It’s impossible to tell the story of Major League Baseball without a healthy dose of Rickey Henderson.
The Oakland-raised Henderson, who died Friday, six days shy of his 66th birthday, was the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. Using traditional statistics, new-school metrics or simply the old-school eyeball test, the A’s legend rates as one of the top 20 players of all time.
Not only an iconic player – Henderson is one of only 60 elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility – he played with personality. Henderson had swagger, oozing cool whether crouched in his signature batting stance, snapping his fingers and bobbing his head during his home run trot around the bases, or collecting a stolen base with a headfirst slide.
The MLB record book is filled with Henderson’s name. Some of his records, such as career marks for stolen bases, runs scored, leadoff home run and even times caught stealing, may never be broken. Of course, Henderson, who played his final MLB game in 2003, looked like a lock to remain the all-time walks leader until pitchers – with good reason – decided it was a bad idea to throw strikes to the Giants’ Barry Bonds.
Henderson played 25 seasons in the majors, including parts of 14 seasons (over four different stints) with the A’s on the Coliseum playing surface that later would be named in his honor.
But he was a key player in epic moments that weren’t his alone. Henderson was Nolan Ryan’s historic 5,000th career strikeout in 1989, and, in 1993, he was on second base distracting the Phillies’ Mitch Williams when Toronto’s Joe Carter hit the second World Series-clinching walk-off home run in MLB history.
“I traded Rickey Henderson twice and brought him back more times than that. He was the best player I ever saw play,” former A’s General Manager Sandy Alderson said in a statement. “He did it all — hit, hit for power, stole bases, and defended — and he did it with a flair that enthused his fans and infuriated his opponents. But everyone was amused by his personality, style, and third-person references to himself. He was unique in many ways.
“Rickey stories are legion, legendary, and mostly true. But behind his reputation as self-absorbed was a wonderful, kind human being who loved kids. His true character became more evident over time. Nine different teams, one unforgettable player. Sandy gonna miss Rickey.”
Here’s a look at some of our favorite moments from Henderson’s career and, as he would have said, Rickey being Rickey.
The Oakland Tech grad was just 20 and barely three years removed from being the A’s fourth-round draft pick when he made his major league debut in the first game of a doubleheader before an announced crowd of 4,752 at the Coliseum on June 24, 1979.
Batting first against the Texas Rangers, Henderson hit a liner down the first-base line and slid into second – headfirst, of course! – for a double. He singled in the third inning and, later in the inning, beat catcher Jim Sundberg’s throw to second base for his first career steal. There would be 1,404 more before Henderson stole his final base on Aug. 29, 2003 with the Dodgers.
The A’s were a league-worst 22-50 when Henderson arrived and went on to lose an Oakland franchise-record 109 games, but the A’s and their star rookie were off and running. Henderson batted .274 and stole 33 bases in 89 games. The following season Henderson was named an All-Star for the first time and the A’s won the AL West a year after that.
Henderson was one of six players from the Oakland era to have their jersey number retired, along with Reggie Jackson’s No. 9, Catfish Hunter’s No. 27, Rollie Fingers and Dave Stewart’s No. 34 and Dennis Eckersley’s No. 43.
But Henderson’s No. 24 was one of four numbers he wore with the A’s.
When he debuted in the middle of 1979, Henderson wore No. 39 and didn’t have his name stitched across the back About a week later he switched to the No. 35 he wore until he was traded to the Yankees in the winter of 1984.
Henderson took No. 24, Willie Mays’ number, because veteran knuckleballer Phil Niekro had worn No. 35 his entire career.
When Henderson was traded back to the A’s in the middle of the 1989 season, catcher Ron Hassey wore No. 24 and pitcher Bob Welch had No. 35. Henderson briefly played in No. 22 before Hassey took No. 27.
Henderson was the A’s leadoff man from the moment he arrived in the majors in the middle of 1979, appearing exclusively in the top spot in the order from his debut until June 23, 1982, when he batted … eighth.
The A’s were in an offensive slump so manager Billy Martin picked that day’s lineup against the Royals out of a hat. Catcher Jeff Newman hit first. The A’s lost 1-0 (Newman was 0 for 4, Henderson 0 for 3) and Henderson never batted anywhere but first again until he was traded to the Yankees after the 1984 season.
Henderson started 1,641 games over his four stints with the A’s (1979-84, 1989-93, 94-95 and ‘98) and only seven times wasn’t in the leadoff spot. He batted third six times, including four straight games in mid-June of 1993, when the A’s were 10 games under .500 and Mark McGwire and Dave Henderson were hurt.
Although he’ll forever be known as the “King of Steal”, Henderson often said he was most proud of setting the career record for runs scored. He passed that milestone in memorable fashion.
Playing for the Padres during the final week of the 2001 season, Henderson passed Ty Cobb with a solo home run off the Dodgers’ Luke Prokopec, As fireworks burst in the air and the theme song from “The Natural” boomed, Henderson trotted around the bases … and then slid into home plate.
“Sliding into home plate was really a treat for my teammates,” Henderson told reporters. “I think they were expecting me to go headfirst into home plate, but I told them I hate sliding into home plate headfirst, so I eventually went feet first.”
Baseball had never seen anything like Henderson on the basepaths once he hit his stride.
In 1980, his first full season, Henderson became just the fifth player – and first in the American League – to steal 100 bases in a season. Two years later he stole a 130, which remains a major league record.
Henderson led the AL in stolen bases every season during the 1980s except 1987. Injuries limited him to 95 games and he finished with 41 stolen bases. Mariners second baseman Harold Reynolds was first with 60.
Henderson called his stolen base title successor, but it wasn’t exactly an inspiring concession speech.
“I said, ‘What’s up, Rick?’ He goes, ‘Man, you ought to be ashamed,’” Reynolds said on The Dan Patrick Show in 2019. “I go, ‘What are you talking about?’ He says, ‘60 stolen bases. You ought to be ashamed. Rickey has 60 at the break.’ Click. Hung up.’”
Henderson reclaimed his stolen base crown the following season with 93.
It figured to be just a matter of time before Henderson broke Lou Brock’s career stolen base record – it took him less than six seasons to get halfway to the former Cardinal Hall of Famer’s 938.
Henderson finally passed Brock in 1991, though not as quickly as most expected. Henderson entered the season two behind Brock. He stole on base on opening night, and then was thrown out on attempts in each of the next two games before missing nearly two weeks with a minor injury.
He tied Brock in his first game back and then, two games later (on May 1, 1991) – with Brock among the 36,139 in the stands – Henderson came out running against the Yankees. After being thrown out on a steal attempt in the first inning, he reached base on a throwing error, moved to second on Dave Henderson’s single. One out later he broke for third and made a headfirst slide ahead of Randy Velarde’s tag. Henderson lifted the base above his head to share the moment with the Coliseum crowd.
“Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time,” he’d tell the crowd.
