Rickey Henderson

Template:Mlbretired Rickey Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who is baseball's all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored. In a 25-year career with nine clubs, Henderson's high on-base percentage, power, runs scored, and stolen base totals made him the premier leadoff hitter of his era; many consider him the best ever.

At the time of his last game in 2003, Henderson ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters; he was also the all-time leader in walks, a record since surpassed by Barry Bonds.

When asked if he thought Rickey Henderson was a Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers."

Henderson currently serves as first base coach for the New York Mets.

Early years and personal life

Henderson was born as Rickey Nelson Henley to John L. & Bobbie Henley in Chicago on Christmas Day, 1958, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. His father left home when he was two years old, and the rest of his family moved to Oakland, California at age seven. His father died in an automobile accident when he was 12 and his mother remarried to a man named Paul Henderson when he was a junior in high school, with the family adopting his surname.

When first learning to play baseball, Henderson learned to bat right-handed even though he was a natural left-handed thrower — a rare combination for baseball players, especially non-pitchers. Only two other such players, Hal Chase, and Cleon Jones, bat righty and threw lefty in careers of more than 4,000 at-bats. Henderson stated that, "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."

He graduated in 1976 from Oakland Technical High School, where he played baseball, basketball, and football where he was an All-American running back. He received two dozen scholarship offers to play football, but turned them down.

While a high-profile baseball player on the field, there is little written about Henderson's life off the field, since he leads a quiet, low key off-the-field life. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Pamela, and they have three children: Angela, Alexis, and Adriann.

Minor leagues

Henderson was drafted by Oakland in the fourth round in 1976. In each of his four minor league seasons, he batted .309 or better, with an OBP of .417 or better, and more walks than strikeouts. In May 1977, Henderson stole seven bases in one game, tying the minor league record.

Major leagues

Oakland Athletics (1979-84)

Henderson made his major-league debut with Oakland on June 24, 1979, going 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Henderson batted .274 with 33 stolen bases in a little more than half a season.

A's owner Charlie Finley hired Billy Martin in 1980, and Martin's aggressive "Billy-Ball" philosophy helped Henderson into stardom. Henderson became the 3rd modern-era player to steal 100 bases in a season (Maury Wills (104) and Lou Brock (118) had preceded him). His 100 steals set a new American League record, surpassing Ty Cobb's 96, set in 1915. That winter, Henderson played in the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League, where his 42 stolen bases broke that league's record as well.

Henderson was a serious Most Valuable Player candidate a year later, in a season shortened by a players' strike. He hit .319, fourth in the American League, led the league in hits, and in steals with 56. Finishing second to Milwaukee's Rollie Fingers in the MVP voting, Henderson's fielding that season also earned him his only Gold Glove Award. Rickey Henderson 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.

Henderson steals third base for the New York Yankees in 1988

In 1982, Henderson shattered Lou Brock's modern major league record by stealing 130 stolen bases, a total which has not been approached since. He stole an astounding 84 stolen 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. Tim Raines had the next highest stolen base total in 1982 behind Henderson's 130 steals, with 78.

Henderson also continued to develop as a hitter, and began to hit for some power, eventually establishing the record for home runs to lead off a game. For his career, he would hit more than 20 home runs in four different seasons, with a high of 28 in 1986 and again in 1990.

NY Yankees (1985-89)

In 1985, Henderson was traded to the New York Yankees for five players. 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. His 146 runs scored were the most since Ted Williams had 150 in 1950.

In 1986 he led the AL in runs scored (130) and stolen bases (87) for the second year in a row, and was 7th in walks (89). In 1987, he had an off-season by his standards, fueling 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 OBP to that point in his career (.423), and was fifth in the AL in stolen bases (41) despite playing only 95 games. In 1988 Henderson led the AL in stolen bases (93), was third in runs scored (118), fifth in OBP (.394), and seventh in walks (82), while hitting .305. While only in New York for three and a half seasons, Henderson stole 326 bases, still the Yankees franchise record.

Back to Oakland (1989-93)

Following a mid-season trade to Oakland in 1989, Henderson reasserted himself as one of the game's greatest players; his 126 walks were the most for any AL hitter since 1970. He flourished during that postseason. Henderson was MVP of the American League Championship Series with 8 steals in 5 games to go with a 1.000 slugging percentage. Leading the A's to their first World Series title since 1974, he hit .474 with a .895 slugging average.

A year later, Henderson finished second in the league in batting average with a mark of .325, losing out to 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 average was a league-leading .439. With 119 runs scored, 28 homers, 61 RBI and 65 stolen bases, Rickey Henderson won the 1990 MVP award and helped Oakland to another pennant. He again performed well in the World Series (.333 batting, .667 slugging, 3 steals in 4 games), but the A's were swept by the underdog Cincinnati Reds.

Later years (1993-2003)

Henderson was a man on the move in the last decade-plus of his career, playing for eleven teams in eleven years (including two separate tours with the San Diego Padres, and three with the Oakland A's.)

In July 1993 he was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays for Steve Karsay and Jose Herrera. After winning his second World Series ring with Toronto, Henderson re-signed as a free agent with Oakland In December 1993.

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 American League with a .300 or better average. He signed with San Diego in the offseason, where he had another respectable year in 1996, again finishing in the top ten in walks, OBP and steals, and runs.

In August 1997 he was traded by the Padres to the Anaheim Angels for Ryan Hancock and Stevenson Agosto; his brief stint as an Angel was uneventful. In January 1998 he signed as a free agent with the Oakland Athletics, the fourth separate time he played for the franchise. That season he led the American League 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 7th in the National League in on base percentage — his .423 OBP was his 9th year in a row above .400. Nonetheless, Henderson and the Mets were an uneasy fit, and in May 2000 he was released by the team. He quickly signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners. Despite the late start, he finished fourth in the AL in stolen bases (31).

Henderson with Boston in 2002

A free agent in March 2001 he returned to the San Diego Padres. During the 2001 season, Henderson broke two major league records and reached a career milestone. He broke Babe Ruth's all-time record for walks, Ty Cobb's all-time record for runs (doing so with a home run), and on the final day of the season, he had his 3,000th career hit. That final game was also Padre legend Tony Gwynn's last major league game, and Rickey had originally wanted to sit out so as not to detract from the occasion, but Gwynn insisted that Henderson play. At the age of 42, his last substantial major league season, Henderson finished the year with 25 stolen bases, ninth in the NL. It also marked Rickey Henderson's 23rd consecutive season in which he'd stolen more than 20 bases. He'd aged well; of the ten top base stealers who were still active as of 2002, all nine of the others 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 he became the oldest player to play center field in major league history when he stood in for starter Johnny Damon. Incredibly, dating from 1979-2001, Rickey Henderson had stolen more bases than his new team, the Red Sox, had managed over the identical span: 1,395 steals for Rickey, 1,382 for the Boston franchise.

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. Rickey got that chance (after much media attention) when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed him over the All-Star break.

Stolen base king

It took a long time, huh? (Pause for cheers). First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity. I want to thank the Haas family, the Oakland organization, the city of Oakland, and all you beautiful fans for supporting me. (Pauses for cheers). Most of all, I'd like to thank my mom, my friends, and loved ones for their support. I want to give my appreciation to Tom Trebelhorn and the late Billy Martin. Billy Martin was a great manager. He was a great friend to me. I love you, Billy. I wish you were here. (Pauses for cheers). Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time. Thank you.

Rickey Henderson's full speech after breaking Lou Brock's record.

On May 1, 1991, Henderson broke one of baseball's most famous records when he stole the 939th base of his career, one more than Lou Brock. However, Henderson's achievement was somewhat overshadowed because Nolan Ryan, at age 44, set a record that same night by throwing a no-hitter against Toronto, the seventh of his career. Two years earlier, Ryan had previously achieved glory at Henderson's expense by making him his 5,000th strikeout victim. Henderson took an odd delight in the occurrence, saying, "If you haven't been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you're nobody."

Rickey's speech (at right) after breaking Lou Brock's all-time steals record sounds like the standard victory/award speech. Henderson thanked God and his mother, as well as the people that helped him in baseball. All that is remembered, however, is the "I am the greatest of all time" quote, which has been taken out of context to support the notion that Henderson is selfish and arrogant. 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."

As it now stands, however, Henderson has 468 more stolen bases than Brock. For his career, Henderson has 50% more stolen bases (1,406) than the sport's all-time runner-up (938). Just the difference in the two men's totals would place in the Top 25 on the all-time modern list. The proportional margin is one of the greatest for any career statistical category in professional sport.

Henderson has mixed feelings about his comments:

"As soon as I said it, it ruined everything. Everybody thought it was the worst thing you could ever say. Those words haunt me to this day, and will continue to haunt me. They overshadow what I've accomplished in this game."

Asked if he believes the passage of time will improve his reputation, Henderson said:

"If you talk about baseball, you can't eliminate me, because I'm all over baseball... It's the truth. Telling the truth isn't being cocky. What do you want me to say, that I didn't put up the numbers? That my teams didn't win a lot of games? People don't want me to say anything about what I've done. Then why don't you say it? Because if I don't say it and you don't say it, nobody says it."

In 1993, Henderson stole his 1,066th base, surpassing the worldwide record established ten years earlier by Yutaka Fukumoto for the Hankyu Braves in the Japanese Baseball 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 Seattle Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds to win the title. He had one more league-leading season after that stretch, when his 66 steals in 1998 made him the oldest SB leader in baseball history. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Henderson also owns the record for times caught stealing (335). However, his overall 81% success rate on the basepaths is among the highest percentages in history. (Tim Raines ranks first with 84%.)

On July 29, 1989, Henderson stole 5 bases against the Seattle Mariners' left-handed Randy Johnson, his career high, and one shy of the single-game MLB record. Unusually, Henderson was 0-0 in the game (he had four walks). Henderson had eighteen 4-steal games during his career. In August 1983, in a 3-game series against the Brewers and a short 2-game one versus the Yankees, Henderson had 13 stolen bases in 5 games. No surprise; he'd just done the same thing, 13 steals in 5 games, that July.

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."

In July 2007, New York Sun sportswriter Tim Marchman wrote about Henderson's accomplishments:

"He stole all those bases and scored all those runs and played all those years not because of his body, but because of his brain. Rickey could tell from the faintest, most undetectable twitch of a pitcher's muscles whether he was going home or throwing over to first. He understood that conditioning isn't about strength, but about flexibility. And more than anyone else in the history of the game, he understood that baseball is entirely a game of discipline — the discipline to work endless 1–1 counts your way, the discipline to understand that your job is to get on base, and the discipline to understand that the season is more important than the game, and a career more important than the season. Maybe he'd get a bit more credit for all this if he were some boring drip like Cal Ripken Jr., blathering on endlessly about humility and apple pie and tradition and whatever else, but we're all better off with things the way they are... Everyone had their fun when he broke Lou Brock's stolen base record and proclaimed, "I am the greatest," but he was, of course, just saying what was plainly true."

Henderson was an All-Star in 10 of his first 12 seasons. He went on to have many more good years, and earned a second World championship ring with the Toronto Blue Jays, who acquired him in midseason from Oakland, in 1993 for Steve Karsay. In fact, Henderson was the first of two men on base (the other being Paul Molitor) when Joe Carter hit his legendary walkoff home run to end the World Series. Henderson's stint in Toronto was nevertheless nothing to write home about. After hitting .215 in 44 games, he returned to Oakland where he remained for two years, and made a 3rd return to Oakland in 1998, where he led the American League in stolen bases for a record 12th time at age 39. He also scored 101 runs, his 13th and final season topping 100. That season he also led the league in walks with 118.

Career milestones

So far, Rickey Henderson ranks 4th all-time in games played (3,081), 10th in at-bats (10,961), 20th in hits (3,055), and first in runs scored (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406). His record for most walks all-time (2,190) has since been broken by Barry Bonds; Henderson is now second. He also holds the record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 81; Houston's Craig Biggio has the second-most ever, with 52. During the 2003 season, Henderson surpassed Babe Ruth for the career record in secondary bases (total bases compiled from extra base hits, walks, stolen bases, and hit by pitch). In 1993, he led off both games of a doubleheader with HRs. 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 is baseball's all-time leader in stolen bases before the age of 30. He is also its all-time leader after the age of 30. He has the most postseason stolen bases, 33 (Kenny Lofton, still active, currently has 32 in about 45% more plate appearances). Henderson also achieved an odd distinction by having four separate playing tenures with the same team, the Oakland A's.

In 1999, before having broken the career records for runs scored and walks, Henderson 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.

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, Henderson values his career runs scored mark the most: "You have to score to win."

Retirement?

Before the 2003 season, his last, Henderson discussed his reputation for hanging onto his lengthy baseball career:

"Each and every day I set a record, but we never talk about it. We'll talk about a home run hitter 24/7. Well, they haven't broken any all-time records, but they hit homers, and that's what matters nowadays. You continue playing, you accomplish a lot, and you'd think people would look at it as a fantastic career. Instead, I think people want me to quit more than anything. (chuckle)"

Henderson played his last major league game 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, more than twice as many walks (96) as strikeouts (41), and stole 37 bases while being caught only twice.

On May 9, 2005, Rickey signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League, a Class-A independent league. This was the SurfDawgs' and the Golden Baseball League's inaugural season and Henderson helped the SurfDawgs to the league championship. In 73 games he had a .456 obp, 73 walks while striking out 43 times, and 16 steals while being caught only twice.

Henderson would not accept the end of his MLB career. In May 2005, he was still insisting that he is capable of playing in the major leagues. It was reported by NBC and ESPN that Henderson had announced his much-delayed official retirement on December 6, 2005, but this was denied by his agent the following day. On February 10, 2006, Henderson accepted a position as a hitting instructor for the New York 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, Henderson 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 8, 2007, Henderson again expressed his unquenchable desire to return to major league action: "I see Roger [Clemens] can come back and play. I can come back and play. They say I've done too much... I might come out with some crazy stuff, a press conference telling every club, 'Put me on the field with your best player and see if I come out of it.' If I can't do it, I'll call it quits at the end... I just want a spring training invite... I'm through, really. I'm probably through with it now. It's just one of those things. I thank the good Lord I played as long as I played and came out of it healthy. I took a lot of pounding."

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.""

Contrary to speculation, Henderson's refusal to officially retire was not delaying his eligibility for Hall of Fame induction; the five-year waiting period is based on major league service only. Henderson will become eligible for the 2009 induction vote, provided he does not return to major league play.

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."

Coaching

The New York Mets hired Henderson as a special instructor in 2006, primarily to work with hitters and to teach basestealing. Henderson's impact has been noticeable on Jose 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 New York Mets promoted Henderson from special instructor to first base coach, replacing Howard Johnson, who became the hitting coach.

Malapropisms

Many stories have been told about Rickey Henderson over the years, both the player and person. He is well known for his malapropisms, being an illeist (for example, calling Padres GM Kevin Towers to inquire about a contract and leaving a message starting "this is Rickey, calling on behalf of Rickey."), and for talking to himself at length when he is up to bat. He has been known to speak to his bats, asking them which one has the next hit inside them. Teammates have reported seeing Henderson standing naked in front of a mirror before a game, practicing his swing, and declaring, "Rickey's the best! Rickey's the best!"

In 2003, he discussed his unusual habit, 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."

In 2001, he described a long single this way: "I hit it out, but it didn't go out." Another time, Tony Gwynn offered a seat to Rickey on the team bus, saying that Henderson had tenure. To which Rickey replied, "Ten years? What are you talking about? Rickey got 16, 17 years."

Another story occurred while Henderson was playing for the Oakland A's. Team bookkeepers could not account for a $1 million discrepancy in their finances. The mysterious figure was eventually traced to Henderson, who had received the sum as a signing bonus. Instead of cashing the check, he had it framed, and it still hung on his wall.

One widely reported story, however, is by all accounts a fabrication. Supposedly while playing for Seattle in 2000, Henderson went up to John Olerud, and remarked on Olerud's practice of wearing a batting helmet out on the field, noting that "Rickey used to have a teammate in Toronto who did the same thing," to which Olerud was said to have replied, "That was me." The two men had been together the previous season, with the 1999 New York Mets, as well as with the 1993 World Champion Blue Jays.

David Cross' comedy album, Shut Up You Fucking Baby!, has an extended bit about Henderson's malapropisms.

Accomplishments

Career records

• Most stolen bases in a career (1,406)
• Most times caught stealing in a career (335)
• Most runs scored in a career (2,295)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least one home run (25)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least one stolen base (25)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 20 stolen bases (23)
• Most consecutive seasons with at least 40 stolen bases (14)
• Most postseason stolen bases (33)
• Most games led off with a home run (81)
• Most unintentional walks (2129)

Single-season records

• Most stolen bases in a season (130, in 1982)
• Most times caught stealing in a season (42, in 1982)

Season highlights

• Led the American League 12 times in stolen bases (1980-86, 1988-91, 1998)
• Led the Major Leagues 6 times in stolen bases (1980, 1982-83, 1988-89, 1998)
• Led the Major Leagues 5 times in runs scored (1981, 1985-86, 1989-90)
• Led the American League 4 times in walks (1982-83, 1989, 1998)
• Led the Major Leagues once in times on base (301, in 1980)
• Led the Major Leagues once in on-base percentage (.439, in 1990)
• Led the American League once in hits (1981 (strike-shortened season), with 135)
• Most seasons by a non-pitcher since 1900 (25)

Awards

• American League MVP (1990)
• American League Championship Series MVP (1989)
• Ten-time All-Star (1980, 1982-88, 1990-91)
• Gold Glove for the outfield (1981)
• Three-Time Silver Slugger for outfielder (1981, 1985, 1990)
• TSN Comeback Player of the Year Award (1999)

Miscellaneous

• Oldest player in the American League (2002, at 43)
• One of only two players (with Eric Davis) to steal over 80 bases with over 20 home runs in the same season.
• Only American League player to steal at least 100 bases in a single season.
• Ended his career with the record for most walks in a career (2,190, since broken by Barry Bonds). Note: Bonds, who ended 2006 with 1781 unintentional walks, still trails Henderson in unintentional walks.
• One of three players (with Tim Raines and Ted Williams) to have stolen bases in four separate decades. (Strangely, Williams only had 24 stolen bases in his entire career.)
• Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for two different franchises: the Oakland A's and the New York Yankees.

See also

• 3000 hit club
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• Top 500 home run hitters of all time
• 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 RBI
• List of Major League Baseball players with 500 stolen bases
• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
• List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases
• Major League Baseball titles leaders

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
• Manager Tom Trebelhorn on Rickey's minor league days

Accomplishments