65. Way too young. I was never an A’s fan. But anybody who liked baseball was blessed to see Ricky Henderson play. Pure excitement. Greatest leadoff hitter. Only player I ever saw who could rival Willie Mays on the bases.
RIP Rickey Henderson
65. Way too young. I was never an A’s fan. But anybody who liked baseball was blessed to see Ricky Henderson play. Pure excitement. Greatest leadoff hitter. Only player I ever saw who could rival Willie Mays on the bases.
12-21-2024, 01:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2024, 01:21 PM by cardcrimson.)
(12-21-2024, 01:08 PM)lex24 Wrote: 65. Way too young. I was never an A’s fan. But anybody who liked baseball was blessed to see Ricky Henderson play. Pure excitement. Greatest leadoff hitter. Only player I ever saw who could rival Willie Mays on the bases.Growing up in the East Bay, I was a h u g e A's fan from Charlie O through the LaRussa years. Loved watching Ricky play. Way, way too young.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/21/r...-of-steal/
Free Phogge!!!! And no, crimson doesn't refer to the Tide.
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2024, 01:21 PM by cardcrimson.)
(12-21-2024, 01:08 PM)lex24 Wrote: 65. Way too young. I was never an A’s fan. But anybody who liked baseball was blessed to see Ricky Henderson play. Pure excitement. Greatest leadoff hitter. Only player I ever saw who could rival Willie Mays on the bases.Growing up in the East Bay, I was a h u g e A's fan from Charlie O through the LaRussa years. Loved watching Ricky play. Way, way too young.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/21/r...-of-steal/
Free Phogge!!!! And no, crimson doesn't refer to the Tide.
12-21-2024, 03:38 PM
Growing up in the North Bay, I idolized WIllie Mays and still do. I agree with Carney Lansford however on the greater impact Rickey had on the game. I am also grateful to have seen both in person in World Series games ('62, '89, '90).
Life is too short to waste on crap football.
Growing up in the North Bay, I idolized WIllie Mays and still do. I agree with Carney Lansford however on the greater impact Rickey had on the game. I am also grateful to have seen both in person in World Series games ('62, '89, '90).
Life is too short to waste on crap football.
12-21-2024, 06:30 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2024, 06:30 PM by CardinalSagehen.)
(12-21-2024, 01:19 PM)cardcrimson Wrote: Growing up in the East Bay, I was a h u g e A's fan from Charlie O through the LaRussa years. Loved watching Ricky play. Way, way too young.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/21/r...-of-steal/
Me too. When I was a kid in the early 80s, the Rickey Henderson baseball card was massively coveted in my neighborhood in Fremont. His return in 1989 was incredible. I cut school a couple of times that year as a high school senior to take BART up to the Coliseum for cheap weekday day games in the bleachers (am I remembering correctly that the tickets were just $3?) To me, Rickey was always a bigger draw than the Bash Brothers.
(This post was last modified: 12-21-2024, 06:30 PM by CardinalSagehen.)
(12-21-2024, 01:19 PM)cardcrimson Wrote: Growing up in the East Bay, I was a h u g e A's fan from Charlie O through the LaRussa years. Loved watching Ricky play. Way, way too young.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/12/21/r...-of-steal/
Me too. When I was a kid in the early 80s, the Rickey Henderson baseball card was massively coveted in my neighborhood in Fremont. His return in 1989 was incredible. I cut school a couple of times that year as a high school senior to take BART up to the Coliseum for cheap weekday day games in the bleachers (am I remembering correctly that the tickets were just $3?) To me, Rickey was always a bigger draw than the Bash Brothers.
12-21-2024, 06:50 PM
Career leader in steals (1,406), runs (2,295). 297 career HRs, 293 from the leadoff spot, 81 leading off a game (next most, 57). 3,055 career hits.
Led league in:
- Steals 12 times, including 66 at age 39
- Runs, 5 times, with > 100 runs scored nine more times
- Walks, 4 times
- WAR, 3 times, twice 9.9, 10 seasons 6+ WAR or higher
- Putouts (CF), 3x
- Hits, OPS and OBP, once each
12 seasons, 95+ walks
10 All-Star appearances
3x Silver Slugger
1981 Gold Glove
on 94.8% of Hall of Fame ballots
Led league in:
- Steals 12 times, including 66 at age 39
- Runs, 5 times, with > 100 runs scored nine more times
- Walks, 4 times
- WAR, 3 times, twice 9.9, 10 seasons 6+ WAR or higher
- Putouts (CF), 3x
- Hits, OPS and OBP, once each
12 seasons, 95+ walks
10 All-Star appearances
3x Silver Slugger
1981 Gold Glove
on 94.8% of Hall of Fame ballots
Audaces fortuna iuvat
Career leader in steals (1,406), runs (2,295). 297 career HRs, 293 from the leadoff spot, 81 leading off a game (next most, 57). 3,055 career hits.
Led league in:
- Steals 12 times, including 66 at age 39
- Runs, 5 times, with > 100 runs scored nine more times
- Walks, 4 times
- WAR, 3 times, twice 9.9, 10 seasons 6+ WAR or higher
- Putouts (CF), 3x
- Hits, OPS and OBP, once each
12 seasons, 95+ walks
10 All-Star appearances
3x Silver Slugger
1981 Gold Glove
on 94.8% of Hall of Fame ballots
Led league in:
- Steals 12 times, including 66 at age 39
- Runs, 5 times, with > 100 runs scored nine more times
- Walks, 4 times
- WAR, 3 times, twice 9.9, 10 seasons 6+ WAR or higher
- Putouts (CF), 3x
- Hits, OPS and OBP, once each
12 seasons, 95+ walks
10 All-Star appearances
3x Silver Slugger
1981 Gold Glove
on 94.8% of Hall of Fame ballots
Audaces fortuna iuvat
12-21-2024, 09:52 PM
IIRC he also holds the record for most HRs to lead off a game.
IIRC he also holds the record for most HRs to lead off a game.
12-22-2024, 01:19 AM
He was the best lead off hitter baseball has ever seen and nobody is a close second.
Rickey holds the record for most home runs leading off a game with 81. George Springer is second most with 60 then Soriano, Biggio and Betts.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
Audaces fortuna iuvat
Rickey holds the record for most home runs leading off a game with 81. George Springer is second most with 60 then Soriano, Biggio and Betts.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
Audaces fortuna iuvat
(12-22-2024, 02:41 PM)Mick Wrote: Rickey holds the record for most home runs leading off a game with 81. George Springer is second most with 60 then Soriano, Biggio and Betts.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
Thanks. Hell of a ballplayer. Suspect I saw him at the Coliseum a few times.
(12-22-2024, 02:41 PM)Mick Wrote: Rickey holds the record for most home runs leading off a game with 81. George Springer is second most with 60 then Soriano, Biggio and Betts.
He hit a home run in 25 different seasons...no other MLB player has done that. Cobb had a homer in 24, several others in 23.
He once stole five bases in a game with zero official at bats, with four plate appearances, four walks and four runs scored...all against Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, 7/29/89.
Rickey holds the record for most unintentional walks (Barry Bonds has the most walks, 688 were intentional).
He reached base 25 times in the 1989 postseason. 15 hits, nine walks, one hit-by-pitch. .568 on base percentage, second highest in a single postseason (min. 40 plate appearances) behind Bonds' .581 in 2002.
Thanks. Hell of a ballplayer. Suspect I saw him at the Coliseum a few times.
01-01-2025, 08:15 PM
Rickey walked 796 times to lead off an inning, I just read. 45% of all position players in the Hall of Fame didn't walk as many times as Rickey did leading off an inning.
Audaces fortuna iuvat
01-01-2025, 10:52 PM
(01-01-2025, 08:15 PM)Mick Wrote: Rickey walked 796 times to lead off an inning, I just read. 45% of all position players in the Hall of Fame didn't walk as many times as Rickey did leading off an inning.
And the amazing thing is that the last thing an opposing pitcher wanted to do while facing Rickey to lead off an inning was walk him. I'd love to see stats about how many of those walks turned into virtual doubles or virtual triples after Rickey stole a base or two.
(01-01-2025, 08:15 PM)Mick Wrote: Rickey walked 796 times to lead off an inning, I just read. 45% of all position players in the Hall of Fame didn't walk as many times as Rickey did leading off an inning.
And the amazing thing is that the last thing an opposing pitcher wanted to do while facing Rickey to lead off an inning was walk him. I'd love to see stats about how many of those walks turned into virtual doubles or virtual triples after Rickey stole a base or two.
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