Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henley Henderson (born December 25, 1958) is a professional baseball player. Many include him among the greatest players of all time, including Rickey himself. Statistician Bill James was once asked if he thought Rickey Henderson was a Hall of Famer. James' reply: "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers."

Years with the Yankees

In 1985, he was traded to the New York Yankees, and that year he scored 146 runs in just 142 games, with 24 home runs and 80 steals. He later hit as many as 28 homers in a single season.

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1985 - New York Yankees

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He had an off-season, by his standards, in 1987, beginning a problematic relationship with frustrated Yankee fans and the New York media. It wasn't until 1989 that Rickey bounced back after a mid-season trade to Oakland, eventually re-establishing himself as one of the game's greatest players during that postseason. He was MVP of the American League Championship Series with 8 steals in 5 games to go with a 1.000 slugging percentage. Leading the A's to their first World Series title since 1974, he hit .474 with a "mere" .895 slugging average.

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1987 - American League Championship Series - World Series - 1974

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A year later, he finished second in the league in batting average with a mark of .325, losing out to George Brett on the final day of the season. He had a remarkably consistent season, with his batting average falling below .320 for only one game-- the third of the year. Reaching safely by a hit or a walk in 125 of his 136 games, his on-base average was a league-leading .439. With 119 runs scored, 28 homers, 61 RBI and 65 stolen bases, he won the 1990 MVP award and helped Oakland to another pennant. He again performed well in the World Series (.333 batting, .667 slugging, 3 steals in 4 games) but the A's were swept by the underdog Cincinnati Reds.

Related Topics:
George Brett - Cincinnati Reds

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