American · Chicago, USA · Born 25 December 1958American baseball player widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in MLB history, holding the all-time stolen base record.
Rickey Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1958. Oakland Athletics selected him fourth overall in the 1976 MLB Draft. His 25-season career produced 3,055 hits, 2,295 runs scored and 1,406 stolen bases — the all-time record, surpassing Lou Brock's mark on 1 May 1991. He was named AL MVP in 1990 and won the World Series with Oakland in 1989 and Toronto in 1993. He was a 10-time All-Star. He hit 297 career home runs as a leadoff hitter — the most in major league history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009 with 94.8% of the vote. He is universally considered the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history.
Stolen bases record and leadoff hitting
He stole 130 bases in a single season (1982) — a record so far above what any modern player achieves that it's considered unapproachable.
Did You Know?How They Played
Speed-focused leadoff hitter with exceptional base stealing ability
Lasting Impact
Greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in baseball history
Career Honours
- World Series Champion 1989
- AL MVP 1990
- 12x stolen base champion
- 1,406 career stolen bases (record)
- 2,295 career runs (record)
| Team | Period | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Athletics | 1979–1984 | 718 |
| New York Yankees | 1985–1989 | 596 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 1993–1993 | 44 |
| San Diego Padres | 1996–1997 | 221 |
| Anaheim Angels | 1997–1997 | 32 |
| New York Mets | 1999–2000 | 242 |
| Seattle Mariners | 2000–2000 | 92 |
| Boston Red Sox | 2002–2002 | 72 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 2003–2003 | 30 |
American Athletes