Hall of Fame for Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice
First Major League Baseball Leftfielders Elected in 20 Years
Jan 12, 2009
Rickey Henderson: A First Ballot Hall of Famer
Rickey Henderson will always be known for his speed. Although he was a great hitter, a good slugger, and an incredibly patient hitter who was a veritable on-base machine during his twenty-five year career, it was his base-stealing ability that made him the most dangerous player in baseball for well over a decade. After breaking in with the A's in the midst of the 1979 season, Henderson stole 100 or more bases in three of his first four full seasons. His best year on the basepaths came in 1982, when he stole a record 130 bases, breaking the mark of 118 set by Lou Brock in 1974.
In 1985, he was traded to the New York Yankees, where he flourished for the next four and a half years. In 1985, he hit .314 with 24 home runs, 72 RBI, 146 runs scored and 65 stolen bases. The next year he set career high for home runs (28) and RBI (74). In 1988, he hit .305 and stole 93 bases.
In the middle of the '89 season, Henderson was traded back to the A’s. In the ALCS against the Blue Jays, Henderson hit .400, smacked two home runs, knocked in five runs and stole eight bases. Not surprsingly, he was named MVP of the ALCS. In the World Series, which the A's swept, Rickey didn’t win the MVP, but he did hit .474 with three stolen bases.
The next year Henderson won the 1990 A.L. MVP, beating out Cecil Fielder in one of the closest votes ever. A few months later, on May 1, 1991, Rickey broke Lou Brock's career stolen base record when he swiped his 939th base.
Henderson won a second World Series ring with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993, and then embarked upon a ten year journey that went through Oakland (two more times), San Diego, Los Angeles (Dodgers), New York (Mets), Seattle and Boston.
Rickey Henderson's final career stats are remarkable: 3,055 hits, an all-time best 1,406 steals, an all-time best 2,295 runs scored, and a second-best in history 2,190 career walks. Rickey also hit 297 home runs, 81 of which he hit to lead off a game, another record. He made ten All-Star teams, led the league in steals twelve times, and won a Gold Glove in 1981.
Rickey received 94.8% of the vote, well above the necessary 75%.
Jime Rice Elected in His Final Year of Eligibility
It took Hall of Fame voters fifteen years to come to their senses about Jim Rice, finally electing him this year with 76.4% of the vote. Why Rice had to wait so long is somewhat of a mystery to those who saw the man play, and even more perplexing to those Hall of Famers whom he played against. Last year at his Hall of Fame induction, relief pitcher Goose Gossage said that Rice belonged in the Hall of Fame, and added that Jim was the only hitter that he ever feared.
Gossage had good reason to fear Rice, who hit .298, with 382 home runs, and 1,451 RBI during his sixteen year career. Rice's best season came in 1978, when he hit .315, and led the American League in hits (213), triples (15), home runs (46) and RBI (139). Not surprisingly, he was named the the American League's Most Valuable Player. Rice also placed in the top five in MVP voting in 1975 (third place), 1977 (fourth), 1979 (fifth), 1983 (fourth) and 1986 (third).
Rice's candidacy had been gaining momentum the past few years. In 2007, he received 63.5% of the vote, a number that increased to 72.2% last year. This year, he needed at least 405 votes of the 539 cast. If he fell short, his candidacy would only be eligible for consideration by the Veteran's Committee, a group that runs its election process as if it were craps game in an alley behind a South Philly butcher shop. Luckily for Rice, he got 412 votes, seven more than he needed.
Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven Come Close
Only two other players were named on more than half of the ballots: Andre Dawson, who was on 67% of the ballots cast, and Bert Byleven, who was named on 62.7%. Each player will be on the ballot next year.
The induction ceremonies for Henderson and Rice will be held at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York on July 26, 2009.
