There Will Never Be Another Rickey Henderson 

My favorite Rickey anecdote is a shocker, if you know his character. At the end of the 2001 season, he found himself on the Padres, and he offered to bench himself for the final game of the season because he entered this day with 2,999 career hits and he didn't want to upstage teammate Tony Gwynn's retirement. But Gwynn declined & encouraged Rickey to play, and in fact Rickey got the hit. It's one of only a couple moments in MLB history where two players on the same team both had 3,000 hits.

“if you could split [Rickey Henderson] in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.” -Bill James

One thing people don't mention about Rickey is his durability. He played in over 3000 games (4th all time) and actually played in more games than Cal Ripken.

66 steals in a season at 39 years old...wow

I was 10 years old in 1990, so I can remember him pretty well. He was a player that had a massive ego, talked himself up all the time, and relished in his own accomplishments. BUT....he never came off as a jerk. He never put anyone down. People loved him. He was so weird in addition to being a world class athlete and showman. When he stood there and said "Today, I am the greatest of all time." It was just funny, no one was like "What an asshole".

Ricky Henderson was part of the 1993 World Series Champion Blue Jays team. I'll never forget his performance. He also stole 66 bases as a 39 year old. Such an amazing competitor.

Something Rickey did in 1985 that I'm not sure has ever been repeated since then: He scored more runs than games played, scoring 146 runs in the 143 games he played.

Legend in the golden era of baseball.

I am honored to have met Mr. Henderson in 2003 when I was 10 years old while he was playing for the Newark Bears. I was on the 3rd base line in the front row not too far from the 3rd base coach. I got lucky twice. First time I was able to reach over and nab a foul ball he hit and then a few innings later after making the final out of the inning he came over and handed me the ball, shook my hand, and said "how's it going kid". I'll always remember it...... On a side note I also got to see Jose Canseco's brother Ozzie who was also playing independent league ball at the time.

He’s my favorite player of all time. Wish I was old enough to been able to see him play in the 90s but man I always love learning more about him! As a huge A’s fan & Bay Area native Rickey is an absolute legend. If you haven’t, read Rickey it’s a great book about his life & his legendary career!

The best player of all time in many regards. Most walks (non-intentional) Most runs, Most steals, most steals of 3rd, most homers to lead off a game. Dude could dominate a game without being at the plate. Very few players had the ability to change the game in as many ways as Rickey. What a treat to watch him play.

I am 47 years old. I grew up about an hour and a half South of Oakland. Ricky is easily my favorite baseball player of all time. I was grateful to have shaken his hand while he was walking through the concessions area during a Raider game. And the answer is NO, there will never be another Ricky!

You could make a case that Rickey was the greatest baseball player ever. I was fortunate to watch his entire career. What a Treat!

The pride of Oakland! Thank you for representing our city in a positive light! One of the best to ever do it

the fact he played so aggressively for a quarter century is the craziest part

He is quite possibly the greatest baseball player of all time. I don't understand why he is generally not in that discussion. The game is based on scoring more runs than the other team while playing solid defense with good ptiching being the agreed upon recipe for winning. He is no question the greatest base stealer and greatest lead off hitter ever. He was solid on defense (3rd most purouts as an OF), and produced runs almost at will in his many prime years. Along with his longevity (the oldest player in the league in 2002),(4th all time in games played) and had HR power to boot...he was the greatest. If he had not been hurt in 1987 he would have led the league in stolen bases ten years in a row. He averaged 74 stolen bases per full season and did that for twenty years....and who is going to ever lead the league in SB at age 39 again? One of the absolute greatest athletes of all time.

Great vid. I feel like Rickey doesn't get as much love as he should for being one of the great and most fun players.

One of the neat things about Ricky is that his longevity was in part due to how he trained. He would do the workout regiment of an NFL wide receiver - since it not only built up strength on top of keeping speed, it also built up durability. He and Jerry Rice would train together in the off-season.

I'm an Australian that didn't really follow baseball until recently. What got me interested in the sport was 2 videos I watched on Ricky Henderson. One video by SB Nation and the other by Foolish Baseball. I thought Henderson was such an original, a true 1 of 1 after watching those videos. I've now been watching baseball for a couple of years now (Go Os!) and it's all because of Ricky.

He definitely is the greatest lead off hitter of all time. Hall of Famer. Obviously he loved playing the game and we loved watching him. Enough said.

Rickey's one of my favorite players of all time. We'll never see another Rickey Henderson ever again

If you add up Rickey's doubles, triples, home runs, and counted every stolen base as a double, he had the equivalent of 2,279 extra base hits.

Rickey was one of the best baseball players who ever lived. Period.

Hendersons services were much appreciated up here in the north. That 93 Jays run was killer.

rickey is one of he best ever he will be in the record books for a long time to come

10:10 - He was part of the Blue Jays 2nd World Series win, not their first.

We're talking about the fastest man in baseball who played 25 years with an OBP over .400 with power. I used to hate it when teams would just stick a fast guy at the top of the order, but this wasn't that. Greatest leadoff hitter ever.

Simply The BEST. Ain't no one can to what Ricky Did!!!!!!!

He was my favorite player and so underrated by most anyone. Few are around that truly enjoyed his unbelievable abilities.

GREAT BREAKDOWN!! Rickey has a STRONG CASE for calling himself the all-around GOAT of baseball. Name everything a baseball GOAT should possess and Rickey had it in abundance. I remember when he was nearly 40 - he came to play for the Mets in '99 and we had a GREAT team on the field that year - possibly one of the top ten infields of all time. If we'd had a great pitching staff we could have taken on the Yankees head to head, NO doubt. Anyway - Rickey appeared in about 120 games for us and had around 430 at bats. So playing basically part-time and at 40 years old - he hit 30 doubles, 12 HRs, stole 37 bases, hit .315, walked 82 times, had an OBP of .423 and an OPS+ of 128. Not bad for a 40 year old part time outfielder. And the year before that, at 39 years old he led the NL with 66 stolen bases and also led the league in walks - so I don't know what you mean by Rickey being resurgent with the Mets. Oh and I'm writing this comment before I watch the video because growing up in NY I got see Rickey play A LOT. So much so that he became my favorite player. He was a JOY to watch. Rickey was born too early. He would have been THE BIGGEST STAR IN BASEBALL (and maybe all of sports) during THIS era where his flashiness and bravado (which somehow made him even more likable, a rare trait) - and not to mention his pure JOY for the game, would have been truly appreciated. If someone tells me they think Rickey is the greatest player ever - I wouldn't necessarily agree 100% - but I wouldn't argue or debate with them either. Because Rickey has just as strong a case as any player in the MLB GOAT debate has.

Hands down my favorite baseball player ever!!

He was definitely one of the greats. I remember watching him in the 90's and now get to watch Ohtani do his thing now. I 💙 baseball.

i’m a cubs fan. but rickey was, is and will remain my favorite player ever

my all time favorite player. i even remember batting like him one year in little league. i love how he was the best at leadoff HRs

one stat of rickey's that is truly amazing is that in 1985, he scored more than 1 run per game, 146 in 143. something not accomplished since 1937 by joltin' joe. to put this into context, before 1937 , 7 players accomplished this,( elite for the time period, but still, more common than today's standards , akin to hittin .400 )led by the babe who did it 6 times and the iron horse twice. a-rod once missed by 5, bagwell missed by 8, and the splendid splinter was within 10, 3 times. unique, rare , and at times utterly hilarious, the man of steal will never be caught up with, he is the gingerbread man, but with a happier ending.

Ricky Henderson was quite simply, phenomenal.

Very impressive video. Brought back a lot of memories. Thank you. A definite new follow

He was truly one of a kind.

“I started to hit a few home runs, when I uh, learned how to hit a home run” - Rickey Henderson The most Rickey Henderson quote you will ever think of

Dude was the GOAT before people knew what a Goat was 🐐

Rickey was my favorite player as a kid. Watching him dominate that 1989 post season was amazing.

Got to watch Rickey at the Coliseum beginning when he was a rookie and I’m old enough to remember his 130 steal season. There was nobody like him.

How I remembered Rickey Henderson when I was a kid? I had his 1981 baseball card as some of my friend's barely thought of him as a good baseball player compared to others. At the end of the summer, some of my friends were begging me to trade a few Rickey Henderson cards I had in my possession.

They should do a video on his batting stance alone. There was a reason he drew so many walks, he would be crouched so low during the pitchers wind up, and then when the pitch would come he would stand straight up and it would look like a ball every time. There was a certain gamesmanship to it.

He might be my favorite baseball player to watch thus far because he was so dynamic and fast, and he was a colorful character at that! Not even the ball hitting him on the head slowed him down @ 8:50!!!

My favorite baseball player.

His 1980 topps rookie card is iconic to me. I had 2 of them in the late 80's and a middle school teacher confiscated them and I never got them back. I have a really sharp PSA 9 now and it will belong to my kids one day. The nostalgia I get looking at that card can't be matched.

As a Yankee fan, always remember his time with them. Ricky, Winfield, and Donnie Baseball (Mattingly). When Ricky joined the team in '85, he tore his ankle ligaments in spring training and was out for the year. By coincidence, I too suffered a severe ankle injury the previous month while running and was also sidelined for the rest of the year. Some people wondered why he was out the whole season; I knew why.

My favorite player of all time.

Nothing but Respect for Ol’ Rickey. I remember those days.

I saw him at Shea stadium.He spent his time in the outfield making great catches and busting balls on the fans.

I loved watching Rickey play. But, I was a National League fan, so Ozzie Smith was my all-time favorite player, and Tim Raines was my favorite lead-off man (he hit .293 right-handed and .294 left-handed). Back in the 70's and 80's, we used to play a game called "Hot Box". I would always dive like Rickey Henderson and Ozzie Smith. I love everything about the stolen base....the base-runner, the catcher, and the guy making the tag. Really, I miss every aspect of "small ball"....well-timed bunts, squeeze plays, hit-and-run, stolen bases, etc.

The game of baseball is better b/c Ricky Henderson played. He'a an all-time great for sure and also one of the most entertaining personalities in sports history.

He was one of my main heroes when I was a kid. He was so awesome. Those padded batting gloves in fluorescent green (or yellow?). I used those batting gloves one year when I was a kid. I thought I was so cool! On base all of the time due to his excellent ability to put the bat on the ball and elite discipline at the plate, plus power, and otherworldly speed and baserunning. Was a solid leftfielder, too.

Didn’t know Rickey was this great ! Thank you for making this video!!

Decades ago we were at a Twins outside game and we were seated in left field. Rickey was playing LF and took off after a bloop foul hit down the the 3rd base line. I swear there were jet contrails following him as he sprinted over 120 feet to snag the ball. I'll never forget that moment.

Great Henderson Documentary.

Rickey being a coiled spring at 1:44, holy crap he was fun!

My fav of all time

The guy is a legend! Easily the best lead off hitter ever no one even comes close.

He well may be the Best young man to have ever worn an MLB uniform. Congrats to you Rickey: I salute you Sir, Captain Winfield🇺🇲

As a teenager, growing up in the SF Bay Area, I was an avid A's fan. . . Loved Billy⚾️Ball. . . Especially the double steals with Rickey on 2nd & Dwayne Murphy on 1st. . . The opponent's catcher (if they were wise) would always throw to 2nd base to try & get out Murphy, on account of they knew they couldn't ever throw out Rickey at 3rd, lol. . .

Thanks for the upload he was my third all time favorite player. #2 Ken Griffey Jr. #1 Vladimir Guerrero

No one would have pimped the base running oven mitt like Rickey...elite talent and mentality.

Ricky was one of the greatest players of the 80's and 90's. Unfortunately, Baseball is no longer the sport it once was.

Back in the day they studied Ricky's stealing technique closely. He was fast; but there were people who were faster. Where he got his edge was in his ability to take good leads and to get good jumps on the pitchers. He was an artist of sorts. He was perhaps the biggest pro at base stealing.

Yup. He is one of the greatest no doubt. 🤟💪🤟💪

Rickey Henderson was a 40-yard dash Sprinter ala Houston McTear! His Explosive Start was the Key to his Hall of Fame performance!

Ricky was a stud. I grew up watching Ricky and bought a baseball card of him when I was 12. It's worth $65 k today and I haven't sold it. It will only gain in value because Ricky's numbers will NEVER be touched.

Loved this guy. Confident. But what make Rickey great was his quickness but really being able to read the pitcher and get amazing jumps. I took from him as much as i could along with Tin raines.

Rickey loves Rickey almost as much as I love Rickey😄😄

RH is what you get when a high level athlete plays baseball, not just player with special skill like hitting or throwing a curve, but a proper well rounded athlete.

Best all around player ever

Best athlete of the 80’s. And he was the best Athletic

I remember when he came to Seattle and played with the Mariners in 2000, but it's hard to name a team he hasn't played for. He must have been 40 at the time but he was still fast AF and made catchers and pitchers nervous whenever he was on base.

Imagine Rickey with these new rules and bigger bags 😮

Run Rickey run ! The walking triple dubbed by Reggie Jackson ! My favorite baseball player

I owned 3+ of every card of his! Didn't own much else. 😢 and never got to meet him. Great Overview of Rickey!

LEGEND. Loved Ricky. He balled out forever. Best lead off man ever? Best I ever saw.

One of the best overall players of all-time.

omg i had no idea he was on that Jays team!!!! good damn video man

My favorite player of all time. Saw him at Yankee stadium in 1984 my first Yankee game I was 9 years old. When he got on first base that night i every night after that Yankee stadium stood up and cheered bc every swinging dick in the park knew he was going. Every pitch was a game of cat and mouse with him and then he took off! SAFE and it wasn't even close! He really was something to see in his prime I was super pissed when the Yankees let him ho back to Oakland! Still my favorite player ever as Im obviously a Yankee fan from the Bronx. GOAT 🐐🐐🐐🐐

Fantastic Video.

Best lead off hitter ever

Anyone else watch Ricky in the 80’s and 90’s and run out to get a pair of Mizuno batting gloves? The neon green ones with padded fingers? Oh yeah nostalgic

Living in Salinas, I went to the Coliseum often to watch him play. I wore the Mizuno fluorescent green batting gloves playing HS ball for the Vikings. Like Barry Sanders, TV slowed him down. In person, absolutely lightening fast and electrifying!!! A”s 💯💪

What a guy

I was there when Ricky broke the stolen base record. Best all around player I’ve ever seen. Period. He pretty much won the Bay Bridge World Series single-handedly.

Rickey is a great guy. My favorite player of all time. I loved his cockiness. However a few years ago he was at the national signing and I took my then 10 yr old son. I was getting a bit annoyed by how slow the line was moving. When we got up to front it all made sense. He was having conversations with everyone, not just signing and pushing people through. He took pics with both of us individually, most signers wouldn't let you take a pic

I'm 65... Started watching in '67. I have Rickey as 4th on my list in my lifetime. Hank Ichiro A-Rod Rickey Bonds Ken Jr. Carew Gwynn Clemente Rose

Here is my Favorite Rickey Henderson Achievement: He was Strikeout #5000 for Nolan Ryan in 1989. There will never be another 5000 Strikeout pitcher, so Henderson will go down as the only man in MLB history to be a pitcher's 5000th victim

Great video 👍

My childhood hero

Rickey Henderson deserves to be mentioned in the top 10 players of all-time! Think about it: he finished his career with 468 MORE stolen bases than the man in 2nd place, Lou Brock. He's the all-time leader in runs scored and leadoff HR's. His career on-base pct is .401. He was very confident, for sure...he would tell you how great he was 😂. Truth is: he was as great as he said he was. Special talent, tremendous physical condition, much love for the game, etc... Rickey Henderson was must see, period...1,406 career stolen bases, stands out...in 1982, he was 130/172 in stolen bases! He loved the game so much, that he was still playing at 44/45 years old (and, with a couple of minor league teams)- that shows he didn't want to give the game up. To those who didn't to see Rickey play, that's why RU-vid is the best - watch that man play, you won't be disappointed.

IMO. Rickey is the greatest baseball player of all time.

Super true, without a doubt

Top 10 greatest baseball players ever

Ricky is the only man in baseball history to steal first base, that's how good he was!

Mark and Jose help him a lot. With that power.

he was pretty damn great on the Howard Sterns show in Vegas