What is your favorite Rickey Henderson's Moment

by pachydermOAFC on Feb 10, 2006 4:39 PM PST

Rickey Henderson can argue as one of all-time best Oakland Athletics. Since recent news of him returning to the Majors, what is your favorite moment of Rickey as an Athletic or any other big league club. If you can't think of one, I made a little poll. Lastly, my personal favorite moment was Rickey's 939 steals just because I remember running from school just the highlight on ESPN Sportcenter plus the A'S beat the Yankees.

Poll

Favorite Rickey Moment

Rickey steals 939 for the All-Time

43 votes

Rickey slides home as a Padre for the Run record

6 votes

Rickey's 15 years story told by Dave Stewart

8 votes

Rickey's "Surprise" visit at 2003 FanFest

2 votes

Rickey's First Record Breaker at Milwaukee

8 votes

67 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

My fave...

Was when he tied the Lou Brock for the stolen base record. I was at that game, it was my birthday present that year, and still have the tickets. Something i will never forget. I just wish he would have stolen one more in that game so i coulda seen him break the record.

President of the Brent Gates Fan Club

by SoCal As Fan on Feb 10, 2006 5:36 PM PST reply actions

Last Summer in San Diego!

We went to see Rickey Play for the Surf Dawgs ---he didn't start....kinda depressing.
But he was there - on the bench encouraging the young Dawgs. You could hear him say "come on puppy - get us going".
Late in a tight game the 45 year old master pinch hit. He singled. On first he was dancing like he had 25 years ago. He stole second. He then stole third and scored on the missed throw at third sliding into home and springing up. He scored the go ahead run - as usual.
I had seen Rickey do it before years ago --but I was at the game to see the A's. This time the only reason we were there was to see Rickey.
A real shame the A's best player ever is a coach for the Mets.

by Carerra on Feb 10, 2006 5:42 PM PST reply actions

More than I can even remember!

He is, without a doubt, my favorite player of all time. There is no one player I would rather pay to watch than Rickey. For all his great plays, I loved the mannerisms. The 3rd person references, the home-run jog that took forever, the snap-catches in left, and the sign of the cross using the left hand were priceless.

Not so much a play as a situation is what stands out. I loved to see Rickey get to first and see the complete change in composure of the opposing pitcher while Rickey danced over at first, as if almost taunting the opposing team with the inevitable stolen base that was to come at a time of Rickey's choosing.

The greatest leadoff hitter of all time deserves to have his number retired next to Eck, Rollie, Jackson, and Catfish.

by WannaBeGM on Feb 10, 2006 6:08 PM PST reply actions

No one could spout off

inarticulately like the great Rickey, so my favorite moment might have to be when he proudly proclaimed that, "1/2 of the fans come to see the A's, 1/2 come to see baseball, and 1/2 come to see Rickey."

I concluded that Rickey is either very poor at Math, or very sophisticated at understanding Venn diagrams.

I love Rickey, by the way, ego and all.

by Nico on Feb 10, 2006 6:40 PM PST reply actions

939

May 1st, 1991. I ditched school and hopped on BART to hopefully witness history. i was sitting in the third deck (RIP) on the 3rd base side. I was grounded for two weeks and had to listen to an endless lecture about responsibility. It was worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Thanks Rickey. You'll always be my favorite.

Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest! - Rickey Henderson

by haren4prez on Feb 10, 2006 7:02 PM PST reply actions

How about Ryan's 5000th K?

Sure it wasn't a great moment for the A's, but even Rickey acknowledged that Ryan just blew it by him and that it was an honor to be part of baseball history.

by WannaBeGM on Feb 10, 2006 7:07 PM PST reply actions

He waved at me

one time between pitches.

by AlBowe on Feb 10, 2006 8:00 PM PST reply actions

1989 ALCS against the Blue Jays

Rickey completely dominated and turned the opposing pitchers into nervous wrecks. They couldn't stop him from getting on base, and then they couldn't stop him from stealing, and they were so distracted, they couldn't get the batters after him out.

RBI stands for Ricky Bats In front.

"Next year might be an all-out zoo." -- Barry Zito

by TomB on Feb 10, 2006 8:59 PM PST reply actions

Rickey was so

in their heads, it was classic. A one-Rickey wrecking crew. I was in the bleachers and it was just SO. MUCH. FUN.

by sslinger on Feb 10, 2006 10:30 PM PST up reply actions

That was my vote....

That whole series was amazing.

Bring back Hammer.

by OaktownPower on Feb 10, 2006 11:31 PM PST up reply actions

that was my first thought and choice

the 89 ACLS, rickey single handedly took apart the Jays. Game four when he hit the two dingers was probably the best game but .400 .609 1.000 in the series with 8 steals, 0 caught stealing, and 8 runs is just outstanding.

Kendall Haiku by FormerHuntsvilleStar, " Ball in hand, a leap,--- a veteran catcher blocks--- and secures a win"

by Athletics fan and runner on Feb 11, 2006 6:58 AM PST up reply actions

Rickey just schooled the Jays

and the noodle-armed Ernie Whitt

by WannaBeGM on Feb 11, 2006 10:05 AM PST up reply actions

Agreed.

I've never seen such dominance on the field; he single-handedly destroyed the Jays. He was absolutely at his peak and was just unstoppable.

Good pitching beats good hitting. And vice versa.

by TheBigO on Feb 13, 2006 2:36 PM PST up reply actions

At Seattle, Kingdom, 1983

He didn't sign ONE autograph the whole series. He'd come out of the dugout and everyone would be yellin' "Rickey! Rickey! Rickey!" and he'd say "Rickey gotta go ta work".

I just sat back and thought that man is cool.

by bigelephant on Feb 10, 2006 9:00 PM PST reply actions

1993 Spring Training

I was a kid at a spring training game at phoenix muni stadium. Some of the fans in left field started heckling Rickey, and he mocked them by using his right hand like a puppet talking to his glove. I thought he was so cool.

I'll also never forget him in the '89 postseason. What a show.

by RickeySteals on Feb 11, 2006 1:41 AM PST reply actions

Exibition Game in Huntsville AL 1998

This is my favorite because it is personal. I had been dating my wife for about a year. She was new to being an A's fan. Living in Nashville, going to the AA games in Huntsville was as close as I got to the A's (got to see some great players play AA).

We were at an exibition game and my wife was in along the 1st base line in the outfield. This was during stretches/BP. Rickey comes up and starts talking to her for about 5 minutes or so. My wife was actually annoyed because she was trying to read a magazine and she had no idea who he was. Once all the autograph seekers saw him they came running over (me included). My wife almost got trampled, but she had fun afterwards. She even got his autograph.

I have a picture somewhere that I will try and post up.

Gene Nelson and I have the same barber!

by beta103 on Feb 11, 2006 6:43 AM PST reply actions

While I don't have a favorite specific moment...

I loved all of his leadoff homers that put the team up 1-0 in the first...

I also loved his neon green Mizuno batting gloves that had padding on the back part of the fingers for head first slides. I also like his Oakley sunglasses. He was the epitome of cool for an 11 year old.

Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water, the other third is covered by Kotsay.

by carp on Feb 11, 2006 11:28 AM PST reply actions

I had those!!!

I wore a pair when hitting when I was 13!!
I was all about trying to be like rickey!

Kendall Haiku by FormerHuntsvilleStar, " Ball in hand, a leap,--- a veteran catcher blocks--- and secures a win"

by Athletics fan and runner on Feb 11, 2006 9:32 PM PST up reply actions

my first oakland a's memory

was when my parents took me to a baseball game in the early 90s and we watched ricky get into a pickle between 2nd and 3rd base. It went back and forth for a couple of times until on one throw rickey crawled beneath the third baseman's legs to slide safely into third. After that, I thought he was the coolest ball player ever and I spent the next 6 years of little league trying to pull off the same move

by faninphilly on Feb 11, 2006 12:38 PM PST reply actions

Sorry A's fans...

My favorite moment was when Nolan Ryan threw his 7th no-hitter to steal the headlines the day Ricky passed Lou Brock. Am I the only one who absolutely could not stand this guy?

Hard work never hurt anyone, but I'm not taking any chances.

by Alameda Greg on Feb 11, 2006 10:39 PM PST reply actions

yes

pretty much all A's fans love Rickey. which is kind of interesting because a lot of Giants fans don't like Barry, who has an even better resume and about an equal-size ego, and ignores his teammates about the same amount. The differences? Not sure I can quite put my finger on it. Rickey likes people, Barry doesn't. Also, Rickey can't help who he is. Barry is a child of privilege and should know better.

by vk on Feb 11, 2006 11:47 PM PST up reply actions

Also

I think Rickey's last couple of stints with the A's made a huge difference in the minds of fans. Those times he was the model player both on the field and off, still playing well, a good mentor to the younger players and yet he still had enough of an ego to be interesting.

It was good times all around...

by RickeySteals on Feb 12, 2006 2:55 PM PST up reply actions

You're on your own

Guy was a solid teammate in his last stint with the A's and after his time in San Diego one of his biggest admirers seemed to be Tony Gwynn who spoke very highly of Rickey as both a man and teammate.

by WannaBeGM on Feb 12, 2006 5:00 PM PST up reply actions

Just a couple months ago...

I was reading an article in The New Yorker about the waning career of Rickey Henderson. I don't have a link or the magazine in front of me, but there was a priceless quote in there. It was probably the October of November issue of 2005 if any of you are interested.

When asked if Rickey had any knowledge of the steroid use in his clubhouse [A's -Jose Canseco], he quickly replied, "Hell no. I wish they had told me about that." After a pause he asked, "Can you imagine Rickey on Roids? Oh my God!"

I couldn't stop laughing once I read that! How vain and ego-maniacal could he be...and how is it so funny to me?

by FireballerHARDEN on Feb 11, 2006 11:05 PM PST reply actions