Chicago Cubs and the Kansas City Royals. He adopted the name "Metro" from his father, Metro Moreskonich, a Ukrainian immigrant...
remembered the havoc caused by Henderson: '"I did a lot of study and I found that it's impossible to throw Rickey Henderson out. I started using stopwatches and everything. I found it was impossible to throw some other guys out also. They can go from first to second in 2.9 seconds; and no pitcher catcher combination in baseball could throw from here to there to tag second in 2.9 seconds, it was always 3, 3.1, 3.2. So actually, the runner that can make the continuous, regular move like Rickey's can't be thrown out, and he's proven it."
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski
Joe Posnanski is an American journalist and senior columnist for Sports Illustrated and former columnist for the The Kansas City Star. He writes extensively on his personal site, Joe Blogs and his SI blog Curiously Long Posts.-Journalism:Posnanski began his journalism career as a multi-use...
of the Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
wrote:
- "I’m about to give you one of my all-time favorite statistics: Rickey Henderson walked 796 times in his career LEADING OFF AN INNING. Think about this again. There would be nothing, absolutely nothing, a pitcher would want to avoid more than walking Rickey Henderson to lead off an inning. And yet he walked SEVEN HUNDRED NINETY SIX times to lead off an inning.
- He walked more times just leading off in an inning than Lou Brock, Roberto ClementeRoberto ClementeRoberto Clemente Walker was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball right fielder. He was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the youngest of seven children. Clemente played his entire 18-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates . He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in...
, Luis AparicioLuis AparicioLuis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel is a former shortstop in professional baseball. His career in Major League Baseball spanned three decades, from through . Aparicio played for the Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Ernie BanksErnie BanksErnest "Ernie" Banks , nicknamed "Mr. Cub", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman. He played his entire 19-year baseball career with the Chicago Cubs . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977.-High school years:Banks was a letterman and standout in football,...
, Kirby PuckettKirby PuckettKirby Puckett was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 12-year baseball career with the Minnesota Twins and he is the Twins franchise's all-time leader in career hits, runs, doubles, and total bases...
, Ryne SandbergRyne SandbergRyne Dee Sandberg , nicknamed "Ryno" is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. During a 16-year baseball career, he played from 1981–1994 and 1996–97, spending nearly his entire career with the Chicago Cubs. He was named after relief pitcher Ryne Duren, and is recognized as one of the best...
and more than 50 other Hall of Famers walked in their entire careers...I simply cannot imagine a baseball statistic more staggering."
Henderson was a headfirst slider. In September 2008, Henderson discussed his base stealing technique at length with Sports Illustrated:
- "I wanted to know how to dive into the base because I was getting strawberriesBruiseA bruise, also called a contusion, is a type of relatively minor hematoma of tissue in which capillaries and sometimes venules are damaged by trauma, allowing blood to seep into the surrounding interstitial tissues. Bruises can involve capillaries at the level of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle,...
on my knees and strawberries on my ass... I was thinking about head-first versus feet-first, and wondering which would save my body. With head-first I worried about pounding my shoulders and my hands, and with feet-first I would worry about my knees and my legs. I felt that running was more important to me, with my legs, so I started going head-first. I got my [low-to-the-ground] technique from airplanes...I was on a plane and asleep and the plane bounced and when we landed we bounced and it woke me up. Then the next flight I had the same pilot and the plane went down so smooth. So I asked the pilot why, and he said when you land a plane smooth, you get the plane elevated to the lowest position you can and then you smooth it in. Same with sliding... If you dive when you're running straight up then you have a long distance to get to the ground. But the closer you get to the ground the less time it will take... I was hitting the dirt so smooth, so fast, when I hit the dirt, there wasn't no hesitation. It was like a skid mark, like you throw a rock on the water and skid off it. So when I hit the ground, if you didn't have the tag down, I was by you. No matter if the ball beat me, I was by you. That was what made the close plays go my way, I think."
Padres closer Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
said, "I don't know how to put into words how fortunate I was to spend time around one of the icons of the game. I can't comprehend that yet. Years from now, though, I'll be able to say I played with Rickey Henderson, and I imagine it will be like saying I played with Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
." Padres general manager Kevin Towers
Kevin Towers
Kevin S. Towers is currently the general manager for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He also served as the general manager of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres from 1995-2009.-Playing career:...
said, "I get e-mails daily from fans saying, 'Sign Rickey.' ...I get more calls and e-mails about him than anybody... We've had some special players come through San Diego. But there's an aura about him nobody else has."
Tony La Russa
Tony La Russa
Anthony "Tony" La Russa, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball manager and infielder, best known for his tenures as manager of the Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals...
, Henderson's manager in the late 1980s in Oakland, said, "He rises to the occasion—the big moment—better than anybody I've ever seen." Coach Rene Lachemann
Rene Lachemann
Rene George Lachemann is a former coach, catcher and manager in Major League Baseball. Lachemann served as the first manager in the history of the Florida Marlins and also skippered the Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers...
said, "If you're one run down, there's nobody you'd ever rather have up at the plate than Rickey." Teammate Mitchell Page said, “It wasn't until I saw Rickey that I understood what baseball was about. Rickey Henderson is a run, man. That's it. When you see Rickey Henderson, I don't care when, the score's already 1–0. If he's with you, that's great. If he's not, you won't like it.”
A's pitching coach Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan (baseball)
David Edwin Duncan is an American former professional baseball player and current pitching coach for the St. Louis Cardinals...
said of Henderson, "You have to be careful because he can knock one out. But you don't want to be too careful because he's got a small strike zone and you can't afford to walk him. And that's only half the problem. When he gets on base he's more trouble still." Sportswriter Tom Verducci
Tom Verducci
Tom Verducci is an American sportswriter who is currently writing for Sports Illustrated and its online magazine SI.com. He writes primarily about baseball. He is also a field reporter for the MLB postseason on TBS...
wrote, "Baseball is designed to be an egalitarian sort of game in which one player among the 18 is not supposed to dominate... Yet in the past quarter century Henderson and Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
have come closest to dominating a baseball game the way Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
could a basketball game."
In July 2007, New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
sportswriter Tim Marchman
Tim Marchman
Tim Marchman is a baseball columnist who most recently wrote for the now-defunct New York Sun newspaper. His columns focus on the New York Yankees and New York Mets, as well as other Major League Baseball teams.-External links:* Author archive....
wrote about Henderson's accomplishments:
Career milestones
As of 2010, Henderson ranks fourth all-time in career games played (3,081), tenth in at bats (10,961), twenty-first in hits (3,055), and first in runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406). His record for most career walks (2,190) has since been broken by Barry BondsBarry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
; Henderson is now second. He also holds the record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 81; Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Soriano
Alfonso Guilleard Soriano is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs....
of the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
is tied for the second-most ever with Craig Biggio
Craig Biggio
Craig Alan Biggio is a former Major League Baseball second baseman, catcher, and outfielder. He played his entire 20-year baseball career with the Houston Astros . He ranks 21st all-time with 3,060 career hits, and is the ninth player in the 3000 hit club to get all his hits with the same team. He...
, with 53. During the 2003 season, Henderson surpassed Babe Ruth for the career record in secondary bases (total bases compiled from extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s, walks, stolen bases, and times hit by pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...
). In 1993, he led off both games of a doubleheader with homers. At the time of his last major league game, Henderson was still in the all-time top 100 home run hitters, with 297. Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
wrote in 2000, "Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don't own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson."
Henderson's eight steals during the 1989 ALCS broke Lou Brock's postseason record for a single series. His record for the most postseason stolen bases was broken by Kenny Lofton
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton is a former Major League Baseball outfielder known for his great speed on the base paths as well as in the field, award-winning defensive play , timely hitting, and playful spirit. He batted and threw left-handed...
's 34th career steal during the 2007 ALCS; however, Lofton accomplished his total in 95 postseason games compared to Henderson's 60. Henderson is the only American League player to steal more than 100 bases in a single season, and he is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A's.
In 1999, before breaking the career records for runs scored and walks, Henderson was ranked number 51 on The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
In 1999, the Major League Baseball All-Century Team was chosen by popular vote of fans. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest Major League Baseball players from the past century...
. In 2005, The Sporting News updated their 100 Greatest Players list, and Henderson had inched up to number 50. On January 12, 2009, Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, receiving 94.8% of the vote. This was the 13th highest percentage in major league history.
Asked to choose the best player in history, Henderson declined, saying, "There are guys who have done different things very well, but I don't know of anyone who mastered everything." Offered the chance to assess his own placement among the game's greats, he said, "I haven't mastered the homers or RBI. The little things, I probably mastered." Of his various records and achievements, he values his career runs scored mark the most: "You have to score to win."
Records
| Accomplishment | Record | Refs |
|---|---|---|
| Career | ||
| Most stolen bases | 1,406 | |
| Most times caught stealing | 335 | |
| Most runs scored | 2,295 | |
| Most games led off with a home run | 81 | |
| Unintentional walks | 2,129 | |
| Single–season | ||
| Most stolen bases | 130 (1982) | |
| Most times caught stealing | 42 (1982) | |
| Most stolen bases in a single postseason series | 8 (1989 ALCS) | |
Awards and honors
| Award/Honor | # of Times | Dates | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| American League All-Star Major League Baseball All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers... |
10 | 1980, 1982–88, 1990–91 | |
| American League Championship Series MVP | 1 | 1989 | |
| American League Gold Glove Award Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the... (OF) |
1 | 1981 (strike shortened) | |
| American League hits champion | 1 | 1981 | |
| American League MVP | 1 | 1990 | |
| American League Silver Slugger Award (OF) | 3 | 1981, 1985, 1990 | |
| American League stolen base champion | 12 | 1980–86, 1988–91, 1998 | |
| American League walks leader | 4 | 1982–83, 1989, 1998 | |
| Major league on-base percentage leader | 1 | 1990 | |
| Major league runs scored leader | 5 | 1981, 1985–86, 1989–90 | |
| Major league stolen base champion | 6 | 1980, 1982–83, 1988–89, 1998 | |
| TSN Comeback Player of the Year Award | 1 | 1999 | |
| World Series champion | 2 | 1989 1989 World Series †: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California... (Oakland A's) 1993 1993 World Series -Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays... (Toronto Blue Jays) |
See also
- 3000 hit club3000 hit clubIn Major League Baseball , the 3,000 hit club is a term applied to the group of batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season hits in their careers. Cap Anson was the first to join the club on July 18, 1897, although his precise career hit total is unclear. Two players—Nap Lajoie and...
- List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
- List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base records
- Major League Baseball titles leadersMajor League Baseball titles leadersAt the end of each Major League Baseball season, the league leaders of various statistical categories are announced. Leading the league in a particular category is referred to as a title....
External links
- BaseballLibrary – biography and career highlights
- Manager Tom Trebelhorn on Henderson's minor league days
| Accomplishments |
|---|