The World of Baseball

When you talk about the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), there are players who must be mentioned. Names like Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle come to mind. There is one player who made a huge impact on the game. His name is Rickey Henderson. Henderson played 25 seasons, mostly with the Oakland Athletics (1979-1984, 1989-1993, 1994-1995, 1998).

Henderson came up to the big leagues in 1979. He would finish 2nd in the AL MVP voting in 1981. 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.

Henderson would have a historic season in 1982. He would steal the most bases in MLB history with 130. Henderson was traded to the New York Yankees after the 1984 season. In his first season in pinstripes, he had a monster season. Henderson scored 146 runs in 143 games played. He hit 24 home runs and stole 80 bases. Henderson became the first player to hit at least 20 home runs and steal at least 80 bases in the same season.

Henderson performed well in the postseason. He won the 1989 American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Henderson helped the Athletics win a championship in 1989. He won the AL MVP in 1990. Henderson led the AL in runs scored with 119, stolen bases with 65, on-base percentage (.439), and on-base plus slugging percentage (1.016). He would win another championship with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.

Henderson led the AL in stolen bases 12 times (1980-1986, 1988-1991, 1998) and runs scored five times (1981, 1985-1986, 1989-1990). He led the AL in walks four times (1982-1983, 1989, 1998). Henderson has the record for most career stolen bases with 1,406 and runs scored with 2,295. He is 2nd all-time in walks with 2,190.

Rickey Henderson is regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in MLB history. He hit 81 career leadoff home runs. His ability to get on base often and score made him a terrific player. Henderson was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009. He died on December 20, 2024 at the age of 65. Rickey Henderson will always be remembered as one of the greatest players and characters in the history of “America’s Pastime.”