Rickey Henderson stole more than just his own bases -- he robbed other players of theirs, too
Rickey Henderson and his groundbreaking sense of style earned him an easy spot in the Hall of Fame -- as did those 1,406 stolen bases (an MLB record), 2,295 runs scored (an MLB record) and penchant for big homers in big moments.
Henderson, who celebrates his 58th birthday today -- yes, on Christmas Day, since everything he does has a certain flair -- also was a thief in another way on the diamond. You see, he also stole other players' bases in the outfield to go along with all the bags he swiped against helpless pitchers.
Witness: In a Sept. 17, 1990, matchup with the White Sox at the Coliseum, Henderson sprang into action after Scott Fletcher crushed a Scott Sanderson offering to left field:
That's the play of a man very comfortable with his skill set, considering he looked away from the ball two times to gauge the distance from the wall.
The A's may have lost that game to a dominant Melido Perez and Chicago, 7-0, but there was no way Rickey was going to let that line drive best him. No, if he and the A's were going to have an off game, he'd do his best to deny Fletcher (who went 0-for-4 on the night) a good evening as well.
All in a day's work for one of the game's all-time greats.