I was on a plane and asleep and the plane bounced and when we landed we bounced and it woke me up. I wish they had told me. You continue playing, you accomplish a lot, and you'd think people would look at it as a fantastic career. "That's something that's in my blood. He served as a special instructor to Mets in 2006 and became the team's first-base coach in the following year in 2007. "[6], Henderson was born on December 25, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, in the back seat of an Oldsmobile on the way to the hospital. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2009-2018 PlayerWives.com, All Rights Reserved. In fact, he helped me write what I was going to say that day. Rickey Henderson. [87], On May 1, 1991, Henderson stole his 939th base to pass Lou Brock and became the sport's all-time stolen base leader. [1][2] He holds the major league records for career stolen bases, runs, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs. He may be chilling in the dugout, talking up a batter. Henderson knocked off Ty Cobb for the record most career runs scored in 2001. Henderson could have gone either routeto college on a football scholarship, or the path to a baseball career in the big leagues. Why did Rickey Henderson bat right handed? The Athletics wanted their superstar back again the following year. Currently, Henderson is currently serving a 25 year sentence for a drug charge out of Taylor County. Rickey Darrell Henderson went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, at St. Bernard's Regional Medical Center in Jonesboro. Who Is Rickey Henderson's Wife? [58], In February 2002, Henderson signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, where at age 43 he became the oldest player to play center field in major league history when he replaced Johnny Damon for three games in April and another in July. [51], In May 2000, Henderson was released by the Mets, and he signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners. The couple tied their wedding knot in 1983 and their marriage is going strong for over three decades. Rickey Henderson, 61, is married to his loving wife, Pamela Palmer. I think he's calling to congratulate me, but he goes, 'Sixty stolen bases? [13][14], In 1983, Henderson married his high-school sweetheart, Pamela. [40] It was the only season from 1980 to 1991 in which Henderson did not lead the AL in steals. Inspired by Dodgers leadoff hitter Rudy Law, Henderson adopted an exaggerated crouch as his batting stance, which reduced his strike zone without sacrificing much power. Leading the A's to a four-game sweep over the San Francisco Giants and the franchise's first World Series title since 1974, Henderson hit .474 with an .895 slugging average (including two triples and a homer), while stealing three more bases. Three weeks after his definitive story, his wife died of breast cancer. Henderson was always fast, and he didn't limit his speed tostealing bases. Sports writer Howard Bryant's new biography, "Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original" (Mariner), tells the captivating story of Rickey Henderson, the Hall of Famer who holds the MLB . Oh, baby, look out!". Henderson became the first player in major league history to reach 80 stolen bases and 20 home runs in the 1985 season. Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland Athletics[3] and previously held the New York Yankees' franchise record from 1988 to 2011. Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star and Sports Illustrated wrote: I'm about to give you one of my all-time favorite statistics: Rickey Henderson walked 796 times in his career LEADING OFF AN INNING. Henderson made his major league debut with Oakland on June 24, 1979, getting two hits in four at-bats, along with a stolen base. Henderson averaged 115 walks per 162 games over his career. Henderson played his last major league game on September 19, 2003; he was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance, and came around to score his 2,295th run. Henderson's impact was noticeable on Jos Reyes, the Mets' former leadoff hitter. [11] Henderson later said, "All my friends were right-handed and swung from the right side, so I thought that's the way it was supposed to be done. Despite the access Bryant had -- Pamela Henderson, the athlete's wife, suggested writing the biography, and the author had four interviews with the baseball player among his dozens of other. At Henderson's insistence, the giveaway plastic dolls had one atypical modification: "I told them, put a little dirt on mine, make sure that [it looks] like I'm playing the game." [33], In December 1984, Henderson was traded to the New York Yankees along with Bert Bradley for five players: Tim Birtsas, Jay Howell, Stan Javier, Eric Plunk, and Jos Rijo. [13] Henderson received over a dozen scholarship offers to play football. Rickey wanted $1.2m. On May 28, 2011, Henderson's total was surpassed by Derek Jeter,[41] who had played 1,700 more games as a Yankee than Henderson. You ought to be ashamed. ESPN Video ESPN", "Henderson's antics tarnish his brilliant career", "Career Leaders & Records for Stolen Bases", "Year-by-Year League Leaders for Stolen Bases", Glossary of terms; Baseball Statistics.com, "Chris Ballard: More from Rickey Henderson and Jimmy Rollins on the art of the steal", "Progressive Leaders & Records for Power-Speed #", "Kenny Lofton sets postseason record for stolen bases", "Celebrating 40 Years of Oakland Athletics", "Baseball Evolution The 2005 Sporting News Top 100", "Most Times Leading League Batting Statistics", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rickey_Henderson&oldid=1141440627, September 19,2003,for theLos Angeles Dodgers, Most seasons leading the league in stolen bases, Most stolen bases in a single postseason series, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 02:26. When I broke into the game, he was crawling on his hands and knees. [96] (Carlos Beltran ranks first among players with at least 300 career attempts, at just over 86%. [47] After winning his second World Series ring with Toronto, he re-signed as a free agent with Oakland in December 1993.[33]. From the author of The Last Hero: A Life of Henry Aaron comes the definitive biography of Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, baseball's epic leadoff hitter and base-stealer who also stole America's heart over nearly five electric decades in the game. Bryant (The Last Hero), a senior writer for ESPN.com, delivers a solid and comprehensive take on the life and career of Rickey Henderson, Major League Baseball's all-time stolen base leader.A part of the 1960s "Black migration" to California, 10-year-old Henderson and his family moved from Arkansas to Oakland in 1969. The formerOakland Athleticsleft fielder was larger than life andMajor League Baseball. He is being held in the Byrd Unit in Huntsville. [62] This was the 13th highest percentage in major league history. Henderson also holds the record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 81; Alfonso Soriano and Craig Biggio are tied for a distant second, each with 53 career lead-off home runs. 1987 Season 1989 Season. Rickey purchased a Tuscan-style home in Arizona in 1996 for $1,650,000. All this, despite being swept by Cincinnatiin the 1990 World Series. Rickey Henderson was the highest-paid baseball player along with Kirby Puckett for three years with his first contract signed in 1989. He was named after Ricky Nelson when they got to the hospital. Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is an American retired professional baseball left fielder who played 24 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate tenures with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. [111] In 2005, The Sporting News updated their 100 Greatest Players list, and Henderson had inched up to number 50. Rickey Henderson was born on the 25th of December, 1958. Olerud was reported to have replied, "That was me." Showing Editorial results for pamela henderson. Four years later, Vince Coleman broke that unbelievable record when he stole more than 100 bases for 3 consecutive seasons (1985, 1986 & 1987). He thanked God and his mother, as well as the people that helped him in baseball. I know. Rickey Henderson's base-stealing mark is one MLB record that will stand the test of time. Last year Ed Ott of the Angels got so frustrated because the umpire was calling balls that would've been strikes on anybody else that he stood up and shouted at me, "Stand up and hit like a man." Collections; Project #ShowUs; . At the time of his last major league game, Henderson was still in the all-time top 100 home run hitters, with 297. When Henderson broke Lou Brock's record for stealing bases, he neglected to thank his wife, who had been with him since she was 14. It's funny becauseit's true. [24], Henderson was an MVP candidate a year later, in a season shortened by a players' strike. "[76], On July 13, 2007, the Mets promoted Henderson from special instructor to first base coach, replacing Howard Johnson, who became the hitting coach. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "[25], A's pitching coach Dave Duncan said of Henderson, "You have to be careful because he can knock one out. Rickey Henderson's game lackedkryptonite. His 1,406 career steals is 50% higher than the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock. The euphoric crowd chanted, "RICKEY! The two men had been together the previous season with the 1999 Mets, as well as with the 1993 World Champion Blue Jays. The 39 year-old 'Man of Steal' becomes the oldest player ever to lead the league in purloined bags", "1999 On Base Percentage Leaders: Top 25 in the National League", "Card game: Henderson, Bonilla show up Valentine in Game 6", "Griffey simply breathtaking in his prime", "2000 Stolen Bases Leaders: Top 25 in the American League", "Henderson Breaks Cobb's Record in Style", "October 7, 2001: Rickey Henderson records 3,000th hit in Tony Gwynn's final game Society for American Baseball Research", "A Year-by-Year League Leaders & Records for Oldest Player", "BASEBALL; Mets and Henderson Are Closing In On Deal", "One on one with Rickey Henderson: future Hall of Famer Interview", "Rickey's retirement plans: will he or won't he? First Name Rickey #4. He matched the feat in 1986, as did the Reds' Eric Davis; they remain the only players in major league history who are in the "20/80 club". NBC and ESPN reported that Henderson had announced his much-delayed official retirement on December 6, 2005, but his agent denied the report the following day. Nonetheless, Henderson and the Mets were an uneasy fit. Terms of Use, SOURCE: a Guide to Arizona Real Estate, Listings, And Lifestyle. I love you, Billy. Offered the chance to assess his own placement among the game's greats, he said, "I haven't mastered the homers or RBI. Once asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers. Because if I don't say it and you don't say it, nobody says it. Rickey didn't even stop after 2003, his final MLB season. The woman's husband, Jahann Salarinartin, told police that Rickey Henderson assaulted his wife, Sandra, 23, when she refused to have sex with him. Bill James wrote in 2000, "Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don't own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson. Required fields are marked *. [Pause for cheers] Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. In 30 games with the Dodgers, he had 15 hits and three stolen bases, with a .208 batting average. He won his first World Series Championship in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics; star pitcher Dave Stewart was named World Series MVP. He was inducted into Baseballs Hall of Fame in 2009. Yet in the past quarter-century Henderson and Barry Bonds have come closest to dominating a baseball game the way Michael Jordan could a basketball game."[79]. Record: 85-76-0, Finished 5th in AL_East ( Schedule and Results ) Managers: Billy Martin (40-28) and Lou Piniella (45-48) General Manager: Bob Quinn Sr. (Promoted May 1988) Scouting Director: Brian Sabean. Henderson signed with the San Diego Padres in the offseason, where he had another respectable year in 1996, again finishing in the top ten in the National League (NL) in walks, OBP, steals and runs.[48]. They can go from first to second in 2.9 seconds; and no pitcher catcher combination in baseball could throw from here to there to tag second in 2.9 seconds, it was always 3, 3.1, 3.2. Henderson eschews the modern statistics that made his former club famous in Moneyball. (He would've played for anyone: Kansas City, Milwaukee, the Colorado Rockies, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, or even the St. Louis Cardinals if they would have taken him. [45] Henderson's speech (at right) after breaking Brock's record was similar to the standard victory or award speech. In his new book, Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original, he looks at . A.P. We'll talk about a home run hitter 24/7. And that's just Henderson's birth. 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