Rickey Henderson
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Rickey Henderson Rickeys Run
Rickey Henderson a one man show was destined for Baseballs Hall Of Fame with his uncanny ability to score Rickeys Run.
This base stealing dynamo (as a belive it or not) hit more homers than anyone hitting in the leadoff position in the history of Major League Baseball, opening 81 games with a round-tripper, but he also had a discerning eye at the plate, an uncanny knack for reading pitchers and catchers, and the ability to reach top speed within a few strides of his thickly muscled legs. Nearly as often as not, Henderson would follow one of his 2,190 career walks -- second on the all-time list -- with one of his record 1,406 career stolen bases.
Sometimes stealing two and this is an example which would be well to follow for young ball players learning about baseball.
2009 candidates as listed by the Base Ball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) for the Baseball Hall Of Fame class of 2009.
And after reaching third base on many occasions while his team's No. 2 hitter was still in the batter's box -- or with a walk, a stolen base and a groundout to the right side of the infield from the No. 2 hitter -- Henderson often jogged home on another groundout or a sacrifice fly, touching home with one of his record 2,295 runs to give his team a quick strike without the benefit of a base hit.
It was -- and always will be -- called a "Baseballs Rickey Henderson Rickeys Run." And it's a huge part of Henderson's legacy, which is being formally considered for the first time with the December release of the 2009 Hall of Fame ballot.
Henderson, a former Gold Glove outfielder who had a .279 career batting average with a .401 on-base percentage, 297 home runs and 1,115 RBIs, never officially announced his retirement after last playing for the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003.
Rickey Henderson is widely considered the greatest leadoff man in the history of baseball.
In his 25-year career, Henderson rewrote history – setting new records while breaking those held by some of the game's most celebrated heroes.
On August 31, 1998 Rickey scored his 2,000th career run, joining Hank Aaron, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Babe ruth and Barry Bonds as the only other Major League Baseball players in history to do so.
As Henderson touched home plate that day, he secured his place in baseball history – one of only seven to score 2,000 runs. This milestone made Henderson one of only seven in history having reached such a mark.
"It's a milestone that I wanted to reach as a leadoff hitter," Henderson said. "It's a great honor, something you could be proud of when your career's over."
Before Henderson's career ended five years later, he was able to eclipse Ty Cobb, the all-time leader in runs scored. On Oct. 4, 2001, the 42-year old San Diego Padres left fielder hit a home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Henderson slid into home plate and the top spot as baseball's career runs leader with 2,246.
In 2003, Henderson would end his Major League Baseball career with 2,295 runs scored, a record which he holds to this day.
"The first day I stepped into the league, I said the best thing a leadoff hitter can do is score runs," Henderson said. "That's what I've been doing."
In addition to the record for runs scored, Henderson is the all-time leader in unintentional walks (2,129), leadoff home runs (81), career stolen bases (1,406), and single-season stolen bases (130).
Rickey Henderson Rickeys Run was automaticly aptly named for his nickname and ability to score was truly earned.
Henderson was nicknamed the "Man of Steal" for his speed on the base paths. He led the American League in steals 12 times during his career. In 1998 Henderson became the oldest player in history to lead the league in stolen bases with 66 at age 39.
In addition to his speed, Henderson also had a keen eye at the plate. On April 25, 2001 he broke Babe Ruth's record for career walks. Rickey Henderson Rickeys Run also closed his career with 2,190 walks. The only player in history with more walks is Barry Bonds (2,558), but Henderson holds the all-time mark with 2,129 unintentional walks.
Henderson spent his 25-year career with nine different ball clubs. He was a 10-time All-Star, American League Most Valuable Player in 1990, and World Series champion with Athletics in 1989 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
Rickey Henderson Rickeys Run is his legacy as he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 on his first ballot with 94.8 percent of the Baseball Writers Association of America vote.
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