On August 27, 1982, Oakland Athletics outfielder and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson steals base 119 of the season, breaking Lou Brock's single season mark of 118 stolen bases.
Henderson would go on to steal 130
bases that season, setting the all time mark for the most stolen bases in a
single season in the MLB. The record still stands to this day.
Henderson was a left fielder who
played in Major League Baseball for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including
four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics.
Nicknamed "The Man of
Steal", he is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and
base runner, holding the record for most career leadoff home runs with 81, and
winning three Silver Slugger awards in 1981, 1985 and 1990.
His 1,406 career steals are almost
double the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock, and more than 700 above the
current active leader in stolen bases, Juan Pierre, who has 614 as of Aug. 26,
2014.
Henderson is the all-time stolen
base leader for the Oakland A’s and previously held the New York Yankees'
franchise record from 1988-2011. That is now owned by Mr. November, Derek
Jeter, who has 348 stolen bases in pinstripes. Henderson had 326.
But he was more than just a speed
demon around the bases. Henderson holds the major league records for runs
scored and unintentional walks. Henderson is also the only player in American
League history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three
times.
A 12-time stolen base champion,
Henderson led the league in runs scored five times and was among the league's
top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.
Henderson was named the AL's Most
Valuable Player in 1990, and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series
champions: the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.
At the time of his last major league
game in 2003, the ten-time American League All-Star ranked among the sport's
top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in base on
balls.
His 25-year career elevated
Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bats,
games, and outfield putouts and total chances.
His high on-base percentage, power
hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic
players of his era.
He was further known for his
unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable
personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.
Once asked if he thought Henderson
was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could
split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers.
In 2009, he was inducted to the
Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance with 94.8 percent of the
vote.
The Oakland Athletics also retired
Henderson’s no. 24 jersey in 2009.
Check out the video below of
Henderson breaking Lou Brock's career stolen base record:
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