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Minor Leagues 1976-79:
Drafted in the 4th Round (96th Overall) by the Oakland Athletics in 1976, Henderson began his professional
career at single-A Boise and hit .336 with 29 stolen bases. He moved up the single-A ladder to Modesto in 1977 and continued
to succeed, batting .345 and leading the league with 95 stolen bases.
Promoted to AA Jersey City in 1978, Henderson
again led his league in steals with 81, and posted his third straight .300 + season (.310).
The rising prospect continued his rapid ascent up the organization's ladder in 1979.
Henderson began the season at AAA Ogden and was promoted to the big club on June 23.
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Oakland Athletics 1979-1984: Henderson made his major
league debut on June 23, 1979. He went on to lead the club in stolen bases that season with 33 despite appearing in just 89
games. In 1980 he appeared in his first All Star Game en route to becoming the
third player in history to steal 100 bases in season. During the strike shortened
1981 season Henderson led the A's to the first half AL West title and finished a close second to Rollie Fingers in the MVP
voting.
Henderson burst into the national conscience in 1982, setting the single season stolen
base record with 130. In 1983 he eclipsed the 100 stolen base mark
for the third straight season, leading the majors with 108. On August 21 he became
the youngest player ever to amass 400 steals.
In 1984 Henderson again led the AL in steals with 66, marking the fifth
consecutive season he accomplished the feat. He was traded to the New York Yankees on Dec 8 with P Bert Bradley for OF Stan
Javier and pitching prospects Jay Howell, Tim Birtsas, Eric Plunk, and Jose Rijo.
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New York Yankees 1985-1989: After beginning the season
on the DL and completing a rehab assignment in Ft. Lauderdale, Henderson went onto to have one of his finest all around seasons
in 1985. The leadoff man scored a league leading 146 runs in just 143 games while
hitting .314 with 24 HR and 80 steals. He finished third in the MVP voting following the season.
Henderson led the AL in steals for the seventh consecutive season in 1986 with 87. He stole his 600th career
base on May 18. The 1987 season was a trying one for Henderson, as injuries limited him to just 95 games - his
lowest total since 1979. He rebounded in 1988 to lead the AL with 93 steals and make his seventh straight All Star
appearance. Henderson scored his 1000th career run on July 17.
Henderson began the 1989 season in New
York, but was dealt back to Oakland on June 21 for P Eric Plunk, P Greg Cadaret, and OF Luis Polonia.
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Oakland Athletics
1989-1993: Henderson's return to the Bay Area was a triumphant
one. He led the AL with 77 steals, won the ALCS MVP, and helped the A's sweep
the neighboring Giants in the World Series.
1990 was Henderson's
finest season. He led AL with 65 steals and 119 runs, finished second with a
.325 average, and captured his only MVP award. The A's won their third consecutive
AL Pennant, but were swept by the underdog Cincinnati Reds in the World Series.
Henderson passed Lou Brock with his 939th stolen base on May 1, 1991 to become the games' all time leader. He led the AL with 58 thefts; marking the 11th time in 12 years he topped the league in that department.
Henderson broke new ground on May 1, 1992 when he became the first person
in history to steal 1,000 bases. He began the 1993 season in Oakland, but was
traded to Toronto on July 31 for P Steve Karsay and OF Jose Herrera.
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Toronto Blue Jays
1993: Henderson was brought to Toronto to help the Jays win a
second straight World Series, and did just that. The hired gun hit .370 in the
Blue Jay's six game victory over Philadelphia in the Fall Classic. The free
agent outfielder was re-signed by Oakland on December 17.
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Oakland Athletics
1994-1995: Injuries limited to Henderson to 87 games in 1994,
he hit .260 and stole 22 bases. He rebounded to hit .300 in 122 games for the
A's in 1995. He left Oakland, signing a free agent contract with San Diego on
January 2, 1996.
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San Diego Padres
1996-1997: Henderson helped the Padres win the NL West Crown
in '96. His NL debut was highlighted by a .410 OBP and 37 steals. Henderson began the '97 campaign in San Diego, but was dealt to Anaheim on August 13 for P Ryan Hancock,
P Stevenson Agosto, and IF George Arias.
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Anaheim Angels 1997: Henderson's stay in Anaheim was brief; he played in just 32 games and hit a miserable
.183. He returned to Oakland following the season, signing a free agent contract.
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Oakland Athletics
1998: Henderson experienced a rebirth during his fourth stint
in Oakland. The 39 year old became the oldest person to lead the league in steals
with 66. It was his 13th season with 50 or more thefts, which tied Lou Brock's
record. Henderson headed east following the season, signing a free agent contract
with the Mets on December 13.
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New York Mets 1999-2000: Henderson continued his strong play in 1999, hitting .315 with 37 steals. The 40 year old helped the Mets secure a Wild Card berth and advance to the NLCS. 2000, however, did not begin well. After a poor start and
a dispute with management, Henderson was released on May 13. Like always, he
landed on his feet, inking a deal with Seattle four days later.
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Seattle Mariners
2000: Henderson appeared in the post season for the second straight
year. He helped the Mariners earn a Wild Card berth and advance to the ALCS. He picked up his 2,000th career walk on May 23.
The free agent signed a minor league deal with San Diego on March 19, 2001.
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San Diego Padres
2001: After a 9 game tune-up at AAA Portland, Henderson joined
the Padres and began his assault on the record books.
On
April 25, he drew his 2,063rd walk passing Babe Ruth to become the all time leader. On October 4, Henderson hit a solo home
run off LA's Luke Prokopec and slid home to become the game's all time leader in runs scored, with 2,246. Ty Cobb previously
held the mark. Three days later, on his final at bat of the season, Henderson became the 25th player to reach the
3,000 hit plateau. The milestone was reached on a double off of Colorado's John Thomson.
Once again a free agent, Henderson inked a minor league contract with Boston on February 13, 2002.
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Boston Red Sox 2002: Henderson played sparingly in Boston, appearing in just 72 games. He stole his 1,400th career base on May 29 when he swiped two bases at Toronto.
Following the
season, Henderson was unable to find a home in the major leagues. He ended up signing with the Newark Bears of the independant
Atlantic League on April 24, 2003.
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Newark Bears 2003: Henderson's stay in Newark was a successfull one. He hit .339 with 8 HR and won the Atlantic League's All Star Game
MVP.
The
Los Angeles Dodgers took notice, and signed the veteran on July 14 to help bolster their offense.
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Los Angeles Dodgers 2003: Henderson joined the Dodgers after the All Star break. It was his 25th big league season. Rickey
started strong, but played little late in the season, partly due to a bad shoulder.
The first ballot Hall of Famer hit .208
in 30 games during his final big league stop. After not receiving any interest from a major league organization,
Henderson re-joined the Newark Bears in May 2004.
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Newark Bears 2004: Henderson began his second stint in Newark in May. While the big leagues never came calling, the 45-year-old did
play well for the Bears, hitting .281 with .462 on-base-percentage and stealing 37 bases in 39 attempts.
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San Diego Surf Dawgs 2005:
Rickey signed with the independant Golden Baseball League team in May and helped them
win the innagural league title. The 46-year-old hit .270, reached base at a .456 clip, stole 16 bases in 18 attempts
and hit five homers.
After 29 years and 30 seasons, Henderson's playing days came to an
end. Although he has still never formally announced his retirement.
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