“Prolific” isn’t a hyperbole when it comes to describing Rickey Henderson’s MLB career.
When discussing the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), certain players must be mentioned. Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle are among them. Following those iconic names are those who made a huge impact on the game. When it comes to base stealing, there is no question that Rickey Henderson must be included.
But what some fans don’t know or appreciate is that Henderson is more than MLB’s all-time best base stealer. He is also one of the best multidimensional players of all time, and that includes not only what he accomplished, but where he did it in the batting order–as a leadoff hitter. One reason is that he hit 89 leadoff homers over his career.
Rickey Henderson played 25 seasons, mainly with the Oakland Athletics (1979-1984, 1989-1993, 1994-1995, 1998). He finished 2nd in the 1981 AL MVP voting. In that strike-shortened season, Henderson led the AL in runs scored with 89, hits with 135, and stolen bases with 56. His .319 average ranked 5th in the AL. It was an appetizer to what he accomplished the following season–stealing 130 bases in 1982, the most bases in MLB history.
Rickey! (photo courtesy Mercury News)
Soon, Henderson was traded to the New York Yankees, and in his first season (1984), he scored 146 runs in 143 games, hit 24 home runs, and stole 80 bases. He also scored another historic first–the first MLB player ever to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 80 bases in the same season.
Henderson was also a stellar postseason performer. Back in Oakland after his stint with the Yankees, he won the 1989 American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) award on the way to helping the A’s win a championship. He won the AL MVP the following season, leading the AL with 119 runs and 65 stolen bases with a .469 On-Base percentage (.439) and a 1.016 On-Base Plus Slugging percentage.
Henderson left MLB with a string of records, leading the AL in stolen bases 12 times (1980-1986, 1988-1991, 1998), runs scored five times (1981, 1985-1986, 1989-1990), and walks four times (1982-1983, 1989, 1998). He has the record for most career stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295), and is 2nd all-time in walks (2,190). Henderson would win another championship with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
Henderson was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 and passed away in 2024 at the age of 65.
I firmly believe that Rickey Henderson is one of the greatest players in the history of “America’s Pastime,” and I’m honored to give him due credit.
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The original version of this article was published on Anthony’s blog.
