I'm a Yankee fan and I was 13 around the time this trade happened. I heard on the radio the announcer said someone thing about a big Yankees trade, then he said that Rickey Henderson was traded to the Oakland A's. I was shocked. It was like finding out someone in your family passed away. He was my favorite player and I loved watching him play. I was so upset that I shed a few tears later on that night. I thought I could never watch baseball again. I was so mad at the Yankees for trading him. I was happy for him when he won the MVP the following year but I thought he should have won it while he was with the Yankees. You are the best Rickey!!
+Joe Kidd along with Polonia, the A's sent relief pitcher Greg Caderet and Pitcher Eric Plunk, who ironically was part of the trade that sent Rickey to the Yankees 5 years earlier. Caderet was a solid relief pitcher, Plunk was terrible.
+Joe Kidd yeah Rickey was tough when it came to money so I'm sure Steinbrenner didn't want to deal with that. After Rickey helped the A's win the World Series and was ALCS MVP, he wanted a raise from the A's even though he was under contract.
damannoa I was the same age as you when the trade happened, a Yankee fan and a Rickey fanatic! I also shed tears. I laugh when I look back on it because I didn't appreciate at the time how Rickey was coming home. Rickeys the best!
damannoa I was 14 when the trade happened. Very upset. I remember Rickeys first home run at Yankee Stadium after that trade. Boy did he hot dog around those bases. Flicked the bat and ran close to Yankee dug out as he ran around the bases. Still loved him as a player. 1993 he slipped away again rumored to go back to Yanks instead ended up in Toronto and got another World Series Ring. Man do I miss Mattingly and Henderson in the good old days. 5 Championships since then. Wish those two could have taken part in those.
I was in Oakland and they announced it on the radio... Rickey is coming home!!!! I was at that game, his first one back in Oakland. The city was ALIVE and Rickey dominated after that trade becoming the American League MVP. I was crushed when he was traded in 84 but was thrilled to witness his return in 89. I was the biggest Rickey fan EVER
Hate that efn announcer talking about Rickey kept teammates and fans waiting. He had to take a fucking plane cross country. Rickey don't need no practice. We talkin bout practice. We talkin bout Rickey
Eric Plunk was a ok reliever/set up guy, Greg Cadaret was a lefty but inconsistent, and Luis Polonia had speed but he was not in Ricky's league. A great move before going on to sweep the Giants in the world series that year.
Rickey's 1985 season for the Yankees is under appreciated. Shame Yanks couldn't make the playoffs with him. Certainly wasn't his fault they had no pitching.
Unfortunate for this Yankee fan. Trade Had to happen.. Some of us-We loved him in the BRONX. Mattingly and Henderson my two favorite childhood players. Can’t believe Rickey will turn 60 in December 2018!
I remember when this happened and what I was doing when this was announced on the radio.I was shocked and ecstatic. I knew this was the key to going all the way.A great day for A's fans.
This video is great! I remember hearing about this trade on Kiner's Korner after a Mets game back in 1989. Ralph Kiner gave the update on WWOR Channel 9 in New York. Yankees were in a rebuilding mode after a bad 1988 and a bad 1989 first half. I guess the Yankees thought Polonia would give them a lot of what Rickey did with his speed as well as getting 2 young pitchers in Cadaret and Plunk. Cadaret was a middle-pen guy. Nothing special, the Yanks tried him in the starting rotation a bit, but he never really developed in to a solid starter. Plunk was bad for the Yankees, but he had a nice career with several teams. Polonia never turned into a great lead-off hitter, but he had some wheels. He would end up playing for the Yankees 3 times. Yanks traded Polonia to the Angels in 1990 for Claudell Washington and then brought Polonia back in 1994. Finally, after trading him to the Braves in 1995, they brought him back in 2000 to help the Yanks beat the Mets in the World Series in 2000 as a decent bench player with speed.
RIP Bob Welch was like hell na I'm # 35....For Rickey # 24 looked way better than 22...Welch deserved it with that 30 win season and Rickey is the greatest player is A's history!
his story about stealing bases is incredible. he said he was on a plane that had heavy terbulance. and he asked the pilot how did he land after that terbulance. the pilot told him i just keep the plane level to the ground for a few hundred feet, so long as you keep it parrallel you,? no matter whatever happened before, you will never bounce, thats where he got his slide from that never bounces.
